Contact dermatitis, also known as diaper rash, occurs when your baby’s skin is in contact for an extended period of time with irritants, such as urine, saliva, or even certain types of creams, causing inflammation that leaves skin red and flaky, itching, and pain. For example.
Although contact dermatitis is not severe and can be cured, when treated properly, it should be avoided, as skin irritation can cause wounds that can become infected, especially in places like the buttocks, for example.
- Thus.
- It is important to keep the baby’s skin always dry and clean.
- Changing diapers whenever they are dirty.
- Cleaning excess slime on the face and neck and not using creams adapted to the baby’s skin.
- For example See other important precautions to prevent the appearance of diaper rash.
Signs and symptoms characteristic of contact dermatitis in infants include:
Skin changes usually occur in areas with skin folds or that are in frequent contact with clothing, such as the neck, intimate area, or wrists.
In these cases, it is always important to consult your pediatrician as an allergy test may be needed to see if dermatitis is caused by a specific substance, which should be removed.
In most cases, contact dermatitis goes away after about 2 to 4 weeks, however, to speed recovery, relieve baby discomfort and prevent sores, it is important to keep the area always clean and dry, as moisture can aggravate irritation. Another option is to put a moisturizer or zinc after bathing, but it is important to wait for the skin to dry out before covering it.
In addition, the pediatrician may also prescribe the use of an ointment for dermatitis, such as 1% hydrocortisone or dexamethasone, which should be applied in a thin layer to the affected skin for about 7 days.
When dermatitis worsens or is very intense, the pediatrician may need to indicate the use of corticosteroid syrups, such as prednisone, that help to quickly eliminate dermatitis, but which present an increased risk of side effects such as restlessness or difficulty falling asleep, and should only be used in the most severe cases.
The best way to make sure contact dermatitis doesn’t occur is to keep your baby’s skin very clean and dry and avoid possible sources of skin irritation. Precautions include:
If the baby is already known to be allergic to a certain type of substance, it is important to keep the baby away from the substance and, therefore, it may be important to read the label of clothing and toys to make sure it is not part of its composition.