Symptoms and treatment of prickly heat in newborns and infants

There are no children in the world who would never have had the most usual classic prickly heat. What to do if the baby appeared diaper rash and how to treat it, as well as how to prevent the appearance of a rash, we will tell in this article.

Porous deer is a dermatological lesion in which skin rashes of varying intensity appear due to an imbalance between perspiration and the subsequent evaporation of moisture. Sweat glands work from birth. In some moments of life, they are activated, and then the sweat is allocated more. If at the same time it does not have the ability to evaporate normally and quickly, it causes severe local skin irritation.

Itching can occur in children of any age. However, the most common is prickly heat in newborns. It is connected with the peculiarities of the skin of children of the first year of life, and with the peculiarities of the hygiene of the infant. The skin of babies after birth is 2.5 times thinner than the skin of adults. Subcutaneous fatty tissue is not sufficiently developed, because of this, the skin looks almost translucent, through it even blood vessels and the venous network can appear through. It is for this reason that the skin of newborns have such a diverse color - from pale pink to rich red and even lilac.

The thermoregulation center in the brain of children is not sufficiently developed, so the kids give off heat faster and accumulate it faster, i.e. the probability of overcooling or overheating is higher. This means that sweating is not constant. In addition, the ducts of sweat glands in children are narrow, which means that perspiration cannot be considered sufficient. The ducts are formed on average up to 5 years, and therefore, the weaver can occur not only in the newborn, but also in the baby in 2-3 years.

Sweat is an aggressive medium, it contains not only salts, but also bactericidal substances, which “eat away” the natural lipid film present on the skin of a newborn. The tender and tender skin of babies reacts painfully to contact with sweat.

The heat loss in medical language is called “miliaria”. This term refers to the blockage of the ducts of the sweat glands, as well as the skin reaction caused by it.

That is why it is important to recognize the prickly heat as early as possible and take appropriate measures to alleviate the condition of the child.

The mechanism of prickly heat is fairly simple. The child's body when overheated, but it happens quite quickly, trying to somehow cool, for this sweat glands begin to actively produce a secret - sweat. But the ducts are narrow, they are easily clogged. So there is a local inflammation, and sweat, caught in the inflamed skin, only aggravates the situation. The main reasons that cause overheating in children are:

• heat in the room;
• too warm or extra clothes, the choice of clothes is not according to the weather;
• violation of the acid-base balance of the skin due to improper use of cosmetics and skin care products for the child;
• disease associated with fever.

Thus, a child who is “entangled” is protected from freezing with the help of a couple of heaters installed in the children's room, as well as toddlers who are bathed too often with soap, more often than others suffer from miliary disease. There are also toddlers who are at risk in terms of frequency and likelihood of a streak:

• allergic children;
• kids with overweight, obesity;
• children with established diabetes;
• tots with confirmed rickets;
• children who often suffer from loose stools;
• babies with seborrheic dermatitis;
• premature babies;
• bottle-fed babies.

Be sure to take into account that the acidity of the skin of the child is almost at a neutral level, this creates a favorable environment for the reproduction of bacteria. In adults and adolescents, for comparison, the acidity of the skin is shifted toward the acidic environment, so the bacteria on it survive is much more difficult.

Often, parents, wanting to do what is best, themselves increase the likelihood of developing prickly heat. So, the obstruction of the ducts of the sweat glands and the oxygen metabolism of the skin are influenced by fat-based cosmetics - baby cream, massage oils.

Often, heatwort is provoked by warming compresses, which parents impose on their tots for catarrhal diseases, even the usual hot water bottle that mom and dad put to the baby in bed in winter can cause the appearance of fragments of miliarium. Heels are promoted and synthetic clothing, in which the skin "does not breathe", and poor-quality or unsuitable size diaper. In children up to 6 months, such skin irritation is more common due to adaptation of the skin to the environment.. After nine months of being in the uterine waters, it is rather difficult for the skin to “rearrange” to the air with all its dangers - microbes, viruses, fungi and allergens.

More often, chick-pea manifests itself in summer, when it is hot outside, and in winter, when parents, fearing a child's hypothermia, do everything to make the house feel hot. In the spring and autumn - before and after the start of the heating season, the miliary disease is much less common.

Depending on the extent and duration of exposure to sweat on the skin, the degree of blockage of the ducts of sweat glands there are several main types of prickly heat.

This is the simplest prickly heat, which manifests as watery vesicles with no signs of concomitant inflammation. Typically, this prickly heat is located on the head, occipital part, neck. The bubbles are filled with clear liquid and are small.

This type of skin lesion is manifested by bumps, the skin around which is inflamed and somewhat swollen. Hillocks are not prone to merge among themselves. Sometimes this prickly heat manifests itself as a red or intense pink rash.

