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Baby Skin Problems
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Baby Skin Problems >>>
| Q: My daughter has very tender skin on the face. Her nerves on the
cheeks
are very transparent. If somebody pinches her the marks remains on her
face. Kindly suggest. Blossom (Elgin, USA) |
| A: Nerves are never visible on the skin! They (must be) tiny blood vessels. Marks following pinches and cuddles are known in some children. Tell those who handle your child not to do so. Existing marks can be eliminated by mild steroid creams - EUMOSONE / STERISONE cream twice a day for 5-7 days. |
| Q: My Baby boy normally develops small small pimples around his lips,eyes
and.These fade and then reappear. Is this some allergy?
What should I do to get rid of these pimples which appear on-and-
off. He
also keeps itching his ears quite often. Jamila (Kuwait, Middle East) |
| A: No, this is not allergy. There is no need to do anything for the pimples. |
| Q: My baby is 6 months old. Every time a mosquito bites him, the bitten area swells up and a small bubble appears. This then breaks and leaves black marks. What is causing this? Could you prescribe a natural remedy? Neena (Mumbai, India) |
| A: Please apply Tenovite cream everyday for 2 weeks. Make your child wear full-sleeved clothes to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquito bites could cause Malaria, and you should try and ensure that your child doesn't get bitten. |
| Q: Is it normal for babies to have a rash on their face most of the time? Also, I have noticed a swelling around her left lower rib cage. They seem to be pointing outwards. Amar (Jacksonville, U.S.A) |
| A: Both these occurrences are normal. There is nothing to worry about. |
| Q: My daughter's hair started turning white when she was just 6 months old. Now, at the age of two years, her white hair has increased. Her iron levels are ok. There is no history of premature greying in the family. Please help! Prerna (Hanworth, England) |
| A: A few strands of grey hair at this age shouldn't be cause for concern, this is in no way indicative that she would develop premature greying. Colour of hair as it is has nothing to do with iron levels. See to it that she has an adequate and nutritious diet - fruits vegetables etc. Chromium and selenium have been associated with greying. Avoid giving her foods and medication containing these two minerals. |
| Q: My baby faces a peculiar type of skin problem right from her birth. As a result her skin has lost its glaze. She was born with very fair skin, which is slowly darkening. I have consulted her attending child special MD. He prescribed some steroid skin ointment but it did not cure her condition. He also opined that it is simple allergy and will be cured automatically. Please advise. Nainesh (New Jersy, USA) |
| A: More details would be required to comment. Site of problem, characteristic of problem. Skin often does become dark as the baby grows. Use some mild soap for her baths. An allergy is the most likely cause, and a steroid is the usual treatment. Consult a skin specialist for second opinion. I'm sure your baby will improve. |
| Q: My baby has had a small white mark on his back since birth; we considered it as birthmark. A few days ago, my wife noticed a few more white patches on his back. She immediately consulted the skin specialist and he gave us the shocking news that our son has leucoderma. We are really confused and tense. My question is, why is this happening; our family has no history of leucoderma. What is the solution? Is leucoderma curable? Pranay (Cochin, India) |
| A: No need to get devastated. You may get a second opinion. Multiple patches still could be birthmarks (as the age is not favouring leucoderma). Leucoderma still can occur WITHOUT any family history. If leucoderma, it might still respond to mild steroids, birthmarks wont. |
| Q: My two and a half month daughter is diagnosed of infantile eczema. Her skin is very dry, and she has tiny pimples on her body. Her legs and hands are dry and the skin is thick. It seems that she is allergic to something because when I take her out, her cheeks go red. Two days ago, when I applied milk with turmeric and gram flour on her body while bathing her, white patches erupted on her skin, which subsided after 10-15 minutes. Her skin seems very sensitive. What should be done to avoid these kinds of allergic reactions? Samiksha (Vancouver, Canada) |
| A: Infantile eczema is quite frequently seen. Sticking to your doctor's instructions is very important to keep the child symptom free, as the condition is quite stubborn with no permanent remedy. However, the condition is likely to improve over the years. Avoid strictly all those things you have seen that aggravate the condition (wool, gram flour, certain soaps, some eatables). Your dermatologist will prescribe a topical or oral steroid along with anti-allergic medication to manage the condition. This should dramatically improve your child's skin texture. Use hypoallergic moisturisers after baths. |
| Q: My 3.5 year old daughter feels itchy very often. If she has a mosquito bite, she keeps scratching it till it bleeds. She has marks all over her hands and legs. What should I do? Vidya (Mumbai, India) |
