What should I do if my baby gets prickly heat in summer? How to prevent my baby from getting prickly heat?

Summer is here, and the baby's prickly heat problem often gives parents a headache. In the hot season, how can you prevent your baby from getting prickly heat? Let's talk about what to do if your baby gets prickly heat in summer. It's not scary to get prickly heat, you can recover with good care, and it's also important to prevent your baby from getting prickly heat.

Symptoms of baby prickly heat

●Newborns and infants

When a newborn or infant has prickly heat, it usually appears as small transparent blisters that are whitish, shallow, and densely distributed, so it is commonly known as white prickly heat. Usually, white prickly heat is painless and itchy, and the baby does not show obvious discomfort. It can be absorbed by itself after 1-2 days, leaving a small amount of white bran-like scales.

The reason why newborns or infants get white prickly heat is mostly because parents dress their babies too much, or expose them to strong sunlight, or the baby suddenly sweats profusely after taking antipyretics.

●Older children

When older children get prickly heat, they are similar to adults, with small red papules or papulovesicles on the skin surface, which often appear suddenly and increase rapidly, commonly known as "red prickly heat". Some will merge into patches, mostly on the face, neck, chest and skin folds, accompanied by obvious itching and burning sensations, and stinging sensations after being soaked in sweat. Therefore, when children get prickly heat, they will become irritable, cry in their sleep, and scratch with their hands.

Care for prickly heat

The principle of treating prickly heat is to reduce inflammation and relieve itching. At the same time, you should also pay attention to the dryness and cleanliness of the skin and bathe your baby frequently with warm water.

Haircut

If your baby has prickly heat on the head and neck, you should cut the baby's hair short or change the hairstyle by combing the hair back and not leaving it on the forehead. If it is an infant, you can shave the hair.

●Appropriate use of antipruritic drugs

Appropriate use of antipruritic drugs, such as 3% boric acid solution, calamine lotion, or rubbing the affected area with Huoxiang Zhengqi water, prickly heat water, etc.; Ten Drops of Water, floral water, etc. can also treat prickly heat.

●Cut your nails frequently

Cut your nails frequently, keep your hands clean, and avoid scratching your skin which may lead to secondary bacterial infection.

● Fruits and vegetables relieve itching

Raw bitter melon juice can be directly applied to the skin where prickly heat occurs, which can relieve itching. In addition, watermelon can calm, quench thirst, and relieve heat. When children have prickly heat, they can gently rub the affected area with the white part of the watermelon, rubbing it two or three times repeatedly, which can relieve itching.

Does prickly heat also require medical attention?

If the child scratches the prickly heat, there is a possibility of secondary bacterial infection. Once infected, yellow pus will appear on the top of the red papule, which is called "prickly heat." Dr. Wang Yuxia of Tianjin New Century Children's Hospital reminds parents to take their children to the doctor for treatment in time. Otherwise, if it is not handled properly, the scope of infection will expand and skin boils may form, accompanied by symptoms such as fever and local pain. In addition, prickly heat can also cause or induce pustular rash, or even more serious sepsis, nephritis and purulent meningitis. Dr. Wang also reminds parents that daily health care for children is also very important. Skin care should be strengthened to keep the skin clean; do not use cold towels to wipe the sweat of children; choose pure cotton and breathable clothes.

How to prevent babies from getting prickly heat in summer

1. Create a comfortable environment

Some parents think that they cannot let their babies stay in a too cold environment, and dare not turn on the air conditioner, thus killing their children's right to enjoy the cool. In fact, the electric fan can be blown against the wall, and the air conditioner can be set at 25-28℃ (within 5-10℃ of the outside temperature difference), as long as the wind does not blow directly at the child's body. If there is no electric fan or air conditioner at home, at least ventilate the room or take the child to a cool and ventilated place outside to let the child enjoy a little coolness.

2. Choose light cotton clothes

Choosing clothes for babies in summer is very particular. Choose loose cotton clothes with good breathability and moisture absorption. In addition, do not dress your baby too much to avoid excessive sweating, and do not strip your baby naked to avoid direct skin irritation. Mothers may choose bamboo fiber clothes with good breathability for their babies. In addition, pay attention to washing and changing the baby's underwear such as quilts, pillow covers, and pillowcases frequently to prevent infection.

3. Give your baby more water

Babies sweat a lot in summer, so you need to give them more water. You can give them more water, light fruit juice, vegetable soup, etc. They should eat light and easily digestible food, and eat less greasy and irritating food.

4. Keep your baby’s skin clean

The measures to keep the skin clean are nothing more than giving your child a bath in summer, drying him/her when he/she sweats, and keeping the skin surface dry. To avoid prickly heat, you can put some Liushen Anti-prickly Heat Essence in your child's bath water, which is particularly refreshing and can effectively prevent prickly heat.

When babies have prickly heat, parents should not only bathe them frequently, but also use warm water, which is slightly higher than the temperature of human skin. It is important to remind parents not to apply prickly heat powder or other body products to their children immediately after bathing them, so as to avoid mixing with sweat, clogging pores, and causing poor sweating, which may cause or aggravate prickly heat.

Do not use too much prickly heat powder on babies

There are various kinds of prickly heat powder on the market, which are determined by demand. Every summer, mothers take out prickly heat powder to deal with their baby's prickly heat. But is it really effective? Is it better to use more prickly heat powder? Below, the editor puts forward 4 points to pay attention to, which must be prevented:

1. The main ingredient of talcum powder is talcum powder, which contains inseparable lead. The lead cannot be excreted quickly after entering the body.

2. Talcum powder contains magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate, which can easily invade the respiratory tract. Because the baby's respiratory tract is not yet fully developed, even if the amount inhaled is small, it cannot be eliminated by its own function. If the amount inhaled is large, it will invade the bronchi and destroy the cilia movement of the trachea, which will reduce the defense and easily induce respiratory tract infection.

3. Talcum powder easily absorbs water, forming granular substances after absorbing water, causing skin redness and erosion. If too much talcum powder is applied to the baby's buttocks and wetted with urine, it will block the sweat glands, causing friction and redness, and even rash.

4. The particles of talcum powder are very small, and the dust can easily enter the vagina, cervix, etc. of the female baby through the vulva, and adhere to the surface of the ovaries, stimulating the proliferation of ovarian epithelial cells, and then inducing ovarian cancer.