Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => Complementary Medicine => Topic started by: kdlynn on 02/08/2008 04:04:48
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my little 51/2 week old baby has a heat rash. he looks terribly uncomfortable, and i want to help him...but i've been advised not to sprinkle baby powder on him....anyone know anything else...other than air conditioning..that will help?
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Kadie he is so small If the house is not drafty remove his clothing down to a Diaper and tee-shirt... gently wipe him down with some cool baby wipes or a tepid bath not cold but a little cooler then normal..it will help to cool him immediately but I would just take his clothes down to light weight same as you need and no more..not to much cover at all if its hot and humid. If you are warm and hot so is he.. don't over dress or bundle him.. when its Hot! Allow him to cool... it will go away( the rash That is)... usually doesn't hurt..He is just to hot..over dressed.. or covered...take some clothes off and lighten up his bedding.. cold fingers and toes are normal and OK, for flailing finger arms and feet.... he will be fine.. If you are warm he is warm..... Hugs
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I don't know if you can get it in the US but Calamine lotion is safe for babies and very good for cooling the skin and soothing itchy skin.
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karen it's around his neck and his face. he's been in just a diaper and that's it...ohio is super humid.
yes we have calamine lotion. i didn't even think of that....
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I have always been told prickly heat will go away with just cooling down.. but the baby wipes help as they are cool.. I was always told there was no need to put anything else on it!
Still be careful with the calamine he is so young its hard to tell how his new skin will react to it... if it gets worse clean it off quickly.... Prickly heat is generally not serious as long as you cool him down.. etc..cool off the room temperature.. with fan or air conditioning...
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Heres from experts on prickly heat!
How to Treat Prickly Heat Rash
By eHow Health Editor
Prickly heat rash, or miliaria rubra, is a disorder that occurs when your sweat glands become clogged after being out in the heat for too long or from excessive perspiration. Prickly heat rash appears as small, red bumps or translucent, fluid-filled blisters on the areas of your body that do not receive enough ventilation such as elbow creases, groin, upper chest or neck. Follow these steps for some relief from prickly heat rash.
* If the prickly heat rash does not go away in a few days, you may need to see a dermatologist. He can peel away the upper layers of skin with an ultraviolet light that will take away the plugs and promote sweating.
* To prevent prickly heat rash, try always to keep as cool as possible. Stay in the shade, take cool baths or showers if exposed to the heat for too long, wear loose clothing and drink plenty of fluids when you are outside. You can also apply a medicated heat powder to areas of skin most prone to prickly heat rash before going outdoors.
* Avoid scratching the rash, even though it itches. Scratching could lead to an infection that will require a doctor's visit and antibiotics.
Step by Step:
Step1
Take a cool bath with cornstarch, oatmeal or baking soda added into to the water.
Step2
Gently clean the prickly heat rash area with a mild body soap to remove germs, sweat and dirt. After soaking in the tub, gently pat the area dry with a clean towel.
Step3
Apply hydrocortisone cream to relieve itching. Gently rub the cream into to skin until it is fully absorbed.
Step4
Spread a product that contains salicylic acid (such as acne treatment pads) over the bumps. This will assist in drying the rash and unclogging the pores.
Step5
Repeat these steps every three to four hours to relieve the itching and heal the rash.
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Heres another basically same thing I said....... no heavy oil based lotions etc... clogs the pours and can make it worse .. the pours need to be cleaned off so baby can illuminate the heat again..
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Prickly Heat An Array of Rash Approaches
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PRICKLY HEAT
An Array of Rash Approaches
You are taking your two-week-old for her first ride in the stroller on a mild spring day. Although the thermometer is registering 61°F, the breeze feels chilly. So you carefully dress your baby in a long-sleeved T-shirt, overalls and a lovely pink angora hat and jacket knitted by Great Aunt Edith. You also tuck her under a blanket.
Your walk goes well, and you both enjoy the fresh air. But when you get home, it's a while before you divest your daughter of all those extra clothes. When you do, you notice a fine, pink rash on her neck and upper back. What you're looking at is called prickly heat, the end result of too much heat with no place to go.
'' When a baby gets hot, sweat must evaporate off the skin in order to cool her body down,'' says Scott A. Norton, M.D., a staff dermatologist at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. ''If you interfere with this process by covering the skin with lots of clothing, plastic pants or even heavy moisturizers, the sweat that needs to get out becomes trapped beneath the surface of the skin, resulting in an itchy rash.''
Newborns are particularly vulnerable to prickly heat because their sweat ducts are not mature, which makes it easier for the beads of moisture to be trapped, says Dr. Norton.
Although prickly heat is common in babies, who are unable to complain about being overdressed, older kids can get the rash, too. Fortunately, it's easy to treat and even easier to prevent. Here's how.