In this form of skin disease, vesicles form in the deep layers of the skin, as a result, the blisters form very quickly and just as quickly disappear, leaving no traces.

With such prickly heat, the liquid inside the vesicle resembles milk, it is white or with a slight yellowish tinge. When the bubbles burst, light crusts remain on the skin.

So is called any form of prickly heat, which was complicated by the addition of a secondary infection - bacterial, fungal, less commonly viral. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the body through cracked vesicles, through skin microcracks, as well as with moist eczema. Staphylococcal pitsa is most often observed, less frequently streptococcal or mycotic.

This is the form that prickly heat acquires with a sufficiently long course. In diaper rash, any type of hemorrhage can go, if not in time to take action. Diaper rash is accompanied by a strong inflammation of the surrounding tissues, the formation of weeping eczema. Diaper rash occurs as a result of complex effects on the affected skin of urine, feces, synthetic materials, mechanical friction.

The main symptom of prickly heat is rash and skin inflammation. It is usually located in the skin folds, on the back of the head, on the neck, under the chin in the neck fold, on the chest and back, under the arms, on the pope and in the groin area. On the body, prickly heat is located where there is close contact with clothing or diaper. In children, which are tightly swollen "column", rashes can appear on the body and abdomen.

In itself, the appearance of a rash should not be considered a serious disease.

Chicken frost affects the child's behavior. Rash can disturb him, itch, itch. The kid begins to behave capriciously, his sleep worsens, his appetite suffers. When trying to touch a sore spot, the child’s anxiety increases.

Sacrum in children under one year is often manifested on the nose, behind the ears, on the scalp. It looks different, and therefore it is often confused with an allergic reaction and some infectious diseases. But all these diseases require medical assistance, whereas chickweed mom is able to handle on her own. That is why it is important to learn to distinguish prickly heat from other skin rashes.

If infection occurs, the symptoms change. The child's body temperature rises, pustular or cortical whitish formations appear on the inflamed skin, and noticeable cracks can form, which begin to bleed. Infected prickly heat often occurs in children with weakened immunity, babies who have recently suffered from certain diseases, as well as in crumbs with chronic and congenital ailments.

The first is to learn to distinguish between prickly heat and allergic reactions. The lash is usually located only in areas where perspiration is difficult - in the folds, under the diaper, at the place where the diapers fit, with tight swaddling. Allergic rashes can occur anywhere, even on open skin. Rash on the cheeks, therefore, more often have an allergic origin.

Allergic rash does not go away so quickly and does not show sensitivity to exposure to air currents.

It is possible to distinguish prickly heat from a great many infectious diseases, which are also accompanied by skin rashes, by the presence or absence of additional symptoms. In case of a viral or bacterial infection, the temperature always rises, and often the fever begins first, and only then a rash appears after a day or two. Fever is not peculiar. A rash with infections tends to spread rapidly throughout the body, prickly heat does not change the place of its dislocation.

Diagnosis of this skin disease usually does not cause difficulties for the doctor, even when visually examined. But if in doubt, the baby will take a blood and urine test, a sample of feces and a smear from the throat for laboratory microscopic examination.

If the results of the tests do not indicate that there is a bacterial, fungal or viral infection, the doctor will simply give parents recommendations on the proper care of the baby’s skin in order to avoid the occurrence of prickly heat.

Miliary treatment is carried out at home; only a complicated form of infected prickly heat may require hospitalization, when bacterial or fungal infection takes the first place with all the risks arising from this.

The appearance of prickly heat is always a signal that the child is hot. That is why it is recommended to begin to put in order the indoor climate. The optimal conditions for healthy baby skin are as follows.

To adjust the heating in a block of flats, you can purchase special controls on the heating system. They will reduce the air temperature in the room to the desired values. Most moms claim that + 20 is too cold. For adults, maybe so. But children who overheat faster, it is this air temperature that is best perceived.

This parameter can be measured using a hygrometer, and a special device, a humidifier, will help create the desired climate. There are devices with built-in hygrometers. If you don’t have enough money to buy the device, you can moisturize the air with wet towels hung over the batteries or an aquarium that can be installed in the children's room. It is especially important to humidify the air in winter, at the height of the heating season, since any heating dries the air.

It is necessary to dress the child for the weather, not kutaya and not overheating. This is especially important when choosing wardrobe items for walks. If the child returns from the street soaked, it means that his dress is too warm. At home you can not wear a cap and a warm blouse. At night, do not wrap the child in a warm blanket and put a heating pad in the crib.

Clothing should be made of natural fabrics, synthetics and semi-synthetics should be avoided. For babies under one year old, it is better to buy things along the seams outwards, since mechanical irritation with seams only increases the likelihood of prickly heat and diaper rash.

It is necessary to bathe the child daily, but without using soap. From the use of a solution of potassium permanganate is also better to refuse. For bathing, you can use decoctions of medicinal plants - sage, pharmacy chamomile, succession; older children can add broth of celandine to bathing water.

