Cold wind, hot sunshine or overheated rooms can dry anyone’s skin. Your baby’s delicate skin is even more vulnerable to dehydration than your own. The result can be chapped, red skin that flakes or cracks and becomes sore and itchy. You can use simple remedies to treat and prevent chapped skin in your baby. However, sometimes rough patches may be a sign of a more complicated problem, for which you may want to seek medical advice.
Newborn Babies
In the first few weeks, your baby’s skin may look flaky. This is not chapping but normal peeling, caused by adapting to life outside the womb. The greasy vernix that coats a baby’s skin at birth acts as a natural moisturizer. Because a new baby’s skin is very thin, it absorbs any chemicals applied to it. Therefore, it's best not to use any oils or lotions at first. For at least the first month, use plain water for baths and diaper changing – no bath oil, shampoo or creams. When you do introduce baby wipes and lotions, buy hypoallergenic brands free of perfume or color.
Treating Chapped Skin
Once your child is a few weeks old, you can use baby lotions on chapped skin. Choose hypoallergenic, unscented types and apply them liberally over rough or flaky areas. To retain moisture, use lotion straight after a bath – pat off excess water but apply oil or cream while your baby’s skin is still damp. If diapers or clothes cause chafing, soothe the skin with baby lotion or petroleum jelly, change diapers regularly and loosen clothing to stop it from rubbing. If your baby tends to drool while asleep, put petroleum jelly around the mouth and chin.
Prevention
At bath time, use baby oil or soft soap rather than bubble bath. Pat your baby dry and apply moisturizer. However, too much washing can dry out infant skin, and a daily bath is unnecessary as long as you keep your baby's folds, creases and diaper area clean.
Cold air and overheating both can cause chapping. Use room humidifiers to counteract the drying effect of central heating. When you go out, dress your baby in light layers that you can adjust as necessary. Mittens help protect your baby's hands and also prevent scratching.
Use special, mild detergent without fabric conditioner for your baby's laundry, as ordinary detergent leaves residue that can irritate the skin.
Complications
Ask medical advice if the chapping spreads or seems particularly sore or itchy. Your doctor may suspect eczema if the rough areas look red, inflamed, crusty and oozing. Cracks or scratches in the skin can let bacterial infections take hold, so it is important to heal rough skin before it gets to that state. After you wean your baby, make sure the baby’s diet provides plenty of vitamins A, D and C to help keep the skin healthy.
