HOME MANAGEMENT OF BABY RASHES
HOME MANAGEMENT OF BABY RASHES
HEAT RASH
How you can treat or prevent heat rash.
The main thing to do is keep your baby’s skin cool so that baby do not sweat and irritate the rash.
To keep your baby’s skin cool;
Wear baby loose cotton clothing
Use lightweight bedding.
Give warm/ tepid baths or showers
Give plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration
To calm the itching or prickly feeling, apply something cold, such as a damp cloth or ice pack (wrapped in a tea towel) for up to 20 minutes
Tap or pat the rash instead of scratching it.
Do not use perfumed shower gels or creams.
Speak to a pharmacist first.
They can look at the rash and recommend the best antifungal medicine. This might be a cream, gel or spray depending on where the rash is.
You may need to use an antifungal medicine every day for up to 4 weeks. It's important to use it for the right amount of time, even if the rash has gone away.
A pharmacist will tell you if they think you should see a doctor.
- Clean your baby's face each day. Wash your baby's face daily with warm water. Alternate between using plain water one day and water with a mild, moisturizing facial soap the next.
- Dry your baby's face gently. Pat your baby's skin dry.
- Don't pinch or scrub the acne. You may cause more irritation or an infection.
- Avoid using lotions, ointments or oils.Such products likely will make baby acne worse.
MEASLES RASH
There is no specific treatment for measles. Your child should rest, drink plenty of fluids and can take paracetamol for their fever and discomfort — but be sure to check the dosage instructions on the pack.
CHICKENPOX
How to treat chickenpox at home
Keep children off school and stay off work if you get chickenpox.
You'll need to stay away from school, nursery or work until all the spots have formed a scab. This is usually 5 days after the spots appeared.
Do
Give plenty of fluid (try ice lollies if your child is not drinking) to avoid dehydration
Give paracetamol to help with pain and discomfort
Cut your child's fingernails and put socks on their hands at night to stop them scratching
Use cooling creams or gels from a pharmacy
Speak to a pharmacist about using antihistamine medicine to help itching
Bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
Dress baby in loose clothes
Don’t
Do not use ibuprofen unless advised to do so by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections.
Do not give aspirin to children under 16
Do not go near newborn babies, people who are pregnant and people with a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them.
Do not scratch the spots, as scratching can cause scarring.
RINGWORM
Ringworm usually gets better quickly when you treat it with antifungal creams, which you can buy over the counter at a pharmacy.
Ringworm treatment with antifungal creams usually takes several weeks to work. It’s best to keep applying the cream to the affected skin for a week after the rash has disappeared. This will remove all the fungus in the area and stop the ringworm coming back.
If antifungal creams don’t work or the ringworm is on your child’s scalp, your doctor might prescribe antifungal tablets.
If the ringworm is on the scalp, your child might have bald patches for a few months after it has cleared. Don’t worry, though – the hair will grow back.
Encourage your child to stop scratching the affected area. You could try distracting your child with music, play or reading. It might also help to put a cold cloth on the area.
Cover any ringworm rash with clothing or a dressing to stop it spreading to other people in your house.
NOTE: You should wait for 48 hours after starting ringworm treatment before sending your child to child care, preschool or school.
Prevention of ringworm
To prevent ringworm, you can encourage your child to do the following:
Avoid touching people with a rash that looks like ringworm.
Wash and thoroughly dry skin folds, including their groin and underarms and in between their toes.
Avoid sharing any towels, brushes, sheets, hats and combs with other people.
Avoid walking in shared showers in bare feet.
Also, consult your vet if your pet has bald patches or sores, because this might be a source of ringworm infection.
SCARLET FEVER RASH
- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Ensure baby sleep well as their immune systems repair and restores itself while sleeping and fights infection and helps in healing process.
- Use cool mist humidifier in the child’s room
- Increase the dose of Vitamin D3 for the first 3 days to ‘boost’ the immune system
- Add comforting foods like soup, bone broth, yogurt, homemade natural ice lollies
- Consume foods with plenty of garlic and onion
- Give a warm oatmeal bath twice a day
- Echinacea and Goldenseal combination – to support the immune system and prevent bacterial infections of skin lesions. Relieves itching. Dosage: three drops of tincture in a quarter-cup of water three times daily while symptoms persist
Prevention
- Scarlet fever is contagious, and the bacteria can spread to others through sneezing and coughing
- Separating the infected child’s drinking glasses and eating utensils and washing them in hot, soapy water may prevent the infection from spreading to family and friends
- Parents of children infected with scarlet fever should wash their hands frequently
- Keep children suffering from scarlet fever out of school for at least 5 days
IMPETIGO
See a doctor if you or your child:
Might have impetigo
Had treatment for impetigo but the symptoms change or get worse
Had impetigo before and it keeps coming back
Impetigo is very infectious. Check with the doctor before you go into the hospital.They may suggest a phone consultation.
