All about the treatment of prickly heat in newborns – is prickly heat dangerous for children?

Moms and dads of newborns are more likely to encounter such a phenomenon as prickly heat. Due to impaired thermoregulation, the crumbs often develop rashes – both on the face and in the folds of the skin.

How to distinguish a prickly rash from another type of rash, is it dangerous, and what methods of effective treatment are there?

The content of the article:

Signs of prickly heat in newborns – what does it look like and how to distinguish it from another rash?

Prickly rash is a specific rash on the skin, similar in appearance to a common rash… Due to sensitivity to external stimuli and temperature changes, the skin of newborns is more susceptible to this phenomenon than others.

Prickly sweat can appear immediately after birth under the influence of one factor or another, and the main areas of its localization are folds (arms, legs), neck, butt and face.

What does a prickly sweat look like – signs and features

• Sweat sweat in the neck usually localized in its folds, although it may well go to the back and shoulders. Outwardly, it manifests itself in the form of small reddish dots. At the same time, the skin itself is moist to the touch.
• Sweaty sweat on my head manifests itself as a red or pink small rash that occurs immediately after heavy sweating.
• Armpit areas prickly heat usually settles in folds, arising as a reaction to tight wrapping or rubbing with a vest.
• Sweat on the bottom or groin areas – these are very extensive rashes of a bright red rash, often complicated by the simultaneous appearance of diaper rash or even infection (urine and feces for the skin of the crumbs are a strong irritating factor).
• As for the sweat on the face, it rarely occurs. Usually – with too high humidity, excess cream on the skin or overheating of the crumbs, localized on the forehead and cheeks, in some cases – on the chin.

Prickly sweat is often accompanied by the appearance of small blisters with various contents (serous or transparent). An increase in temperature (with the exception of cases with the addition of an infection), as a rule, is not observed.

Types of sweaty sweat

In accordance with the signs of a rash, there are 3 main types of prickly heat:

1. Crystalline. It is she who is usually observed in infants. Signs: pearlescent or white blisters that coalesce as the rash spreads. The size of the bubbles is about 2 mm. After damage to the bubbles (a day or two), areas of peeling appear on the infant’s skin. Areas of distribution – neck with face and upper half of the body.
2. Red. Signs: tiny homogeneous nodules or blisters and noticeable redness of the skin around them. With this type of prickly heat, the bubbles do not merge, and in the places of the rash, soreness is felt when touched with fingers and itchy skin. In the heat or with high humidity, the pain tends to intensify. The main areas of manifestation: groin and armpits, skin folds on the neck.
3. Deep. Signs: Bubbles 1-3 mm in diameter (flesh-colored) on arms / legs or torso. They appear after sweating – after an hour or two, and also quickly disappear.

If, in the presence of prickly heat, an infection also settles on the skin, then here they are already talking about microbial eczema – that is, infected prickly heat, which is characterized by the appearance of bubbles with the presence of a cloudy liquid, redness of the skin and a rise in temperature.

How not to confuse prickly sweat with other diseases?

Many mothers confuse prickly heat with ordinary skin peeling or atopic dermatitis. It is worth noting that prickly heat is a phenomenon that occurs due to severe sweating, and the bubbles and redness of prickly heat, in the first place, manifest themselves in the folds – that is, in the folds of the arms, legs and groin.

You should also know that there are no additional signs of a sweatt. If they appear (temperature, etc.) – this is a reason to go to the clinic. In any case, only an experienced dermatologist or pediatrician can make an accurate diagnosis.

The main causes of prickly heat in infants

The key reason for the formation of prickly heat in an infant is clogging of the ducts of the sweat glands. That is, the more the baby sweats, the higher the risk of prickly heat.

It also manifests itself under the influence of other factors:

• Disruption of the activity of the sweat glands of the crumbs due to their immaturity.
• Finding the baby in an incubator with warm / humid air (due to prematurity).
• An increase in temperature due to the development of an infection.
• Taking diuretics that increase sweating in the baby.
• Prolonged stay in diapers or diapers without proper hygiene procedures.
• Prolonged exposure to the sun.
• Hormonal changes in the first few weeks after birth (this is the norm).
• Using a collar bandage for the neck (to support it).
• The use of caps and other clothes that are too “unsuitable for the weather” in the heat.
• Violation of hygiene requirements.
• Overweight baby.
• Clothes that are too tight or swaddling too tight.
• Use of synthetic fabrics in clothing / underwear.
• The use of cosmetics that interfere with the normal air exchange of the skin (for example, creams that clog the pores of the skin).