| A: The following tips may help alleviate your child's problem: 1. Bathe her twice a day. 2. Keep her dry (change clothes often if she perspires a lot). 3. Avoid synthetic garments, opt for cotton ones. 4. Keep her arms and legs covered to prevent mosquito bites. 5. Apply calamine lotion on the affected areas to soothe the skin. 6. Use a mosquito repellent in the room BEFORE the child enters it. Mosquito bites should be avoided at all costs. A mosquito net is also highly recommended. You may want to consult a skin specialist if the problem is severe. |
| Q: My baby developed a pinkish crack on his face during the onset of this winter. This is not healing, even though I have been applying Johnson's Baby Lotion. What should I do? Pratibha (Nainital, India) |
| A: There's nothing wrong – your son just has dry skin, which is causing the cracks. Use EUMOSONE cream on his cheeks twice a day for a week, and then apply some good moisturiser regularly – immediately after his bath. |
| Q: The skin over the tongue of my niece peels off and she can't eat anything spicy or salty. She can only have liquids. Since she can't eat anything, she is very thin and is not very physically active. My sister consulted ayurvedic and allopathic doctors, who suggested vitamin supplements. She has been taking Nutrolin-B for the past couple of months, but there has been no change. Why does her tongue peel? Is there any cure? Neha (Reston, USA) |
| A: Give her tab Folvite 5 mg 3 times a day for 1 month. She will be fine. |
| Q: My son is 10 months old. He has extremely dry skin. What kind of skincare routine should I follow? Shagufta (Ajmer, India) |
| A: Use a glycerine based soap like Pears. Apply coconut oil (or any other which you use) immediately after bathing your child, when the skin is still damp. Make sure he drinks plenty of water and fluids. |
| Q: My eleven months old baby has developed eczema on her full body. I would like to know whether this is due to some food allergy or oil massage. Flauna (Indianapolis, USA) |
| A: Oil could be the culprit. However she could be developing some kind of childhood eczema also. Consult a skin specialist. |
| Q: My son is seven months old. He has Atopic Dermatitis in the groin area. The symptoms are white patches in the groin area. What is the recommended treatment? Are there any precautions we should take? Savitha (New York, U.S.A.) |
| A: White patches in the groin could also be an indication of some past healed skin lesion (very likely fungal). Dry the region thoroughly after every bath. Use some good talcum powder there and make sure you keep the area well cleaned and powdered. |
| Q: My three-month-old son has developed a rash on his cheeks. The doctor advised me to use Valbet. I apply this cream every night. The rash reduces after a week's usage, but comes back the moment I stop using it. Can you suggest any other alternative? Does this cream have side effects? Prem (Snowdon, U.K) |
| A: Never self-medicate more than what is prescribed, especially in children. Stop Valbate (a pretty strong cream) immediately and consult a skin specialist. In all likelihood no treatment at all may be required. |
| Q: My baby's skin is peeling off near the nails. Why is this happening? Any remedy? Shiya (Gujrat, India) |
| A: This is often just a physiological change. You may apply some moisturiser or coconut oil. Consult a skin specialist if the problem persists. |
| Q: My daughter has had a cradle cap since she was one month old. I apply sesame oil on her scalp daily and use Johnson's Baby Shampoo every other day. The flakes seem to irritate her scalp and her face, because she keeps scratching it. Anju (Forth Worth, USA) |
| A: There is no need to treat this condition. As your child grows, her skin will become normal. Don't apply so much oil on her scalp. |
| Q: My baby was born very fair. Since she had yellowish eyes, we were advised by our doctor to expose her to early morning sunlight. Initially, we exposed her to sunlight at 9.30 am for nearly 1 week. Her skin darkened and she still hasn't regained her colour. My husband and I are both fair skinned. I would like to know if her skin darkened due to exposure to sunlight or if there could be any other reason. Amrita (Cochin, India) |
| A: Exposure to ultraviolet rays of sunlight could definitely darken the colour of skin. But this is a temporary phenomenon and she should regain her natural colour after a while. |
| Q: My wife had just delivered a baby girl by C-Section. Both were fine and normal at that time. But since the past week to ten days, as it's been so hot, my wife and baby broke out in red spots all over their bodies. We applied baby oil to the little one, but nothing to the mother. Why did this happen? Is this normal? My wife is being prescribed Setcal-250 mg. and Hematrin once daily. This was started after she completed the pain killers and antibiotics course during her stay at the hospital, which was for 5 days. Could the medication have caused the rash? Avinash (Gandhidam, India) |
| A: It is quite normal to have prickly heat boils. It will come down in a few days. It is most probably not a drug reaction. Ask your wife to drink plenty of water, and avoid applying oil on the little one's skin. |
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