SCABIES
A pharmacist can help with scabies
Scabies is not usually a serious condition, but it does need to be treated.
A pharmacist will recommend a cream or lotion that you apply over your baby’s whole body. It's important to read the instructions carefully.
If you got scabies yourself, Let the pharmacist know if you are breastfeeding or pregnant.
You'll need to repeat the treatment 1 week later.
Scabies is very infectious, but it can take up to 8 weeks for the rash to appear.
Everyone in your home needs to be treated at the same time, even if they do not have symptoms.
Anyone you have had sexual contact with in the past 8 weeks should also be treated.
here are some things you can do to help reduce the risk of the infection spreading and help ease any symptoms.
Do
Try things to help with dryness and itchy skin, such as holding a damp towel against the skin, having cool baths or using an unperfumed moisturiser regularly
Keep the affected area covered, including using waterproof bandages if you go swimming
Use a condom while having sex if you are infected
Don’t
Do not squeeze or scratch the spots, as it could cause an infection or scarrring
Do not share baths or things such as towels, bedding or clothes.
NAPPY RASH
Things you can do to help with nappy rash
Nappy rash can be treated and prevented by following some simple advice.
Do
change wet or dirty nappies as soon as possible
Keep the skin clean and dry – pat or rub the skin gently to dry it
Leave nappies off when possible.
Use extra absorbent nappies.
Make sure your baby's nappies fit properly
Clean your baby’s skin with water or fragrance-free and alcohol-free baby wipes.
Bath your baby daily (but not more than twice a day, as washing too much can make the skin dry out).
Use olive oil to remove nappy rash ointment rather than water.
Don’t
Do not use soaps, baby lotion or bubble bath as they can irritate the skin
Do not use talcum powder or antiseptics on nappy rash.
Do not put nappies on too tightly as it can irritate the skin.
A pharmacist can help with nappy rash.
If the rash is causing your baby discomfort, a pharmacist can recommend a nappy rash cream or medicine to treat it at home.
They may suggest using a thin layer of a barrier cream to protect the skin or giving your baby child's paracetamol for pain relief (only suitable for babies over 2 months old).
CRADLE CAP
Things you can do to help with cradle cap
Do
Lightly massage an emollient (moisturiser) on to your baby's scalp to help loosen the scales
Gently brush your baby's scalp with a soft brush and then wash it with baby shampoo.
Don’t
Do not use olive oil, it may not be suitable for use on skin.
Do not use peanut oil (because of the allergy risk)
Do not use soap or adult shampoos
Do not pick crusts because this can increase the chance of infection
Information:
Your baby's hair may come away with the scales. Do not worry if this happens as it will soon grow back.
A pharmacist can help with cradle cap
You can ask a pharmacist about:
An emollient you can use on your baby's scalp.
Unperfumed baby shampoos.
Barrier creams to use on your baby's nappy area, if it's also affected.
See a doctor if:
Your baby's cradle cap does not get better after a few weeks of treatment.
Your baby has cradle cap all over their body.
The crusts bleed or leak fluid.
The affected areas look swollen.
Bleeding, leaking fluid and swelling could be signs of an infection or another condition like atopic eczema or scabies.
SLAPPED CHEEK SYNDROME
Things you can do yourself:
You do not usually need to see a doctor for slapped cheek syndrome.
There are some things you can do to ease the symptoms.
Do
rest
drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration – babies should continue their normal feeds
take paracetamol or ibuprofen for a high temperature, headaches or joint pain
use moisturiser on itchy skin
speak to a pharmacist about itchy skin – they can recommend the best antihistamine for children
Don’t
do not give aspirin to children under 16.
HAND, FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
How to treat hand, foot and mouth disease yourself
Antibiotics or medicines are not required to cure hand, foot and mouth disease. It usually gets better on its own in 7 to 10 days.
To help the symptoms:
If baby is on exclusive, keep breastfeeding on demand.
Adequate fluids to prevent dehydration and avoid acidic drinks, such as fruit juice.
Depending on age, give soft foods like yoghurt and avoid hot and spicy foods
Give paracetamol or ibuprofen to help ease a sore mouth or throat.
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