Dangerous sweating – what are the consequences?

For babies, prickly heat is not such a dangerous disease. Anyway, with a timely visit to the doctor and the measures taken it will pass quickly enough and without consequences.

If preventive and therapeutic measures are not taken, and the negative factors are not eliminated and continue their effect, then prickly sweat becomes a “springboard” for the active reproduction of microbes, which, in turn, already leads to the emergence infections, pustules, eczema, inflammation etc.

The risk is very high, given the too the close location of the baby’s vessels to the skin – even the smallest wounds for a baby are potentially dangerous. Therefore, it is not recommended to leave the sweat “on its own”.

Treat on time!

Methods for treating prickly heat in a newborn – to the attention of parents!

The fight against prickly heat should be started immediately, as soon as its first symptoms were discovered. How to treat it and prevent its reappearance?

We remember and use in practice!

• Air temperature for the nursery. It is recommended to maintain it within 20-22 degrees (stable). Mandatory – regular airing (while taking the baby to another room).
• Only high quality diapers! The very ones, “breathing”, letting in air, so that the priest does not swallow the crumbs. And always in size. The diaper should not be too tight. We change regularly – we do not wait until the diaper is filled to capacity.
• We put on loose clothes on the baby. It should not restrict movement and be too close to the body. We choose exclusively natural fabrics for clothes and linen – no synthetics!
• We do not overheat the baby. We dress it according to the temperature in the room.
• We bathe the child in boiled water twice a dayby adding a decoction of a string or chamomile to it. After each use of the diaper “for the intended purpose”, we must wash the baby. You can use additional cosmetics for babies, but you should first consult a pediatrician.
• Air baths. We regularly arrange their toddler.
• Eliminate all factors contributing to increased sweating in an infant – increased air humidity, too high a temperature in the room, etc. Do not forget that the baby also often sweats “from exertion” – for example, when he screams too long and hysterically, pushes or has difficulty feeding (in particular, with inverted nipples of the mother, when the crumb has to “sweat” to eat).
• We strictly adhere to the sleep and nutrition regime. Don’t forget about regular walks. If the weather does not permit, you can walk right on your balcony or (in its absence) simply by opening the window wider.
• We do not give up (if possible) breastfeeding – breast milk protects the infant from many health problems, including this one.
• For a while, you should stop using creams. They create a moist environment on the skin, which only intensifies the manifestations of prickly heat. Better to use a powder.

When should you see a doctor?

A pediatrician or dermatologist should be consulted if the following symptoms accompany prickly heat:

1. Temperature increase.
2. The appearance of weeping crusts or abscesses.
3. Peeling of the skin.
4. Itchy skin.
5. The sweating did not go away in a few days and even, on the contrary, “spread” even more widely.
6. The liquid in the bubbles has turned yellowish, white, or another color.
7. The kid is annoyed and moody.

Remedies for the treatment of prickly heat in an infant

No special drugs are usually prescribed for the treatment of prickly heat (unless, of course, it caused complications in the form of an infection).

Can be used:

• Herbal decoctions (succession, chamomile, currant twigs, oak bark, celandine, yarrow) and “potassium permanganate” (up to pink water color and no more than 1-2 times a week) when swimming.
• Baby powder for processing skin folds.
• Baking soda (to wipe the areas with prickly heat, 1 tsp per glass of water – and wipe the skin with a cotton swab dipped in this solution).
• Bapanthen cream or Benzalkonium for the treatment and drying of the skin.
• Zinc ointment. This agent has anti-inflammatory and drying properties. The product should be applied exclusively to clean and dry skin 5-6 times a day.
• Calamine cream. For relieving itching, cooling effect.

Attention! We do not self-medicate! Before using any means, be sure to consult a pediatrician. Take care of your kids!