“Skin rash”: close danger that hurts baby's skin in hot and humid time

                  At present, the weather in Thailand is not temperate, with rains one day and sunshine another, so humidity and various germs are inevitable. Your little one might suffer from a rash problem. Of course, you will be concerned with it as, if babies’ skin becomes red, or suffers from burning and itching, they will feel uncomfortable and cry. This article will present you with information on the types of rash you might have to pay attention to and how to maintain healthy skin for your little one to reduce the chances of developing any skin rash.

                  Some types of common rash that mothers should be careful of for their children during hot and humid weather:

1. Rash from hot weather is caused by too much sweating. Sometimes it is caused by blockage of sweat glands, hence becoming a red blister rash in areas where a lot of sweat glands are found, such as the forehead, neck, nape of the back, and upper chest;
2. Diaper rash exists because the skin in the diaper area is quite damp and suffers from poor ventilation. Moreover, there is also irritation from feces and urine. Therefore, a rash is found around the diaper area. Leaving your baby's skin with diaper rash for a long time without doing anything might lead to complications from various pathogens easily, such as bacterial infection, which will be seen as pustules, red and sore skin, or fungal infection of the skin, which can be seen as red spots spreading on the skin;
3. Rash from sweat irritation is caused by sensitive skin which is easily irritated even from one's own sweat. This type of rash is seen as a red blotch, or sometimes a small red pigment. It is often found in joint areas of the body, such as the arm, the leg, the armpit, etc.

How to take care of rash problems

1. See if your baby sweats too much or too long, or stays in the heat for a long time because too much sweat will irritate the skin and cause rash easily;
2. Let your baby stay in a dry, cool, and ventilate place;
3. Do not bathe your baby with too much hot water as it might develop more skin rash;
4. Moisturize your baby’s skin after taking a bath; and
5. Choose diapers that are gentle and highly absorbent for your baby's skin, or passed the hypoallergenic test as they can prevent the humidity to allow excellent skin breathability in order not to cause dampness while wearing them. It is important to change diapers every couple of hours or every time your baby poops.

The above are simple rules for your baby’s healthy skin. Observe them if you don’t want your little one to develop rash easily during the hot and humid weather.

Thank you for the information from Piyarat ‘Ann’ Lertbannaphong, M.D., a specialist pediatrician.