Causes of dry spots and roughness on baby’s skin – when to sound the alarm?

Adam December 28, 2021 0 Comments

Dry and peeling baby's skin - what to do? One of the most common reasons for a young mother to contact a pediatrician is the appearance of rough dry spots on children’s skin. This problem is most common in babies – in almost 100% of cases. However, most often the problem is quickly and easily resolved.

What can be hidden under the peeling of children’s skin, and how to prevent it?

The content of the article:

Causes of dry and rough spots on the skin
What to do if your baby has dry skin – first aid
Prevention of dryness and flaking of the skin in a child

Causes of dry and rough spots on a child’s skin – when to sound the alarm?

Any manifestation of dry “roughness” on a child’s skin is a sign of any disturbance in the body.

Mostly, these violations are caused by illiterate caring for the baby, but there are more serious reasons, which is simply not possible to find on your own.

Adaptation. After a cozy stay in the mother’s tummy, the baby finds herself in a cold “cruel” world, to the conditions of which it is still necessary to adapt. His delicate skin comes into contact with cold / warm air, rough clothes, cosmetics, hard water, diapers, etc. The natural reaction of the skin to such irritants is all sorts of rashes. If the baby is calm and healthy, not capricious, and there is no redness and swelling, then most likely there are no strong reasons for concern.
The air in the nursery is too dry. Note to mom: humidity should be between 55 and 70%. You can use a special device, a hydrometer, during infancy. It is especially important to regulate the humidity level in the nursery in the winter, when the air dried by heating affects the baby’s health by peeling the skin, sleep disturbances, and the susceptibility of the nasopharyngeal mucous membranes to viruses attacking from the outside.
Illiterate skin care. For example, using potassium permanganate when bathing, soap or shampoos / foams that are not suitable for baby skin. And also the use of cosmetics (creams and talcum powder, wet wipes, etc.), which can cause dry skin.
Natural factors. Excess sun rays – or frost and chapping of the skin.
Diaper rash. In this case, the flaky areas of the skin have a red tint and clear edges. Sometimes the skin even gets wet and peels off. As a rule, if everything has gone this far, it means that my mother just started the problem. Way out: change diapers more often, arrange air baths, bathe with decoctions of herbs in boiled water and use special means for treatment.
Exudative diathesis. This reason usually manifests itself on the face and near the crown, and in a neglected state – and throughout the body. The symptomatology is simple and recognizable: red spots with white scales and bubbles. The problem appears as a result of disturbances in the nutrition of the mother (approx. – when breastfeeding) or the baby (if he is an “artificial”).
Allergic diathesis. 15% of babies in the 1st year of life are familiar with this scourge. At first, such rashes appear on the face, then they spread to the whole body. Allergies can manifest themselves as itchy skin and anxiety crumbs.
Contact dermatitis. The scheme for the occurrence of this cause is also simple: rough roughness appears on the feet or hands, accompanied by burning and pain due to exposure to soap or friction, chemical products, etc.
Eczema. A more severe form of dermatitis. Such spots are usually poured out on the cheeks and on the forehead in the form of different-sized red spots with indistinct borders. Treat eczema with the same methods as dermatitis.
Worms. Yes, there are skin problems because of them. And not only with the skin. The main signs are: poor sleep, gritting teeth at night, lack of appetite, constant fatigue, pain near the navel, as well as rough spots and sores.
Lichen. It can occur after relaxing in a public place (bath, beach, pool, etc.) from contact with strangers or infected people, depending on its species (pityriasis, multicolored). The spots are pink only at first, then they turn brown and yellow, appearing all over the body.
Pink versicolor. Not a very common disease. It manifests itself from sweating in the heat or after hypothermia in winter. In addition, pink spots (may itch) all over the body, may be accompanied by joint pain, chills and fever.
Psoriasis. A non-contagious and hereditary disorder that worsens as you get older. Flaky spots have different shapes, and they can be found on the head and any limbs.
Lyme disease. This nuisance happens after a tick bite. It manifests itself at first by burning and redness. Requires antibiotic treatment.

What to do if a child has very dry skin – first aid for a baby at home

For a mother, dry spots on the skin of her child are a reason to be wary. Self-medication, of course, should not be dealt with, a visit to a pediatric dermatologist and receiving his recommendations is the main step. The specialist will do a scraping and, after receiving the test results, will prescribe treatment in accordance with the diagnosis.

for instance, antihistamines, special vitamin complexes that increase immunity, antihelminthics, etc.

Mom’s desire – to save the baby from incomprehensible peeling – is understandable, but you need to remember what you can’t do categorically:

Apply ointments or creams based on hormonal drugs. Such remedies give a quick effect, but the cause itself is not cured. In addition, these funds in themselves can harm the health of the child, and against the background of an imaginary improvement, time will be lost for treating the cause itself.
Pick off the crusts (if any) on similar spots.
Give medicines for allergies and other diseases subject to an unexplained diagnosis.

First aid for a child – what can a mother do?

Assess the condition of the baby – are there any accompanying symptoms, are there any obvious reasons for the appearance of such spots.
Eliminate all possible allergens and eliminate all possible external causes of stains.
Remove soft toys from the room, allergic foods from the diet.
Use products that are acceptable for the treatment of dry baby skin and various skin manifestations. For example, a regular baby moisturizer or bepanten.

Prevention of dryness and flaking of the skin in a child

Everyone is familiar with the well-known truth that it is always easier to prevent a disease than to take a long and expensive treatment later.

Dry skin and flaky patches are no exception, and you need to think about preventive measures in advance.

For mom (before childbirth and during lactation):

Eliminate bad habits.
Carefully monitor your diet and daily routine.
Walk regularly (this strengthens the immunity of both mother and fetus).
Follow a diet while breastfeeding.
Use only high quality mixtures of renowned manufacturers.

For baby:

Remove all dust-collecting objects from the nursery, including the canopy over the crib.
Limit all possible contacts of the crumbs with pets.
Wet cleaning – daily.
Maintain the desired level of humidity in the room (for example, by purchasing a humidifier) and ventilate it regularly.
Bathing the baby in water of 37-38 degrees, without using soap (it dries the skin). You can use herbal decoctions (as recommended by a doctor) or special moisturizers for children.
Use baby cream (or bepanten) before walking and after water procedures. If the child’s skin is prone to dryness or allergies, baby cosmetics should be replaced with sterilized olive oil.
Remove all synthetics from the children’s closet: linen and clothes – only from cotton fabric, clean and ironed.
Choose a gentle washing powder for washing baby’s clothes or use laundry / baby soap. For many toddlers, skin problems disappear immediately after mothers switch from powders to soap. Rinse the laundry thoroughly after washing.
Do not overdry the air with air conditioners and additional heating devices.
Timely change the baby’s diapers and wash them after each “trip” to the toilet.
More often arrange air baths for the crumbs – the body must breathe, and the body must be tempered.
Do not wrap the child in “a hundred clothes” in the apartment (and on the street, too, dress the baby for the weather).

And don’t panic. In most cases, this problem is easily solved by following the rules for caring for the little one and with the help of Bepanten.

The Bologny.ru website warns: self-medication can harm the health of the baby! The diagnosis should be made only by a doctor after an examination. Therefore, if you find symptoms, be sure to contact a specialist!