One of the most common problems in newborns is peeling of the skin after birth. The skin is peeling in almost all newborns, the length of time for all is different: from a month - until the end of the entire infants.
Normally, the skin of infants is smooth, delicate, velvety. In the womb, the baby is covered with a special lubricant, which, when born, is washed off, absorbed, washed, and the dermis becomes too thin and vulnerable. After some time, peeling appears. Pediatricians do not recommend specifically removing this lubricant, because it performs protective functions during the period of adaptation from an "aquatic" lifestyle to an "air" one.
Flaky skin in a newborn - reasons
If the skin of a newborn is flaky, the reasons can be very diverse:
1. Adapting the skin to a new environment is the most common cause of peeling. This is a natural and normal process. For each child, it is expressed in different ways, to a greater or lesser extent. If the child is calm, there is no redness of the skin - there is no reason for concern. After some time, everything will return to normal.
2. Inadequate skin care for the newborn is a more serious cause of peeling. This happens if the child is bathed with the addition of manganese in the water - it dries the skin, which can lead to peeling.
3. Detergents are a common cause of skin peeling.
4. Wind and cold in the cold season, wind and sun in the warm season can cause peeling of the delicate skin of the newborn.
5. Dry air in the children's room is one of the causes of peeling: humidity should normally be 55 - 70%. Since air is always dry in winter due to working heating, it must be humidified.
6. Allergic reactions to food. Most often, this occurs with breastfeeding and depends on those foods that a nursing mother eats. With mixed or artificial feeding, an allergy, and, accordingly, rashes and peeling of the skin, can occur on some kind of mixture. Allergies are dangerous with the possible development of Quincke's edema - this is an emergency condition requiring immediate medical attention.
7. Clothing of a newborn can also cause redness, itching, rashes and peeling of the skin. This applies to artificial materials - they are contraindicated in children and require immediate replacement with clothing made from natural fabrics. Most often this applies to hats.
If all of the above reasons are absent or eliminated, but despite this, the skin of the newborn continues to peel, the causes may be in some diseases. Most often, the skin of a newborn is flaky if it has:
- fungus;
- ringworm;
- tick;
- scabies;
- atopic dermatitis;
- ichthyosis;
- genetic problems of a hereditary nature.
In order to solve an unpleasant problem in which the skin of a newborn is peeling, the reasons for this should be determined on time, and treatment should be prescribed as soon as possible.
Flaky skin in a newborn - symptoms
If the skin of a newborn is flaky - the symptoms of this phenomenon often depend on the causes that led to flaking:
1. Adaptive peeling
- appears at the age of three to four weeks;
- initially appears on the arms and legs, later spreads to the body and head;
- the general condition of the newborn is not violated.
2. With low humidity in the room, the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx dry up first of all, which leads to the unhindered entry of viruses and bacteria. Therefore, in addition to the fact that the skin begins to peel off in newborns, symptoms of colds or dryness of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx also come to the fore.
3. With increased air dryness, there is not just persistent peeling of the skin, but even peeling of the epidermis, which is dangerous by the addition of infection, especially with various, even minor, injuries of thinned delicate skin - scratches, diaper rash, all kinds of dermatitis.
4. Due to constant thirst (due to dry air), the sleep and nutrition of the child are disturbed.
5. Allergic reactions that lead to flaky skin in newborns - symptoms may begin with redness and swelling after eating, bathing or walking. Later, peeling of the skin develops in those places where redness and edema were originally.
Flaky skin in a newborn - treatment
If the skin of a newborn is peeling off, treatment should be started immediately after the appearance of scales. The treatment for peeling the skin is to moisturize and soften it. As practice shows, most peelings pass on their own over time. But still, you do not need to wait until the problem is resolved on its own. Careful care for the newborn and constant hydration of the skin is necessary to avoid unpleasant consequences.
1. First of all, when bathing a child, it is necessary to exclude manganese, which is sometimes used on the advice of grandmothers, and other detergents.
2. After bathing, it is best to treat the skin with oil, pre-heating it. Apply oil to the swab and lubricate behind the ears, in the folds and fingertips. After this, oil massage is applied to the whole body with massage movements. For this purpose, the following oils are used, the use of which effectively cures peeling:
- petroleum jelly;
- sunflower;
- olive;
- peach.
There are special baby oils, but they sometimes have a strong odor, which the manufacturer uses for perfumes. Oil with a smell is undesirable to use for a newborn, because it can cause allergies.
4. For the treatment of peeling of the skin in a newborn, special baby creams and ointments are used. They act quickly, do not cause allergies and any side effects. The most effective creams and ointments containing panthenol: depanthenol, bepanten, etc.
5. If an allergy has become the cause of peeling, it is first necessary to establish the source of the allergen and remove it. The pediatrician will prescribe antihistamines in adequate dosages for a certain period.
6. If it is established that the child has a disease due to which the skin of the newborn is flaky, treatment should be directed to the underlying disease.
Flaky skin in a newborn - prevention
Despite the fact that the treatment of skin peeling in a newborn is in most cases not expensive, it is still easier to prevent this problem than to treat. Therefore, in cases where the skin of a newborn is peeling, prevention depends on the cause of peeling.
Basic preventive measures to prevent peeling of the skin:
1. The first bath of the newborn should not be earlier than a week after birth, so as not to wash off the protective fat layer. During this period, you can only wash the newborn and wipe the folds with oil or baby cream.
2. Bathing in clear water. Do not use tap water, since chlorine irritates tender baby skin. Use boiled or filtered water.
3. A bathing product should be used no more than twice a week.
4. After bathing, pat your skin with a soft towel and lubricate with a moisturizer.
5. Discard wet wipes that dry the skin severely. Or use special baby wipes that do not contain alcohol and perfumes.
6. Change the diapers as necessary, but give the skin a few minutes to “breathe” without the diaper.
7. When washing children's things, exclude conditioners and aggressive powders. It is better to use baby or household soap. Otherwise, allergies may develop.
8. Do not use clothing or linen made of artificial materials.
9. Frequent walks in the fresh air will accelerate the adaptation of the skin to the environment, enhance immunity.
10. Do not apply protective products to the skin before going for a walk - you must do this in advance.
11. Mandatory humidification, which has a beneficial effect on the skin of the child.
12. A nursing mother must adhere to a certain diet in order to prevent the development of food allergies in the newborn.
Prevention does not require much effort. It is only necessary to slightly change the daily care and remove some impact factors. And remember: if a newborn baby has a rash or peeling, it is necessary to follow all the appointments and advice of a pediatrician. In this case, peeling can be cured, as well as avoiding unpleasant consequences.
