In young children, the skin is extremely sensitive. It is thin, easily damaged, and blood vessels are located close to the surface. In addition, under the influence of adverse factors, the rapid evaporation of vital moisture occurs. Thus, the skin of a newborn baby needs special care. If she does not provide reliable protection against aggressive environmental conditions, serious problems cannot be avoided. One of the most common is diaper rash.
What it is?
The most important task of the skin is to protect the body of the child. It is a porous layer, thanks to which the body can absorb oxygen and get rid of metabolic products (sweat, carbon dioxide, etc.). If a failure occurs in this system, the baby's skin reacts to it with various kinds of rashes. They can take the form of spots, acne, etc.
Diaper rash, or diaper dermatitis, is an inflammatory process that is the result of exposure to a child’s tender skin of any irritant.
Most often, rashes occur:
- in the groin;
- on the buttocks, between them;
- behind the auricles;
- in the creases of the legs;
- in the armpits;
- on the neck;
- in the lower abdomen.
Diaper rash in a child is a signal to parents that their daily care is not organized properly. It is impossible to ignore the rashes, as this can lead to the development of a serious inflammatory process.
Causes of occurrence
As a rule, diaper rash in children is the result of overheating, chemical and mechanical effects, ingestion of an allergen, excessive moisture and infection of the skin.
Depending on the location of the rash, the causes may vary:
- Groin, buttocks, creases between the legs. In young children, at least 10 acts of urination occur per day. The urine that has come out begins to decompose, turning into ammonia and acquiring a characteristic pungent odor. The resulting substance is very caustic and easily irritates delicate baby skin. When using high-quality diapers, urine is absorbed quickly, without adversely affecting the baby's integument. But if the hygiene product is full, urine will begin to corrode the skin. Late diaper change is one of the main causes of diaper rash in infants. In addition, a warm and humid environment is favorable for the reproduction of microbes, which exacerbate the situation. Also, the introduction of complementary foods may be the reason for the appearance of diaper rash in a child's groin and buttocks. You should always pay attention to the reaction of the baby after eating a new product. If even the slightest rashes appear, you need to introduce it into the lure later.
- On the neck, behind the auricles, in the armpits, between the toes. On the body of a small child there are many folds. The main cause of diaper rash under the armpits, on the neck and behind the ears is accumulated sweat. It causes irritation, to which pathogens can join, since warm and humid zones are an ideal place for their reproduction. Joining a secondary infection significantly exacerbates the situation.
It is important to understand that the skin of a newborn baby is very vulnerable. Even the slightest deviation from the rules of hygiene and care can cause inflammation.
Risk group
In addition to non-compliance with standard recommendations, the following factors contribute to diaper rash in children:
- Prematurity. The skin of the child is underdeveloped, it is extremely vulnerable to any external influences.
- Violation of the process of thermoregulation. This condition can occur not only due to the fact that the parents put on the baby not according to the weather, but also because of some diseases.
- Obesity. On the body of a child who is overweight, there are much more folds. A large amount of sweat and dirt accumulates in them, resulting in diaper rash.
- Metabolic disease. In case of failures in metabolic processes, the composition of sweat changes. It becomes more aggressive and easily irritates delicate skin.
- Intestinal pathology. Their course also affects the composition of the produced sweat.
In these cases, the goal of treating diaper rash in children is to eliminate not only external signs, but also the causes that caused them.
Severity
Doctors distinguish several stages of the development of the inflammatory process:
- Easy degree. On various parts of the child’s body, pale redness and peeling can be visualized.
- Medium degree. It occurs in the absence of treatment for the mild stage. The color of diaper rash becomes bright red, there is a violation of the integrity of the skin.
- Severe degree. This stage occurs in the absence of treatment. Marked edema of the affected area is observed, the skin is severely damaged, weeping areas appear on it. At this stage, a secondary infection almost always joins. An unpleasant odor emanates from the baby.
Thus, it is impossible to ignore diaper rash in children. Treatment can be carried out independently, but with its inefficiency it is necessary to show the child to the pediatrician.
Associated symptoms
Diaper rash is not only redness of the skin. As inflammation develops, the child's well-being worsens:
- sleep disturbance;
- he becomes tearful, moody;
- decreased appetite.
This is due to the presence of itching, burning and pain. At the initial stage, these symptoms are mild, they increase with ineffectiveness or lack of treatment. At the last stage, when edema is formed and the integrity of the skin is impaired, an increased temperature is added to the above signs.
What to process?
Information on how to treat diaper rash in a child should be provided by a doctor soon after the baby is born, since this problem occurs in infants quite often. In the first stages of the development of the inflammatory process, parents are able to cope with it on their own.
First of all, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of hygiene. Most often diaper rash occurs in the child's groin. In order to get rid of them, it is necessary to process the dermis after each act of defecation. Irritated skin should not be rubbed with a towel, just get wet. After this, it is recommended that the child have an air bath for at least 30 minutes. After each urination (or when changing the diaper), the urine from the skin should be removed using baby wet wipes.
