Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Has her warranty expired?

Now, in addition to a spectacular bout of cradle cap blossoming across Violet’s little noggin, she also some sort of yeast infection moldering among the folds of her neck. It started out as a minor, roundish spot of raw-looking skin, and over the last three days, it matured into a collar of angry, red patches stretching from one ear to the other. We tried patting the folds dry, we tried washing the area with soap, we applied cornstarch and, lastly, talc, but every attempt left Violet screaming and the red skin unchanged. The doctor told us today that both afflictions are nothing to worry about, that most babies get one, the other, or both. She said with a dab or two of double antibiotic ointment, the yeast will clear up, and that the cradle cap will disappear when it’s ready. Her words are comforting to a degree, but this morning, I couldn’t help picturing driving back to the hospital and walking up to the front door, huddled around Violet, our feet wet in the snow, asking if they would let us back in - explaining that we need a little more time before we’re ready to be on our own.


123 days old

6 comments:

  1. Now that I see the rash... my girls had the same thing. It really is just from the moistness between their folds (that part under their neck never seems to get any air). It really does go away on its own and I don't remember ever putting anything on it.

    Hang in there... each phase makes the last one seem like a piece of cake. :)

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  2. Yeah, Macie had the same thing. Once we were aware of it, it was pretty easy to clear up. Give it a day or two.

    Also, google "baby neck cheese." It's super common. :)

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  3. Maxine - it's nice to know that it's not our fault. I just wish it would hurry up and go away already! I hate seeing her miserable...

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  4. Amy - did you let it clear up on its own, or did you put something on it? The doctor gave us cream and said it should do the trick, but if not, she wants to do antibiotics.

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  5. We cleaned it with a baby wipe or a wet washcloth every few hours, and then we dried it really well. It didn't get to the point where we felt like we needed to put anything on it. We also used it as a good opportunity to help Macie work on holding her head up. It would come back a bit now and again, but once her neck muscles got strong, it was no longer an issue.

    That said, Macie didn't have any yeast there. If it's yeast, I'd probably use the cream if it doesn't clear up on its own in a day or two.

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  6. Thanks for the info, Amy - we did wait a few days, trying to keep it dry and - as I wrote above - putting on corn starch/talc, but it grew worse and worse. So we called the doc. We started putting on the cream Thursday - 4x a day - every time is horrible for Violet - and we called the doc today (Sat.) because it seems worse than ever. The doc said to keep it going until Mon., and if it doesn't get better, she wants to presribe antibiotics. Ugh.

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