Don't overdress your child. '' While prickly heat can sometimes occur as the result of fever, the most common cause is overdressing or swaddling a baby tightly in warm blankets,'' says Dr. Norton. Dress your baby sensibly--preferably in layers that can be peeled away as conditions change--and you'll likely avoid the problem altogether, he says.
Avoid heavy moisturizers. Tender newborn skin tends to be dry and in need of moisturizing. But heavy, oil-based creams can be a problem, notes Dr. Norton. ''Moisturize with a light, water-based lotion instead,'' he advises. Moisturel, Lubriderm and Alpha-Keri body oil are some of the moisturizers you can use.
MEDICAL ALERT
When to See the Doctor
Properly treated, prickly heat should disappear within a few days, according to Betti Hertzberg, M.D., a pediatrician and head of the Continuing Care Clinic at Miami Children's Hospital. But there could be complications if bacteria get trapped under the skin, she says. This can occur when your child scratches the itchy rash. Dr. Hertzberg suggests you make sure that your child's nails are short and clean, and that you see a physician if there is pus, inflammation, red streaking or fever associated with the prickly heat. These are all signs of a secondary infection.
Keep cotton in contact with skin. Plastic is a great material for keeping wetness out, but it also traps moisture in the skin. ''Let your child's skin breathe by using cotton rather than plastic diaper wraps, and by covering plastic mattress and playpen covers with cotton ones,'' says Sam Solis, M.D., chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Children's Hospital, assistant professor of pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine, both in New Orleans, and a pediatrician in Metarie, Louisiana.
Bring the temperature down. The first step in treating prickly heat once it develops is to get your child to stop sweating. ''Remove some clothing, take her into an air-conditioned room or sit her in a tub of tepid water,'' suggests Dr. Solis. ( The water should be just a little warmer than skin temperature.)
Soak away the itch. To counter the itching that accompanies prickly heat, add some baking soda or a colloidal oatmeal product such as Aveeno Bath Treatment to a tub of tepid water, suggests Betti Hertzberg, M.D., a pediatrician and head of the Continuing Care Clinic at Miami Children's Hospital. ''Have your child splash around in the tub for a while,'' says Dr. Hertzberg. ''A good soak will soothe the skin and take away the itching.''
Try a cool compress. While a thin coating of mild, water-based moisturizing lotion may help stop the itching, cool compresses sometimes work better. Make a compress by dipping a washcloth in a mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda per cup of cool water, suggests Dr. Hertzberg. Apply to the rash for five to ten minutes or as long as your child can tolerate it. This should be done four or five times a day, Dr. Hertzberg says.
Bed down with an antihistamine. If your child is extremely itchy, give her an itch-relieving antihistamine such as Benadryl Elixir before she goes to sleep, suggests Dr. Hertzberg. ( Be sure to read package directions to make certain the product is recommended for your child's age. For the correct dosage, follow package directions or consult your physician. Some doctors don't advise Benadryl cream or spray because it could cause a reaction.) ''Kids are much more sensitive to itchiness at night, and more likely to scratch the rash, which can lead to infection,'' she says.
Apply a hydrocortisone cream. ''For kids aged three or older, soothe the itch with a light coating of 1 percent hydrocortisone cream,'' says Dr. Norton. '' You can apply this over-the-counter remedy twice a day for two days to soothe itching and relieve inflammation and redness,'' he says.
Screen the sun without grease. Older kids tend to get prickly heat when they use a heavy, oily sunscreen that clogs sweat pores, notes Dr. Norton. The answer to the problem is not to stop using sunscreen, however. ''Because of the problems associated with sun exposure, children should always use sun-screen, but it's best to avoid the oily, cocoa butter--laden preparations,'' says Dr. Norton. In his practice in Hawaii, he advises his patients to use less greasy lotions that are hypo-allergenic, block UVA and UVB sunlight and are marketed for young children
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Apply herbal or non-perfumed talcum powder after bath. This will absorb extra moisture from the body and protect from prickly heat . Repeat this process 4-5 times a day. The only idea is to keep the body dry and free from sweat and moisture. Similarly, there are some herbal ointments and lotions like aloe vera-rich lotions that can be used for soothing the affected skin.
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This is the perfect remedy, go to your nearest airport and board a plane bound for the UK, no chance of getting heat rash here, although you may find rust a bit of a problem!
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sounds like a plan.. LOL
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Please be careful using hydrocortisone on so young a baby. It does alter the thickness of the skin if used repeatedly.
I also have to warn you against talcum powder - sorry.
There are some studies that found a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer (just google that and read up on it).
One of the best things is to leave the skin open to air as much as possible and use only very mild soaps for cleaning.
In the UK we have a cream called SUDO CREAM which I can tell you from personal experience is excellent to use. I'm sure you'll find it in the US also
Hope that helps - good luck [:)]
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I'm sure, it is always better to consult a doctor whenever it comes to baby health. But LINK REMOVED may also be helpful.