Most of the skin disorders in infants start when the mother has such symptoms. The probability increases if the child is still breastfeeding.
Infant skin is relatively thin in structure, it has thin hair and the attachments between skin cells is weaker compared to adult skin. This sort of structure could result in easy entry of skin infectious elements like bacteria, virus and other harmful elements from the external environment.
The epidermal region is the one which seems to get exposed to the infectious elements the most. Susceptibility to irritant elements is said to cause the initiation of chain reactions that lead to entry of infectious elements into the child’s skin layers. Once the chain reaction starts, the skin infection develops quickly and starts spreading.
Baby Skin Rashes and Treatment
The permeability of infant skin layers makes is susceptible to skin rashes caused by sun’s UV radiations. Children playing on beaches, parks, playgrounds and other open places without adequate skin protection are the main victims.
Oxidative process starts attacking the cutaneous surface and the sebum glands, producing excess oil, sweat and other skin irritants. This leads to formation of red spots and rashes development as the skin is still weak in its structure to withstand such an assault.
When these rashes are left untreated they may turn into skin infections like Erythema. Its main cause is said to be inflammation of the skin. It could appear at any point of time in a child’s life cycle from its birth (usually 24 to 48 hours) or during her growth. It appears as deep red patches on skin resulting from the overgrowth of rashes.
According to dermatologists, the Erythema which appears within 24 to 48 hours after child birth goes away within 3 to 4 days. However the one which appears in growing children needs proper attention and treatment.
Clinical Treatment
Clinical treatment involves medication for controlling of skin irritants growth in the initial stage. Once their growth is controlled they become restricted to the affected areas. Then the treatment focuses on their elimination and healing of affected skin.
Home Treatment
Neem oil combined with honey, essential oil and apple cider vinegar is mixed to form a liquid which is applied to skin areas affected by Erythema. The liquid needs to soak the skin for about 15 to 20 minutes after which it can be washed with warm water. Repeating this procedure for a period of 3 to 4 days can heal the skin from the symptoms.
Prevention
Avoid skin irritating clothing and switch over to cotton clothes while the children are out playing. Natural sunscreen made from the combination of Neem oil, castor oil and Aloe Vera in equal proportions could help in reflecting the sun’s UV days and protecting the child’s skin.
Skin hygiene is the main factor which can prevent many of the skin irritating elements from staying for a long time on child’s skin surface. Foods rich in Vitamin C, E and K should be able to provide skin immunity.
Baby Skin Rash After Eating
Food allergy causes skin rashes in infants from 4 months to 6 months. Some of the preservative ingredients used in packed foods can cause rashes and inflammations. So you need to observe the pattern in which the skin rashes appear after eating a specific food and avoid it.
Some of the allergic factors could get transferred from the mother to the infant during pregnancy. These factors need to be diagnosed by the paediatrician and properly treated.
Problems in metabolic system could also cause food to remain undigested and cause rashes. In such cases you need to feed the infant with plenty of pure water.
- Take ½ teaspoon of ginger powder
- Mix it with two teaspoons of water
- Feed it to the infant twice a day
It helps in improving metabolic process and digesting the foods. Proper elimination happens and the child skin gets relieved from the rashes symptoms.
Infant Skin Cancer Symptoms
Skin cancer is said to be a rare symptom in babies when the mother is in good health conditions. Genetic factors could be one of the reasons for skin cancer to appear among infants.
If the mother is a potential carrier of melanoma or non melanoma type of skin cancer, herpes type 2 or other critical skin disorders, the probability of skin cancer in the infant becomes more.
- Symptoms usually appear in the form of rashes and red spots which refuse to go away even after many days and treatments.
- Some parts may develop into bumps with formation of fluid. However it is only a probability and may not occur in all cases.
- The spots around the affected skin areas become pale in colour and appear to be without proper nourishment.
- The infant may experience skin irritations and pain making him to go sleepless and feverish conditions may appear. Immediate medical attention and diagnosis is highly recommended in such cases.
Other Reasons for Skin Rashes
- Baby skin rash due to allergy can appear due to irritant substances like clothes, unhygienic diapers, wet bed, insect bites etc.
- Having an insect protection shield over the baby’s cradle or bed is essential. You need change the diapers regularly no matter whether your baby wets it or not. Sweat deposits in diapers could lead to many types of skin irritations and result in rashes.
- Keep your infant away from synthetic perfumes, soaps and shampoos for sometime if he has shown certain signs of rashes. If they are caused by such elements, the symptoms soon go away. Then you need to find alternate toiletries made from natural resources.
- You could even prepare your own home made soaps and shampoos with the help of herbal ingredients. Henna oil, honey, gooseberry oil, Aloe Vera liquid and essential oils could be used after consultation with your paediatrician.
Hygienic environment around the infant could prevent many infections like baby skin rash dermatitis. Preventive care also provides immunity to infant skin against infections and skin diseases.