Handle With Care! Dealing With Skin Issues In Babies & Toddlers

Babies are born with the most delicate skin from top to toe. It is precisely this delicate nature of a baby’s skin that renders it almost completely susceptible to dryness and over-sensitivity. For the first couple of years, a parent may have to pay close attention to a baby’s skin to ensure that skin issues are duly addressed so as to prevent them from getting worse. Here are some of the common skin problems found in babies and toddlers, and tips on how to best deal with them.

Eczema

Usually appearing before the age of five, eczema in babies tend to show up on the cheeks and scalp, but it may spread to the arms, legs, chest, or other parts of the body. The rash might look like dry, thickened, scaly skin, or it might be made up of tiny red bumps that ooze or become infected if scratched. It isn’t contagious, but because it’s intensely itchy, it can get very uncomfortable and may prompt bouts of scratching. The tendency to have eczema is often inherited. So your child is more likely to have it if you or a close family member has or had eczema. Taking good care of your child’s skin and avoiding triggers can help treat and prevent flare-ups. The following steps will help to ease the discomforts of eczema and keep it under control.

• Talk with your doctor about how often to bathe your child. Many experts now believe that daily bathing can be helpful for children with eczema. Just make sure the water isn’t too warm, because very warm water dries out the skin faster than lukewarm water.
• Wash and shampoo your child at the end of the bath to avoid sitting too long in soapy water.
• Pat (don’t rub) excess water from his skin with a soft towel or washcloth.
• While the skin is still damp, promptly apply a liberal amount of moisturizer or emollient – an ointment, cream, or lotion that “seals in” the body’s own moisture – to your child’s skin. Ointments and creams contain more emollient and less water than lotions and are usually best for children with eczema.
• Allow baby’s skin to breathe and stay cool
• Use soft cotton clothing for your baby and use mittens or scratch gloves to prevent scratching.
• During a flare-up, you can try applying cool compresses to the area several times a day, followed by a moisturizer.

Diaper Rash

Almost all babies develop diaper rash at one time or another. They appear around the thighs, genitals and buttocks. The rash is red and may look like the skin has been burned or scalded. Diaper rash is the most common skin problem in babies and toddlers and are caused by the diaper rubbing against the skin, moisture, chemicals in the diaper, or bacteria in the child’s urine or stool. Usually, simple changes in the diapering or cleaning routine will eliminate the rash. At the first sign of a diaper rash, try the following steps:

• Keep the skin dry, and make sure the skin is not left in long contact with urine and stool.
• Change the diaper when it is wet or soiled. You may need to change the diaper often during the night to prevent or clear up a rash.
• If you’re using a disposable diaper, use a superabsorbent one.
• Gently wash the diaper area with warm water and a soft cloth. Rinse well and dry completely.
• Let your child go diaper-less for as long as possible, as often as possible.

Intertrigo

Intertrigo may appear in any skin folds that rub together and trap moisture. Occurring largely around the neck area, it usually appears in chubby babies under six months of age. Your baby may not notice it at all or it may cause some pain, depending on the amount of skin-to-skin friction in the affected area. It is caused by excessive moisture from drool and spit-up that collect in your baby’s creases, which don’t get any air.

You can keep the condition under control by washing out the inside of your baby’s skin folds with water and apply a zinc-oxide barrier cream or petroleum jelly to the affected area.

Cradle Cap

Also known as seborrhea, this unsightly rash can appear on the scalp, eyebrows and behind the ears and most common in babies under six months. On the scalp and eyebrows, cradle cap may resemble a bad case of dandruff. It can also appear like thick, yellow or crusty scales. Behind the ears, the rash tends to look cracked and scaly. There is no known cause for cradle cap.

The traditional remedy is to rub a little olive or baby oil on your baby’s scalp to loosen the scales, then gently brush them off. Use a gentle baby shampoo to wash your child’s hair and scalp.

Prickly Heat

Also known as miliaria, prickly heat rash may occur on the face, neck, back or bottom. They look like tiny red bumps on the skin and may also appear inflamed. Since a baby’s skin isn’t able to regulate heat well, just about anything that overheats the little one – hot, humid weather, tight clothing or even a long, hot car ride while strapped in a car seat can set off a prickly heat rash.

The good news is, just as quickly as it appears, it disappears quite easily too! Get your baby out of the heat and dress him in loose, cool clothing. The rash should look much better in about 30 minutes.