Babies & Their Skin
Babies and Their Skin
Babies are such a joy and a wonder. It is absolutely horrible to see them scratching and upset and losing sleep because of skin troubles.
They can’t tell us what they feel in words, but we can see and hear their suffering and it is heartbreaking. If your baby is suffering I hope you find something useful on this page to help you soothe his or her skin.
The Pearls and The Reasons
1. Consider What the Baby is Eating.
Just like the rest of us, babies can have food sensitivities. You might say, “But he is only eating breast milk (or formula).” But, your baby’s eczema or rash could still be from what she is ingesting. You should check with your pediatrician and they might recommend a nutritionist.
If the baby is only on formula you might ask the doctor about trying other brands or types. Or if you are doing formula and breast feeding too, you might try to pump and go exclusively with breast milk.
If the baby is breast feeding, the mother might need to do an elimination diet to make sure it is not something she is eating and passing on. Suspect or often mentioned foods might be nuts, eggs, dairy, wheat, or shellfish. You can find a link to an elimination diet in the Link section below.
2. Could it Be Baby’s Clothes?
Babies often have sensitive skin, so much so that there are special laundry detergents just for babies with less of the harsh stuff. The problem often is, many of the big brand baby detergents they still have the harsh stuff, just less. Detergents, by their very nature, are very strong cleansers. Many detergents contain chemicals like sodium laurel sulfate and fragrances which are often suspected of causing skin reactions and sensitivities in some people.
Does your baby have skin rashes or flares of eczema in areas where the clothes rub, like the thighs, or waist line? It might be from detergent.
Another problem is that even if your baby is ok with the detergent you use for his or her clothes, she or he might be reactive to a stronger detergent used in the same washing machine by the rest of the family. If you use the same machine with different products, there is bound to still be residue from those other loads of wash and that may get into the baby’s clothes.
If you really want to eliminate laundry detergent as a factor, you will need to wash everyone’s clothes with a simple and safe alternative. Try to get real laundry soap flakes or go to a health food store and try a more natural vegetable based laundry product. Ask your local store for advice. Remember though, it make take time to see a difference, all of the baby’s bedding, sheets, etc must be washed again in the new product and it may take a week or more before you note any difference.
3. Other Allergies
Allergies can present it so many ways. People generally think of sneezing and itchy eyes, but allergies can also appear as eczema-like symptoms with red or itchy skin. There may be rashes and other skin symptoms without the sneezing or eye symptoms. If one or both parents are allergic, the baby is more likely to be allergic too.
If you suspect your baby’s skin is due to environmental allergies, take all the standard allergy prevention steps. Keep the environment very clean. Take out or be diligent about cleaning rugs. Wash sheets weekly in hot water. Vacuum often, etc. Could it be the family pet? Does the baby do better when away from home for the day? You may have some very big decisions to make.
4. Your Baby is Not That Dirty
Babies do not really get that dirty. So why bathe them daily? You shouldn’t.
Try every other day or even longer if possible. You can wipe up little spills with a damp clothe right when they occur. When you wash with soap, the soap binds to dirt, grease, oils and then water washes away the soap and the grime. This is good. But, it also takes away the body’s natural protective oils and can leave the skin dry and vulnerable. So, wash less frequently and let the natural oils protect the skin.
The soap you use is also very important. Try to find a natural, simple soap without a lot of chemicals or fragrance. Think of it this way: if you have a soap with 15 ingredients that is 15 possible triggers to irritate the skin. You are much better off choosing a simple, natural soap with 6-10 identifiable ingredients. Natural soaps are also generally much gentler in their cleaning action and will not strip your baby’s skin. Try one for yourself and see. Give it a few days and you will be surprised at how much less irritated your baby’s skin will be.
Links for Readers Who Want More
Here is a link to a good article about breast feeding and allergies by La Leche League. The article discusses the causes, signs and symptoms of allergies to breast feeding and steps mothers can take. This is from an organization that strongly advocates breast feeding:
http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJulAug98p100.html
Here is a site by one mother about her child’s detergent allergies and eczema. It is exhaustive on the subject of detergents and skin troubles. It is only one individual’s experience, but is quite informative. If you think detergents might be the problem in your house, you should look at this site.
A good introductory article from Web MD on allergy prevention in the house:
http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/asthma-prevention-with-allergies
Another article about in home allergy prevention for children from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology:
http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/preventioninchildren.stm
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