After the inflamed area dries, you need to apply a cream or ointment on it, designed to eliminate rashes. To treat skin with diaper rash in children, doctors recommend using the following tools:
- Baby cream. Universal remedy that protects delicate skin from aggressive environmental influences. It can be used not only to eliminate small redness, but also as a preventive measure.
- Bepanten. An ointment intended for the treatment of diaper dermatitis. In a short time, reduces the severity of symptoms and eliminates diaper rash of mild to moderate severity. Bepanten ointment can be used as a prophylaxis in children whose skin is prone to rashes.
- "D-panthenol." The tool speeds up the healing process of wounds and ulcers. It has several forms of release. Both the cream and the diaper rash ointment in children do not cause unwanted reactions, and therefore they can be used with every diaper change.
- Desitin. It is used at an early stage of the inflammatory process. Also suitable as a prevention of rashes.
- Zinc ointment. From diaper rash in children used for decades. The product dries the skin and helps eliminate mild inflammation.
Against the background of the use of the above ointments and creams, an allergic reaction extremely rarely develops. Nevertheless, before the first use of the chosen diaper rash remedy, it is recommended to apply a small amount of it on the skin behind the auricles or on the bend of the elbow. If an undesirable reaction does not appear within an hour, existing inflammations can be treated with ointment or cream.
The use of herbs
Healing plants are a great alternative to medicines, if diaper rash has just appeared. In addition, they can serve as an addition to the main treatment.
In order to get rid of diaper rash on the priest of a child, it is enough to wash it with a decoction of herbs. If the upper body is affected, it is recommended that you simply add it to the bath.
To prepare the broth, you need to take 2 tbsp. l dried and chopped herbs, pour 500 ml of boiling water over it, bring to a boil. After that, it needs to be cooled and filtered. For the treatment of diaper rash, it is recommended to use:
- a series of;
- chamomile;
- oak bark;
- sage;
- calendula
- eucalyptus.
For an infant, it is necessary to prepare a one-component broth. This is because any medicinal plant is a potential allergen. For older children, you can prepare a decoction of several types of herbs.
During bathing, it is not recommended to use cosmetics, because they reduce the degree of positive effect of plants on the body. The duration of water procedures should be about 10 minutes.
When is it necessary to see a doctor?
A child is not an object for experimentation, it must be shown to a specialist if treatment has been ineffective. As a rule, the transition of diaper rash to a severe stage is accompanied by the addition of pathogenic flora, which can be eliminated only with the help of a doctor.
Very often, parents make a mistake trying to cure neglected diaper rash by the usual means. They are designed to eliminate mild to moderate inflammation. In addition, most creams and ointments have a greasy texture that covers damage and weeping areas with a thin film that blocks air from entering the wounds. Due to this, the healing process is delayed.
In addition, for the treatment of a secondary infection, the doctor prescribes antibacterial agents that are selected individually, taking into account the characteristics of the child’s health.
Preventive actions
To reduce the risk of rashes, you must strictly follow the rules of hygiene.
Prevention of diaper rash includes the following actions:
- It is necessary to wash the child after each act of defecation. To cleanse the skin, use soap designed for baby skin. When changing the diaper, you can wipe the crotch with wet wipes. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to wash your child several times a day. It is important to remember that excessive hygiene is just as harmful as its absence.
- Change the diaper every 3 hours, as well as after each bowel movement. This is necessary so that it does not overflow and the formed ammonia does not act on the skin.
- Use high-quality diapers. When changing the product (if it is not full), the baby's skin should be dry.
- After water procedures, you do not need to intensively wipe the baby's body with a towel. It’s enough to get your skin wet. To let it dry completely, you need to arrange air baths.
- Before you put on a diaper, you need to lubricate the skin with cream or ointment. Do not use as a prophylaxis means intended exclusively for the treatment of diaper rash. The instructions should indicate that the cream or ointment is suitable for daily use.
- The clothes of the newborn should be cotton. It does not block the access of oxygen to the skin. In addition, it should be free. Particular attention should be paid to the seams. They should not protrude much and cause discomfort.
- Baby clothes and bedding should be washed only with the help of special products. Standard powders contain harsh chemicals that irritate your baby’s skin. Rinse should be thorough.
- Overheating should be avoided. Excess moisture is one of the main causes of diaper rash. The child does not need to over-wrap at home, on the street he must also be dressed in accordance with weather conditions.
- The air in the room where the baby lives should be moist, the temperature should not exceed 22 degrees. The room should be regularly ventilated, and with the onset of the heating season it is recommended to use a household humidifier. The fulfillment of this condition is the prevention of not only diaper rash, but also many diseases.
Thus, compliance with standard hygiene and child care rules significantly reduces the risk of irritation.
Finally
In young children, the skin is not developed as in adults. It is thin and vulnerable to the effects of any negative factors. One of the most common dermatological problems in newborns is diaper rash. As a rule, they are the result of non-compliance with standard hygiene measures. Diaper rash can be of several degrees of severity. In the early stages, parents can cope with them on their own using creams, ointments, and medicinal herbs. If inflammation is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin and swelling, the baby must be shown to the attending physician. How to treat diaper rash in a child in this case, only he must decide. Self-medication is unacceptable!