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When Baby's Skin isn't so Soft...Apr 11 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line consult an expert
We've all heard the phrase, "soft as a baby's bottom". What happens when baby isn't quite that soft? What works effectively without causing more harm than good? I have the unfortunate experience of looking for answers to these questions because my daughter has problems with dry skin. I want to share my experience because this can be a very stressful, frustrating thing for parents. We all want our little angels to be perfect! Jae was 2-3 weeks overdue. At birth, her wrists and ankles were extremely wrinkly and dry. I started by rubbing Johnson's baby lotion and oil on her rough spots and massaging it into her dry creases. It took about three weeks and 4 or 5 layers of skin peeling off before she no longer "cracked". I discovered that even though Johnson's is a name that I trust and has a good reputation for being gentle & soothing for delicate, sensitive skin, when used in the late August heat it can sometimes cause a little bit of a prickly heat rash. (Maybe not cause it, but it doesn't help it!) I had no problems when only applied to her wrists & ankles, though. Most baby lotion brands are just as effective, I just watch the labels to make sure they don't contain perfume or other allergens. Our biggest problem has been a nasty case of Infantile Exzema. It often occurs right around 3 months of age. In Jae's case, she developed this little bright red splotch next to her mouth. As she was excessively drooly at that time, I thought saliva was the culprit. After a few days of keeping her face & chin as dry as possible and no improvement, I decided she must be allergic to the rice cereal we'd just introduced. I quit feeding her anything but her formula again. Instead of disappearing, she broke out in a twin red splotch on the other side of her mouth. After determining she wasn't allergic to rice cereal or the laundry detergent I was using, it was time for a Well Child Check. Basically, Jae's oil glands aren't functioning properly yet. By 5 months old her dry spots started appearing on her elbows, knees and neck & chest area. Per her doctor, nothing I'm doing causes her skin problems and hopefully they will clear up by the time she's 18 months old. What I've personally done is to limit bathing her to every other day, just letting her soak & play for a few minutes and then washing her with a mild, hypo-allergenic shampoo and baby bath. Pat baby dry, don't rub all the moisture off of her. While baby is still damp, apply a perfume free lotion to lock in moisture. (A common misconception is that lotions re-hydrate skin. Lotions work best by sealing in the moisture that's all ready there). I apply aquafor to her driest patches and a little dab of baby oil to her scalp. The other thing that I do upon the advise of her nurse is to keep ordinary old petroleum jelly handy at all times. I've found that if I keep her cheeks, neck, elbows and knees gooed up with this consistently--the redness fades away and she'll go several days without splotches. Sometimes I need to apply it every hour, her skin absorbs it so quickly. It took a few weeks to see a major improvement, but it is definitely worth the effort. If you're going through something similar, my advise is to rule out allergies to foods, lotions, soaps, shampoo, laundry detergents, certain fabrics. I also advise you to consult your medical provider.  |
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