Phyto baths should not be long. It is best to limit the time for swimming in water with decoctions of healing herbs to 5-10 minutes. Therefore, it is advisable to alternate baths - one day the usual bathing in ordinary water, the next evening - a bath with a decoction. Do not use medicinal plants without a doctor's permission, if the child has a tendency to allergic reactions.

The main requirement that applies to remedies for the treatment of such a problem as cinnamon is soft drying properties. Therefore, children's cream and any other oils and oily creams will not work.You need to use only those preparations that dry the skin and create a protective layer. Here is a sample list of such funds.

This drug can treat diaper rash even the youngest children. The cream contains not only dexpanthenol, which has anti-inflammatory properties, but also vitamin B5, which accelerates tissue regeneration. Since the cream is still moisturizing, it should not be used for weeping diaper rash.

Apply the product after water procedures, air baths on dry skin, as well as with prickly heat, complicated by the formation of traumatic crusts after wet eczema. There are no restrictions on the number of applications per day - it can be applied to the skin of the child at least every time the diaper changes.

Oil solution and spray for external use - these are the forms in which the use of this drug is recommended for the treatment of diaper rash and cinnamon. As part of the drug - eucalyptus leaves, which have a fast healing effect, as well as destroy many pathogens. Alcohol solution is prohibited for children.

The tool is applied to the affected skin 2-3 times a day. The drug should be used with caution for the treatment of allergic children, since eucalyptus can provoke allergic attacks. The course of treatment should not exceed 10 days.

This drug is well known to many generations. The ointment can be applied to the skin of the child 1-2 times a day with a very thin layer. If the child has prickly heat, it can be complicated by abscesses, then zinc ointment is also applied to the adjacent skin areas in order to avoid the spread of a bacterial infection.

The basis of this drug is zinc oxide. This substance effectively dries damaged skin and prevents the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. Zinc oxide and the base, which has a water-repellent effect, create a protective film on damaged baby skin. This film limits the impact on the affected area from the outside. The drug is permitted to children of any age, because it is non-toxic.

This is another effective drug containing zinc oxide as the main active ingredient. It dries, disinfects the skin, promotes rapid healing of even complicated eczema. As part of the drug has cod liver oil, rich in vitamins A and E, which help rapid tissue regeneration. The drug is applied with a thin even layer to the skin up to 6 times a day. With caution, use the ointment for children who are not yet a year due to the risk of dry skin.

The main active ingredient is benzalkonium chloride. This cream has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect. The protective layer that creates the drug lasts for several hours. At bedtime, the cream is applied in a thicker layer so that the protection lasts for a longer time.

In some cases, an allergic reaction may develop. If the application of the drug caused redness, it is no longer necessary to apply it.

It is a gel, cream and solution for external use based on the same active ingredient. It has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect. For babies with prickly hair, it is preferable to choose “Dexpanthenol E” - a drug additionally enriched with vitamin E. The product is applied to clean skin several times a day.

Classic baby powder has a lot of advantages. Its main task is to dry the skin. That is why it should always be in the home first aid kit in case of diabetes or diaper rash. However, powder should be used very carefully.

The basic rules are:

• Do not sprinkle talcum on moist eczema during diaper rash;
• It is not necessary to apply a large amount of powder in the skin folds, there it is "compressed" and will further irritate the skin;
• do not use the powder all the time - talc too dry the skin.
• When choosing a powder for a child, it is better to give preference to the one that contains anesthesin and zinc derivatives.

A more thorough treatment will require complicated prickly heat.

When a pustular rash appears in the area of ​​diaper rash recommended ointment with antibiotics "Lekomekol", erythromycin ointment, as well as "Baneocin"In powder and ointment.

Against the most common bacteria, which can penetrate the skin, the integrity of which is broken, effective aniline dyes - "Zelenka" and "Fukortsin". But it should be remembered that they can not be applied to the mucous membranes, genitals, anus.

It is enough to warn prickly heat, it is enough to create favorable conditions for the infant:

• Do not dress the baby too warm, do not wrap it;
• To the extent possible, abandon tight swaddling, if it is, of course, not recommended by the pediatrician;
• Nursing mothers need to monitor their diets so that the baby has fewer prerequisites for the appearance of any rash. When choosing artificial milk adapted mixtures, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
• Air and sun baths are useful for children. True, you should avoid drafts and direct sunlight on the skin, if the child is not yet half a year old.
• Choose quality baby diapers for your baby.
• To wash a child in time, change diapers, arrange a full bath once a day, without being zealous especially with the use of soap and detergents.
• Bathing in the summer can be more frequent - up to 2-3 times a day.
• Dress the child only in clothes made of natural fabrics.

What to do with sweating, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.

How to treat prickly heat in children, see the following video.