Many healthy children develop ugly rashes on the face and body in the first months of their life. Most of them disappear without any treatment, but it is necessary to distinguish rashes that disappear on their own, from rashes that require medical attention. Treatment of rashes on the body of a one-year-old child is an integral part of eliminating the cause of the disease.
Prickly heat
Sweating is very common in newborn babies, because infants have underdeveloped sweat glands and easily overheat. It looks like small raised bubbles that appear on the face and body. Usually, sweating disappears by itself, but its appearance serves as a sign of overheating, which is a risk factor for the syndrome of sudden infant death.
Common skin infections include:
- Scabies. Causes local manifestations, which are a very itchy rash, usually on the palms or feet of a newborn. Dispatched with close contact, so usually affects more than one member of the family.
Skin disorders associated with the neonatal period include:
- Urticaria (urticaria) is a swollen, spotty rash, which is sometimes seen in the first few days of life. It is observed mainly on the trunk and usually disappears independently.
- Milia (whiteheads) - raised points 1-2 mm in diameter, observed on the nose and cheeks of newborn babies. They arise with the maturation of the sebaceous glands and disappear within a few weeks after birth.
- "Strawberry" nevuses are raised red spots that are occasionally present at birth, but usually appear in the first few weeks of life and can be on the trunk, neck or face. Normally, nevi grow during the first year, then their blood supply decreases, and they gradually disappear before the school age. However, if the nevus is located in the eye area, laser treatment may be required.
- Simple nevuses ("stork bite") are reddish marks that are often present from birth on the nape or back of the neck. They always turn pale with time and do not create cosmetic problems.
- Mongolian spots are bluish spots, which often appear in dark-skinned babies. As a rule, they are located at the base of the spine and on the buttocks. Disappear as they grow older.
Eczema and dermatitis are very common in infants and can cause severe anxiety in parents. These diseases respond well to treatment, in many cases, improvement (or full recovery) occurs spontaneously, as the child grows older. Eksematoznye rashes in infants are very common, but, fortunately, most children outgrow these problems. Often, in this family history, allergies are allergic, including cases of asthma, hay fever, or eczema.
Infant Eczema
Infants with eczema have very dry skin, on which itchy red spots appear. In older children, the rash often affects the elbows and the popliteal fossa. The main ways of treatment are the regular use of emollients, and the rejection of soap. If this does not help, a general practitioner can prescribe a short course of 1% hydrocortisone cream (a very soft action steroid) to reduce skin inflammation. For the face, a cream with a much lower concentration of active ingredient (0.05%) is usually recommended.
Specialized treatment
Occasionally, in severe cases, the rash covers large areas of the skin. Then more intensive treatment is required. A pediatrician can refer a child to a dermatologist for advice. Most often, parents are advised to protect the child's skin from mechanical influences. The greatest damage with eczema occur when combing, so it is recommended to use gloves that do not allow the child to injure himself. It is assumed that, to a certain extent, the development of eczema prevents breastfeeding. Elimination diets (with the consequent elimination of potential allergens), effective in adult patients, rarely help children. In addition, if they are used, there is a risk of malnutrition.
Seborrheic dermatitis
Infant seborrheic dermatitis usually affects the scalp, but can also occur on the face, chest, bends of the elbows and knees. In this condition, which in most cases develops at the age of about three months, dry yellow scales appear on the head, and a red scaly rash appears on the body. Light cases are eliminated by rubbing olive or peanut oil in the scalp, followed by washing with baby shampoo. Common causes of transient rashes and skin problems:
- Diaper dermatitis.
Most diaper dermatitis is a reaction to urine contained in the urine. This type of dermatitis is more and more rare in connection with the use of absorbent disposable diapers. Typically, the skin folds outside the immediate contact area with the diaper are not affected, which is the key to the diagnosis. Diaper dermatitis is weakened if you start to change diapers more often, and if there is such a possibility, for a while do not use them at all. Avoid using flavored baby napkins and return to normal washing with cotton wool and water. The use of simple creams from diaper dermatitis, such as zinc ointment, based on castor oil, also acts as a barrier that protects the baby.
- Viral rashes.
- Many viral diseases that cause a child's temperature, are also accompanied by a rash. Often a doctor can not determine a specific virus, but most of the rashes do not require specific treatment. Most viral rashes, with the exception of chickenpox, turn pale with the gentle pressure of the bottom of the glass cup. If a rash in a child with poor health does not pass the pressure test, you need to provide an immediate medical examination to make sure that this is not a meningococcal infection.