Parents express concern about the milia on the face and nose of their baby. The nurse's most helpful response would be to instruct the parents to:

Leave the milia alone: it will disappear spontaneously. No treatment is needed. Milia are small, white cysts that form on the skin, usually on the face, nose, or cheeks of newborns. They are harmless and very common, affecting about half of all healthy infants. They are caused by dead skin cells trapped in pockets of the skin or mouth. They are not a type of acne and are not related to breastfeeding or formula feeding. They usually go away on their own within a few weeks or months without any intervention.

Choice A is incorrect because squeezing out the white material can damage the skin and cause infection or scarring.

Choice B is incorrect because contacting a pediatric dermatologist is unnecessary and expensive for a benign condition that resolves by itself.

Choice D is incorrect because washing the baby's face with a mild astringent can irritate the skin and make the milia worse.

Prevent infection of the eyes from vaginal bacteria. This is because some newborns can be exposed to bacteria such as gonorrhea or chlamydia during delivery, which can cause a serious eye infection called gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum (GON). Applying an antibiotic ointment such as erythromycin or ilotycin can prevent GON and other less severe eye infections by killing the bacteria.

Choice A is not correct because the umbilical cord does not need antibiotic ointment to prevent infection. It should be kept clean and dry until it falls off naturally.

Choice C is not correct because the tear ducts are not affected by vaginal bacteria. They are small tubes that drain tears from the eyes to the nose.
Choice D is not correct because the urethra is not a common site of infection for newborns. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.