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Skin Conditions in Newborn Babies

It can be disappointing when your adorable newborn’s fresh and clear skin is plagued by skin rashes. You will be pleased to know that most disappear within a few weeks or months and are nothing to worry too much about.

Some of the common itchy skin conditions in babies include:

Cradle Cap

Cradle cap can be very itchy for your baby. It usually appears in the first 2 months, and disappears within a year or so. It is also known as Seborrhoeic Dermatitis. It is characterized by scales, waxy skin, and red rashes on the eyebrows, scalp, and nose sides. Too much oil triggers this, and it is similar to dandruff. A doctor will probably prescribe a mild dandruff shampoo or lotion for your newborn.

Baby Eczema

In eczema, your newborn will show an itchy rash. It is red and is usually triggered by some sort of irritant. If your family shares a history of allergies, your baby is more likely to develop eczema. It could be a mild rash or even thicken into dry, scaly skin. Appearance anywhere on the body is possible. The best bet would be to pinpoint the irritant and avoid it. Avoid harsh soaps and lotions.

Diaper Rash

The baby might develop red and irritated skin in the diaper area. This might be due to the diapers being too tight, too wet, or even from a specific type of diaper or wipe you have been using. It can be treated by leaving the diaper region exposed to air, changing diapers frequently, and using cream of zinc oxide.

Newborn Acne

Pimple breakouts when only 3 weeks old?! It could be quite shocking for parents. However, be assured, that it will most likely disappear in a few months time, not to reappear until adolescence. Such acne is triggered by hormones from the mother that stimulate increased oil production in the baby’s glands, stimulating breakouts. It mainly consists of red pimples appearing on the cheeks or forehead. There is no need for any special treatment although gently cleansing the face with water daily might help.

Milia

In this non-contagious condition, tiny bumps that may even go unnoticed appear on the newborn’s face. These are little accumulates of keratin in the glands in the baby’s skin. Up to 50% of newborns have this condition. Unlike most skin conditions, it is yellow or white in color. It usually disappears after the first 3 months. If condition persists, consult with a doctor for other skin diseases.

You must be a very happy mommy or daddy if your child is safe and not suffering from any of the above conditions. On the other hand, if your baby is developing one of these conditions, you should consult with a pediatrician immediately.

See also, Allergy Relief for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

WHAT IS ECZEMA? Eczema Overview

Eczema may be triggered by:

• Allergies- to a certain food, poison ivy, or even nuts
• Cold and dehydrated weather conditions
• Eating disorders
• Overload of toxins circulating in the human body
• Imperfect body mechanism ( E.g. Thyroid malfunction)
• Sensitive skin
• Varicose veins
• Stress

Symptoms of Eczema

Eczema rashes are usually red at first and worsen with increased scratching. They might even deepen to a thick brown color.

Other Eczema Symptoms and Visible Signs of Eczema Are:

• Inflamed & cracking skin
• Raised dots filled with fluid and puss
• Swollen lips
• Crusts on skin
• Blisters
• Extreme itchiness
• Tingly skin that is extra-sensitive to harsh chemicals or weather
• Dry skin
• Red and scaly patches of skin
• Weeping, inflamed areas of skin
• Mild Itchiness

Eczema and Eating Habits

Some common troublesome foods would include soy, wheat, eggs, yeast, nuts, fish, and milk products. You could simply cut out all these foods. Alternatively, you could track your eating patterns to investigate which one is the culprit. That way you can fight your eczema AND indulge your taste buds in the foods you enjoy. While tracking your food habits you could note down what you ate and the time that you ate it.

Making conscious changes in your eating style and maintain a food diary will soon help you cure your eczema for good.

Treating Eczema with Herbal Remedies

• Rub aloe vera gel over the inflamed area
• Drink chamomile tea or place the leaves over the affected area to soothe the itching.
• Add a tablespoon of turmeric powder to an equal quantity of bitter mint leaf with some warm water and use it as an exfoliant to speed up the healing process.
• Apply spearmint leaf juice to the rash.
• Crush almond leaves with water and apply. When the leaves have turned dark, cool the mixture and strain it out. Store the oil in a jar and massage over rash 2-3 times a day. This is a very effective procedure.
• Rub coconut oil on the damaged area gently to soften the skin.
• Brew fresh mint leaves in boiled mustard oil.
• Take supplements of Omega 3, like fish oil tablets.
• Relax with a calming mudpack. It does wonders for the eczema!

Alternative Treatments for Eczema

Doctors mainly aim to cure 3 things through medication: itchiness, swelling, and dryness. They may prescribe a topical lotion, topical steroids, antibiotics, antihistamines or even UV light treatment in extreme cases.

General tips you can put into effect immediately include:

• DO NOT itch! It’s just going to make it worse and possibly cause infection. You don’t want that, do you?
• When showering, do so with luke warm water. Hot water may cause your eczema to become irritated and inflamed.
• Wear cotton clothing. They are unlikely to aggravate your skin condition.
• Stay in cool and soothing weather conditions. Avoid intense heat.
• Avoid harsh chemicals, like cleaning liquids, bug sprays, or detergents.
• Use a petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, as a moisturizer to avoid dehydration of your skin.
• De-stress

Ongoing research into autoimmune drugs to fight eczema is also in process.

Psoriasis and Eczema Tips / Natural Remedy or Alternate Remedies:

My Grandmother told me this works because my Grandfather suffered at times from severe psoriasis (before he died - unrelated illness) and she tried everything to help relieve his itchiness. I think he had symptoms all over his body but worst on his arms. She told me that you actually need to "O-D" (Over-dose) on Vitamin B to make it settle down. Now I am not advising any one to Over-Dose on anything but as far as I know, Vitamin B just pees straight through within a few hours if you take too much so perhaps the worst effect might be "berrocca pee" :) Anyway, the Heavy Vitamin B dosage worked for me and now I just take one tablet every 2 days once it has calmed down.

See Vitamins & Allergy Deficiencies