These are four skin diseases that often occur in babies and how to deal with them

Babies have more sensitive skin than adults. That is why your little one is prone to skin problems due to various causes, ranging from friction with diapers, allergic reactions, clogged sweat, and so on.

Here are the four types of skin diseases in infants that are most often experienced. Also, identify the causes of baby skin problems and how to overcome them.

1. Diaper Rash

As the name implies, diaper rash in babies is a skin problem in the form of irritation of the skin area covered by the diaper. The skin with diaper rash looks red and itchy. Diaper rash is fairly common in babies, especially at the age of 9–12 months.

Diaper rash can occur due to an irritant reaction (due to skin contact with urine or feces), infection (from exposure to bacteria or fungi), or allergies (a skin reaction to diaper material or fragrance/alcohol ingredients in cleaning wipes).

Treat diaper rash by taking the following steps:

• Let the skin in the diaper area dry in the open air for as long as possible.
• Apply diaper cream on the skin of the groin area covered by the diaper.
• Immediately change a dirty diaper.
• Use disposable diapers while the child still has diaper rash.

2.Cradle Cap

Miliaria, or commonly called prickly heat, is characterized by small red nodules that sometimes contain water. Prickly heat usually appears on the forehead, neck, shoulders, chest, back, and areas of skin folds.

The cause of prickly heat is the inhibition of sweating due to the baby's epidermis clogging the pores. If there is irritation and contact with germs, prickly heat can become infected and develop into ulcers filled with pus.

Treat prickly heat in the following ways:

• Quickly change the baby's clothes when they're damp from sweat.
• After bathing, use a towel gently or leave your little one's body without clothes for a while so that the skin dries by itself. The goal is to prevent prickly heat from getting worse due to friction with the towel.
• Choose clothes from easy-to-absorb materials such as cotton or t-shirts and loose models so that the baby is comfortable and doesn't overheat easily.
• Apply a special ointment or powder as recommended by the doctor if inflammation occurs.
• Take him to the doctor immediately if prickly heat doesn't get better, fever or severe itching develops, signs of infection such as pus appear, or the baby has prickly heat too often to interfere with rest and activities.

See a doctor right away if the diaper rash doesn't go away, if you have a fever, sores have pus, a rash with severe pain, or a bright red rash with red spots around the edges. If necessary, the doctor will give an antifungal cream and antibiotics.

3.Eczema

In children aged 2 months to 2 years, atopic dermatitis or eczema, also commonly referred to as infantile eczema, is characterized by symptoms of dry skin, redness, scaling, and itching. Eczema in infants usually appears symmetrically on both cheeks, then spreads to the forehead, scalp, ears, neck, wrists, and feet.

Eczema can last a long time with intermittent symptoms. This disease can be caused by many factors at once, namely heredity, environment, impaired skin protective function, infection, and immunology/allergy. In your child, the trigger for allergies is usually foods that contain cow's milk, eggs, wheat, and soy (soy).

Eczema can be treated by:

• Stay away from allergy triggers.
• Bathing the baby with soap that does not contain dyes and fragrances
• Applying skin moisturizer
• Wear loose cotton clothes that absorb sweat.
• Maintain the room temperature so that it is not too hot or too cold.

4. Cradle Cap

Cradle cap is a chronic scaly skin condition that usually appears between the third week and the first few months of a baby's life. Symptoms are yellowish-looking plaques or crusts that appear oily on the scalp, forehead, and outer ears.

Usually, crusts appear without itching and will heal on their own. The exact cause of the appearance of a crust on the head is not known. But, experts suspect, one of the factors that influence it is the mother's hormonal condition, which causes the baby to produce excessive oil.

Scalp can be treated by

• At home, you can bathe and wash the baby's head with a gentle baby shampoo.
• Clean the scalp with gentle circular massaging movements for 2-3 minutes before rinsing with clean water.
• The remaining skin attached to the hair can be combed slowly. The crusts on the baby's scalp will gradually disappear over time.

After knowing the causes and ways to deal with baby skin diseases, Sahabat Hermina can prevent them from reappearing or detect them early. If it does not heal, immediately consult a pediatrician at the nearest Hermina Hospital for further and appropriate treatment.