Sweating in newborns - we recognize and treat

Sweating in newborns is a red rash on the skin of a child that looks like a rash. Sweating is a fairly common occurrence in newborns (especially in summer, in the heat), because their skin is very sensitive to temperature extremes, and any other irritants. Sweating in a child can occur in the first days after birth. You must be able to recognize it and prevent it. (In addition, everything is not so scary as it might seem at first glance to young and inexperienced mothers)

What does prickly heat look like

Sweating looks like a small rash (pimples) of red or pink color, appears on the areas of the skin that sweat most (mainly in all the folds on the baby’s skin), also on the buttocks, back, elbows and under the knees, in the area between the legs, on the neck and even on the cheeks. These are pink spots or small bubbles with liquid. Often occurs after sleeping or walking. Usually, prickly heat does not cause the child much discomfort, does not cause fever, pain, the baby remains active and mobile. (except in individual cases)

Causes of occurrence

The main reason is sweat. Child sweats = clogging of skin cells occurs = sweating appears.

DO NOT WRAP the baby strongly! When a child is hot, his sweat glands develop a special secret that prevents the body from overheating. It happens that, taking care of the baby’s health, they dress him too warmly, swaddle tightly or cover the skin with a lot of cream. Then the secret cannot normally be secreted through the pores and accumulates in the glands. The baby sweats and a little sweat appears.

We watch the video (From what infants have prickly heat and how it looks)

Kinds

• Red prickly heat: similar to urticaria - single vesicles, or nodules with reddening of the skin around. Pain may occur, itching.
• Crystalline prickly heat: manifests itself differently - small bubbles are located close, in bulk, do not cause the child any trouble, disappear in 2-3 days. In difficult cases, if an infection has been introduced under the skin, the following types of disease can develop:
  • White prickly heat - instead of a clear liquid in the vesicles, a white liquid is observed.
  • Yellow sweating - water in the bubbles will be a yellowish tint.

Prevention

It’s easier to prevent the disease than to think how to treat it - advises folk wisdom. Indeed, it is worth paying more attention to the prevention of prickly heat, thereby reducing the likelihood of its occurrence.

• Do not keep your baby in diapers. No matter what the advertisements say, diapers make it difficult for air to reach your skin; it’s very hot in them. It is better to use diapers only on walks and for a night's sleep. Use nappy cream;
• Wash after each bowel movement. Use plain water, or baby wet wipes, then treat the folds with talcum powder;
• Keep up optimum temperature indoors 20-22 degrees. It is enough for the baby to feel normal, the main thing is to prevent drafts;
• Wear according to the weather. Do not wrap up the baby either indoors or going for a walk. It is easy to determine whether a child has frozen or is warm enough - just touch his nose. A cool nose - the child is cold, warm - the baby is comfortable, hot is hot;
• Baby clothes and bedding are only cotton and natural fabrics. Synthetics are not suitable for newborns, it makes you sweat;
• Bathe your baby every day. It is not worth using soap for each bath, it rinses off the protective film, but decoctions of herbs - as much as you like.
• Arrange air baths. This is a wonderful hardening procedure, but also excellent prophylaxis of prickly heat.

Treatment

Treatment of sweating does not require specific specific methods. The main thing is to organize proper skin care. It is very important to prevent the baby combing the rash, otherwise the infection will get into the wounds and complications will arise. So:

1. Bathe your baby right. If a child suffers from mild heat, bathe him in boiled water. Add some manganese, decoctions of herbs (See article about herbs for swimming). Chamomile, a series of relieve irritation. Also a decoction of thin branches of black currant is not bad. Itching is well removed by washing the affected areas with boiled water with a light soda solution.
2. Do not wear your baby immediately after bathing. It is better to wait until the skin dries, the moisture is absorbed, then treat the sweating powder with powder and let the baby lie down naked.
3. Refuse baby creams. The delicate skin of a child covered with cream is difficult to breathe, sweat accumulates in the glands. Replace the powder with powder, talcum powder quickly absorbs moisture, the skin will sweat less. You can apply a powder even on the cheeks of the child, but gently, preventing contact with the eyes.
4. Protect areas affected by sweatshops from damage. Trim your baby’s nails regularly to avoid combing your skin. Gloves can be worn.

Watch the video (How to treat prickly heat in an infant)

Read on: Diaper rash in a newborn: prevention, how to recognize and how to treat

Do I need to see a doctor?

If you apply all the methods of treatment and prevention, but the rash has not passed, the size of the spots has increased, the fluid has changed color, which means that the disease has become complicated and you should definitely consult a doctor. He will pick up special medicines for your newborn baby and prescribe treatment. Also, if you cannot distinguish sweatshirt from other similar diseases yourself, a doctor’s consultation is definitely necessary.

More on the topic:

• Staphylococcus in infants. Symptoms Treatment
• Pimples on the face of a newborn - reasons and how to get rid
• Diathesis in infants (symptoms, treatment, folk remedies for diathesis)
• Chickenpox in infants: symptoms, treatment

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