Heat rash or "prickly heat" is a common skin condition afflicting infants as a result of overdressing or because of fat folds around the neck, thighs and stomach retaining heat and moisture without giving skin a chance to dry properly. Additionally, infant sweat glands have not fully matured enough to effectively balance the body's core temperature and regulate internal temperature, becoming easily blocked and trapping perspiration beneath the skin's surface. This causes the familiar red bumps and occasional pus-filled blisters of heat rash to appear on an infant's skin.
Natural Remedies
Several home remedies exist that may alleviate the itching and burning of infant heat rash. The website Healthguidance.org. suggests that browning 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour in an oven, letting it cool, then sprinkling some over the rash will soak up excess perspiration and heal blisters by dehydrating them. Gently rubbing the heat rash with the interior of watermelon rind soothes the stinging, due to the alkaline nature of watermelon. Soak a cloth in a solution of 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda and lay the cloth on the heat rash for about 15 minutes to eliminate the pain from pus blisters. Powdering the area with cornstarch is one of the most effective home remedies available, as well.
More Home Remedies
While giving the infant a bath, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of oatmeal into the bathwater and mix until well-blended for heat rash and blister relief. The website Ayushveda.com recommends applying a gram flour paste over the prickly heat and allowing it to dry before rinsing it off with cold water, to reduce inflammation and remove dead cells caused by excess bacteria in pus. Gram flour, also called garbanzo flour, is flour created from grinding chickpeas containing proteins and carbohydrates. Sandalwood powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of rosewater also makes a soothing paste for infant heat rash. Sandalwood is said to possess antimicrobial properties and is used in adults to eliminate pimples and blackheads.
Prevention of Infant Heat Rash and Pus Blisters
Avoiding overdressing infants is one way to prevent heat rash from occurring, according to the Raising Children Network. Using cornstarch to powder skin folds that tend to trap perspiration will help alleviate the rash and soak up excess moisture. Dressing babies in light cotton fabrics instead of synthetic materials when the weather is warm will absorb moisture and keep it from lying on the infant's skin. Do not use talcum powder on a baby's skin because talc is also used in making plastics, rubber, paints and cosmetics; it tends to be too harsh for an infant's underdeveloped sweat glands. At the first sign of heat rash, cool off your baby by removing clothing and applying a home remedy to keep the rash from spreading.
When to Call a Physician
Home remedies are usually effective in reducing heat rash and pus blisters, but sometimes it is necessary to take an infant to the doctor when the severity of the heat rash increases. If pus in blisters is green or red rather than white, this indicates a worsening infection, which could spread to other parts of the body. In this case, an antibiotic may be needed to heal the rash. Further, if the rash continues for more than three days or if your child is acting unwell, is running a fever or has a poor appetite, another medical condition may be involved. According to the website Herbal-Home-Remedies.org, "Severe prickly heat can interfere with the body's heat-regulating mechanism and cause fever and acute heat exhaustion."
