NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – according to Sheila Fallon Friedlander, MD.
Dr. Sheila Fallon Friedlander
“This is something you are going to see in your practice,” said Dr. Friedlander, a pediatric dermatologists at Rady Children’s Hospital–San Diego. It’s important to know when it’s time to be concerned and when another condition may be masquerading as acne, she said at the at Skin Disease Education Foundation’s Women’s & Pediatric Dermatology Seminar.
Dr. Friedlander, who is professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego, talked about treating acne in the following prepubertal age groups:
Neonatal acne (ages birth to 4 weeks)
Acne appears in this population up to 20% of the time, according to research, and it is much more common in males than in females, at a ratio of five to one.
The cause is “most likely the relationship between placental androgens and the baby’s adrenal glands,” Dr. Friedlander said. However, something more serious could be going on. “Look at the child and see if he’s sick. If he looks sick, then we need to worry.”
Hormonal abnormalities also could be a cause, she said. Refer a baby to a specialist if there are other signs of hyperandrogenism. However, “the likelihood is very low,” and she’s never needed to refer a neonate with acne for evaluation.
As for treatment, she said, “Mainly, I’m using tincture of time.” However, “many of my mothers have told me that topical yogurt application will work.” Why yogurt? It’s possible that its bacteria could play a role in combating acne, she said.
Masquerader alert! Beware of neonatal cephalic pustulosis, Dr. Friedlander cautioned, which may be an inflammatory response to yeast. Ketoconazole cream may be helpful.
Infantile acne (ages 0-12 months)
This form of acne is more common in males and may hint at the future development of severe adolescent acne. It does resolve but it may take months or years, Dr. Friedlander said.
In general, this acne isn’t a sign of something more serious. “You do not need to go crazy with the work-up,” she said. “With mild to moderate disease, with nothing else suspicious, I don’t do a big work-up.”
However, do consider whether the child is undergoing precocious puberty, Dr. Friedlander said. Signs include axillary hair, pubic hair, and body odor.
As for treatment of infantile acne, “start out topically” and consider options such as Bactrim (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) and erythromycin.
Masquerader alert! Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma can be mistaken for acne and abscess, and ultrasound is helpful to confirm it. “It’s not so easy to treat,” she said. “Ivermectin may be helpful. Sometimes you do cultures and make sure something else isn’t going on.”
Midchildhood (ages 1-7 years)
“It’s not as common to have acne develop in this age group, but when it develops you need to be concerned,” Dr. Friedlander said. “This is the age period when there is more often something really wrong.”