What is the reason for the peeling of newborn's fingers?

Newborns usually have peeling fingers, but some new mothers don't know much about it and worry that their babies are sick. So what is going on with the peeling fingers of newborns? What is the reason?

Reasons for peeling of newborn's fingers

The peeling of the arms and even the body of a newborn is a common physiological phenomenon and is a necessary process for every baby's growth. Almost all newborns will experience peeling. Why is there such a process? This is related to the growth environment of the baby in the mother's belly. We know that when the baby is in the mother's belly, the skin is immersed in amniotic fluid, and the surface of the baby's skin is covered with vernix caseosa. After birth, the skin is no longer immersed in amniotic fluid, and the vernix caseosa on the body slowly fades away. The skin is gradually completely exposed to dry air, causing the phenomenon of epidermal exfoliation. Different babies will have different degrees of peeling. Some babies may only have slight dandruff, and some babies may be more obvious, like a snake shedding large pieces of skin. However, as long as the baby's diet and sleep are normal, it is a normal phenomenon. Mothers should not worry too much. After the dandruff falls off, the skin is normal, and there is no need to take special protective measures or forcibly tear off the peeling. However, if parents find that the baby has peeling combined with other symptoms such as redness, swelling or blisters, it may be a symptom, and then you need to go to the hospital for treatment.

What to do if your newborn's fingers peel

Physiological desquamation is caused by the child's rapid metabolism. Generally, no special treatment is required. It has obvious seasonality and tends to occur in spring and autumn. Most children will stop after a period of time, while some children may last relatively longer, also in a few weeks to one or two months. When the child's symptoms are "physiological desquamation", parents should be careful not to let the child's peeling area get too wet. Sometimes, topical retinoic acid drugs or mild hormone drugs can be used. Some parents believe that peeling must be caused by a lack of certain vitamins, so they want to solve the peeling phenomenon by supplementing vitamins. Abnormal skin keratinization is related to the lack of vitamin A, but vitamin supplementation is only a means of auxiliary treatment. It can be supplemented during treatment, but it is unlikely to be cured completely by vitamin supplementation, especially when the child's peeling is a manifestation of skin disease. To supplement vitamin A, you can eat more chicken, sheep, beef, pork liver, egg yolks, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Newborn skin care

Point 1: Cleanliness. When you get up in the morning, use a soft towel or gauze soaked in warm water to wipe your baby's face, paying attention to the cleanliness of the facial features. After feeding or eating, especially the key area around the mouth should be thoroughly cleaned. Do not use a rough towel to wipe your baby's face, and do not use highly alkaline soap to clean your baby. Give your baby a warm bath every night before going to bed, and wipe your baby's bottom with a baby-specific soft wet wipe, which can not only clean the baby, but also moisturize the skin, effectively preventing the appearance of red bottom.

Point 2: Moisturizing. In addition to letting the baby drink more water, parents should gently apply a small wet and hot towel to the baby's lips every day to allow the lips to fully absorb moisture, and then apply baby-specific lip balm or sesame oil. After cleaning the face, apply baby lotion and moisturizer in time for moisturizing; after bathing, wipe the baby's whole body dry in time, then warm the moisturizer with your hands and gently apply it on the baby's body to lock in the moisture needed by the skin.

Point 3: Sun protection. The skin of newborns is very delicate and fragile, so parents should avoid overexposure of the baby to the sun when going out, especially in strong sunlight. When going out, use non-irritating and high-quality baby sunscreen products that do not contain organic chemical sunscreens on exposed skin.