Atopic Dermatitis In Babies: 15 Tips To Care For The Skin
The skin is the largest organ in the whole body, although it is sometimes the one to which less attention is paid. Especially in moments of change of season, intense solar radiation and illness it is vital to treat it in the best way. When you have special needs it is even more fundamental. This is why it is very important to know how to treat atopic dermatitis in babies.
The atopic dermatitis in babies is unfortunately a common problem, due precisely to the delicate epidermis of newborns.
Atopic dermatitis in babies: what is it?
Atopic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin and this type of disease has significantly increased over the years. 90% of cases are children and the remaining 20% are newborns.
It is also the main cause of consultations with a dermatologist. It usually appears before the age of 5 and sometimes disappears with maturity, while others remain for life. It usually hardly ever occurs in adulthood.
Babies may show the first symptoms around two to three months. The disease is characterized by rashes that excessively dry the skin. The latter flakes off causing discomfort and redness. The scalp, cheeks, knees and elbows are the places where it occurs most frequently.
How to cure atopic dermatitis in babies
Atopic dermatitis cannot be cured if it is not affected first. The main task is to avoid any epidemics. To do this, it is important to follow the advice we provide below.
- Identify the factors that trigger atopic dermatitis outbreaks. Avoid letting your child come into contact with potential allergens such as: animal hair, mites, pollen, dust.
- Clean, moisturize and protect the skin. Use gentle products designed for this type of skin. Avoid using harsh soaps, perfumes or alcohol.
- After washing the babies, dry them carefully, patting them instead of scrubbing. Use towels with a delicate fabric that do not irritate the baby’s skin.
- Avoid using synthetic fibers. They can easily cause allergic reactions. Prefer cotton fibers.
- When washing baby’s clothes, squeeze them well twice to remove all soap residue. Avoid fabric softeners.
- Follow your doctor’s directions regarding treatment. The interruption of the therapies, even if improvements have been found, leads to relapses.
- Use products to moisturize your baby’s skin at least twice a day. Creams, lotions, body oils. They bring elasticity to the skin and make it less dry by relieving redness. However, you must always do it under medical supervision, avoiding do-it-yourself.
Further advice
- The water for the bath must be lukewarm, never boiling. Hot water can make skin irritation worse.
- It is very important to keep the child’s nails short, so that he does not scratch further.
- To take care of atopic dermatitis in babies it is advisable not to take long baths. The bath must last a maximum of 10 minutes and must not be more than one of the day. It does not necessarily have to be daily, but you can alternate every other day. It depends on the season and the ambient temperature.
- As far as possible, the surrounding temperature should be cool and humid. Ventilate your house daily and don’t overdo it with heating in winter.
- Do not overdo it in covering the baby. Sweat causes germs.
- Always use sunscreen.
- If your little one is taking allergy medications then it is good to expose the skin to the sun. It is good for the skin but you should always avoid exposing yourself in the hottest hours.
- Explain the problem to the child. In this way he too will be more attentive, a very important factor in avoiding relapses.
Following these tips for caring for atopic dermatitis in babies can help prevent further irritation from forming. In this way, even the little one will live his condition better.
