Overcoming the Prickly Heat in Your Baby

Medical Video: At Home with Your Newborn | Skin Conditions

You may often find small, itchy red spots on your baby's skin. Maybe it is prickly heat. Usually, babies experience prickly heat on the area of their skin covered with clothes, such as on their back, neck, thighs, and others. Prickly heat in infants is already common in babies of all ages. If so, what should be done to overcome it?

What causes baby prickly heat?

Children at all ages can experience prickly heat. But, prickly heat is more common in infants. Prickly heat can occur when the baby's skin sweats, but the pores of the skin that emit sweat from the body are actually blocked. As a result, sweat cannot come out and make the pores of the skin become swollen. Small red spots will appear on the baby's skin and feel itchy.

Babies and children experience more prickly heat than adults because babies still have small skin pores. Humid weather and heat allow prickly heat to occur. The use of clothes that are wrong at this time can cause prickly heat in babies.

How to deal with prickly heat in infants?

Prickly heat is indeed not a serious problem for babies. But, this can be a sign that your baby is overheating. In addition, prickly heat also causes the baby to feel itchy and this certainly makes the baby very uncomfortable. For that, you must immediately overcome the prickly heat in the baby. How to?

Avoid babies from feeling hot. See the condition of the baby's environment. If you suspect the baby is overheating and the weather is hot, you should choose clothes for thinner babies. Place a cotton towel on the baby's back and neck so that it can help absorb the sweat. Place the baby in a cool place and a cool place. If the baby starts sweating, it is better to gush the baby. Let the air remove your baby's sweat than you wipe it with a towel.
Choose the right baby clothes when the weather is hot. Avoid clothing from synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and nylon, because it will trap heat. We recommend that you choose baby clothes from cotton that can absorb sweat. Also choose clothes that are thin and light for babies. Babies may also need to use bedding made of cotton so as not to irritate the baby's skin while sleeping.
Give baby drink. Make sure the baby gets enough to replace the fluid that comes out of his body through sweat. This is also to avoid babies from lacking fluids.
Don't let the baby overheat at night. If it feels hot at night, you should turn on the air conditioner or fan so the baby is not too hot. However, place the fan away from the baby and do not direct the fan directly in front of the baby. So, the baby will only receive a gentle breeze that makes him comfortable, not cold. If you use a room cooler, adjust the temperature so it's not too cold.
Take a warm bath can also help deal with prickly heat in babies.
Cut baby nails if it looks rather long. This is to avoid scratching the baby when he scratches his itchy skin. Wearing socks and socks on babies can also avoid baby scratches.
Don't use ointments or creams to be applied to the skin of babies who experience prickly heat. This will only make the prickly heat worse because the ointment and cream trap moisture on the skin. However, you can use hydrocortisone cream (0.5%) at the doctor's advice if the baby's sweat is severe.