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With the birth of a baby, a mother has a lot of reasons for concern. Among the most common are colic, poor sleep, and an unsettled feeding schedule for the baby. Added to this is the problem of dry skin in an infant. Here, experts advise not to panic, but to arm yourself with useful knowledge that will help ensure proper care.
Features of the skin of a newborn
“Newborns have a very thin epidermis,” says Alexander Prokofiev, dermatovenereologist, medical expert for the La Roche-Posay brand. – That is why the baby’s skin is very delicate and easily injured. Up to a certain age, it has an insufficiently acidic pH (due to low sebum production), therefore it is more susceptible to various microbes. In addition, it has significantly less of the protective pigment melanin.”
In newborns, the density of sweat glands is higher due to the smaller surface of the skin compared to adults. But by the time of birth, these glands are not mature and cannot cope with the mission assigned to them – sweating. Therefore, when the ambient temperature rises, the baby’s skin is prone to overheating.
Causes of dry skin in babies
According to Alexander Prokofiev, “the main reason for the dry skin of an infant is the insufficient work of its sebaceous and sweat glands. In the womb, these glands are in a dormant mode and begin to be activated only after birth. Gradually, this physiological state of vulnerability of the skin disappears.
The skin of newborns is very delicate, thin and easily injured.
There are several other factors responsible for dry skin in babies.
Too dry air
In dry and warm air, the load on the unformed thermoregulation of the child increases. That is why it is so important to use humidifiers.
Overheating
Excessive wrapping, bathing in too warm water, hot weather – all this causes dry skin.
Chemical substances
Washing powders, disinfectants, chlorinated water, and poor-quality care products can negatively affect the condition of children’s skin.
Lack of fluid
From the first months of life, teach your child to drink water, not juice, compote or tea.
Care instructions
Caring for a baby requires great responsibility and hygiene from parents.
Mom should have neat, short-cut nails and clean, well-groomed hands. Otherwise, there is a risk of injuring the delicate skin of the baby and causing an infection.
Twice a day, the baby needs to treat the umbilical wound until it is completely healed.
Keep your baby’s skin clean and change the diaper every 3 hours or immediately after a bowel movement. Use a special diaper cream.
Bathe your child daily. If the quality of tap water leaves much to be desired, then use boiled water with a temperature not higher than 37 degrees Celsius (and not lower than 34).
What to do if the baby has dry skin
Here recommendations depend on the location of dry skin areas.
Wash the newborn with a cotton pad dipped in boiled water.
Head
In the parietal region, newborns often form dry scaly crusts – gneiss. Half an hour before bathing the child, lubricate them with warm vaseline or vegetable oil, and gently rinse off the scalp during washing. If the first time you do not succeed in clearing the scalp, it’s okay. Repeat skin treatment during subsequent baths. The main thing is not to pick the skin and not tear off the crusts, so as not to cause additional skin irritation.
Face
The problem of dryness can arise due to frequent contact with water (especially hard water), dry indoor air, hot and windy weather. Wipe the skin of the newborn’s face 2 times a day with cotton pads soaked in boiled water. Don’t forget to clean the behind-the-ear creases as well. Then apply moisturizer.
Body
Dryness can occur due to contact with clothing that contains particles of detergents or aggressive dyes. After the umbilical wound has healed, use special moisturizing oils or chamomile decoction for bathing. Dry the baby’s skin without rubbing it, but gently blotting it with a soft towel. Then apply a newborn moisturizer.
The consequences of dry skin in a newborn and care errors
Provoking dry skin can be errors in caring for a child.
Too long bath time. Newborns are bathed no longer than 7-8 minutes.
Prolonged use of diapers. Changing them, as we said above, is necessary every 3 hours or immediately after a bowel movement. It is important to do air baths between shifts.
Incorrect removal of crusts on the head. In no case should they be torn off, otherwise there is a risk of injury to the skin and infection.
It is better to bathe a newborn in boiled water.
Importance of nutrition
One of the reasons for dry skin in babies is the composition of mother’s milk (it largely depends on the diet of a nursing mother) or a reaction to formula milk. With artificial feeding, you will have to go through the path of trial and error. If you observe dryness and redness of the skin of the crumbs, switch to a hypoallergenic diet.
Nursing mothers are advised to remove milk, red fish, coffee, chocolate, red vegetables and fruits from the diet. If the baby’s skin remains dry after that, consult a pediatrician.
Preventive measures
Humidify the air in the room where the baby is.
Use boiled water for bathing or install a filter – often dry skin in newborns is caused by high levels of chlorine in tap water.
For washing children’s clothes, use special washing powders.
After bathing or washing, lubricate the baby’s skin with baby oil or cream.
Nursing mothers should avoid eating foods that can cause an allergic reaction.
Funds overview
Since the skin of a newborn is very delicate, it makes sense to buy skin care products developed under the supervision of pediatricians – from an assortment of pharmacy brands. For bathing, it is necessary to use gentle formulas that do not dry out the skin.
For example, bath and shower oil Lipikar from La Roche-Posay. It gently cleanses and soothes the baby’s skin, restores the protective barrier and eliminates the feeling of tightness, provides intensive replenishment of lipids.