Rinse the face with water after all feedings or spitting up. During hot weather, change the baby's position more frequently and put a cool washcloth on the area. They look like insect bites, but are not. Their cause is unknown, they are harmless, and they resolve by 2 weeks of age. The pressure of a forceps on the skin can leave bruises, scrapes, or damaged fat tissue anywhere on the head or face.
Fetal monitors can also cause scrapes and scabs on the scalp.
The bruises and scrapes will be noted on day 1 or day 2 and disappear by 1 to 2 weeks. A firm coin-shaped lump, under the skin and sometimes with an overlying scab, is the usual finding. This lump may take 3 or 4 weeks to resolve. For any breaks in the skin, apply an antibiotic ointment 4 times per day until healed. Call back if it becomes tender to the touch, soft in the center, or looks infected.