What should I do about an infant rash?

What should I do about an infant rash?

by Olivia
(Columbus, Georgia)

My son has a rash on his face and on his neck as well. It is red and dry looking. What can I put on it and what is it?

I was told that it may be hives and to give him cat nip tea,and they would go away in a few days. His doctor also told me to put a warm rag on his face. It's been over a week and its not getting any better. What should i do?

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What should I do about an infant rash?

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Dec 27, 2008
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Allergy or Eczema?
by: Heather ;-)

Olivia,

I understand your worry about your son. A bad rash is not fun - for either of you. Here are a few things you may (or may not) have thought to try...

First Question to Ask: Is it an allergic reaction? Have you used a different shampoo or lotion recently? If your baby is old enough for solids, did you introduce a new food last week? Spend a few minutes thinking back to everything that has gone into or onto your baby in the past week. If something seems to stick out, stop using it (or feeding it to him) for a few days and see what happens.

A friend had to give her baby a bath at our house this week (long story!). She used my Aloe Vera shampoo and her baby broke out instantly in little red dots all over. Nothing serious, but not comfortable either! We quickly rinsed her off, and within a few hours she was back to normal.

Second Question to Ask: Does it seem itchy? You mentioned it looked dry. Babies can get eczema in the summer when their skin is moist (Elena has this constantly in the summer). However, they can also get eczema in the winter (we call it "The Winter Itch") when their skin is too dry.

We use Eucerin's Baby Ointment Aquaphor every time skin gets wet. It holds in moisture and is a must in our house. In fact, I put it on my hands every night to prevent cracking fingers! I recommend getting the Aquaphor multi-pack so you can keep one in the bathroom and one in the nursery. (The less I have to search for it, the more I will use it!)

Since it is on his face, be very careful how you apply it. In fact, before using it, contact your pediatrician for specific permission. It is similar to Vaseline, so it's not the easiest thing to work with (can be greasy if not properly worked into the skin). Take small amounts and massage them in the problem areas until gone.

Again, contact your doctor to get his/her approval before you do these things. He always knows best what to do. If you're unhappy with his reply - ask ANOTHER doctor until you receive the information you're looking for.

I hope this is helpful, feel free to comment on THIS comment if you need more help or wish to mention something else!

Warm regards,
Heather

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Dec 27, 2008
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Submitted by: Heather ;-)

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Olivia, I understand your worry about your son. A bad rash is not fun - for either of you. Here are a few things you may (or may not) have thought to try... First Question to Ask: Is it an allergic reaction? Have you used a different shampoo or lotion recently? If your baby is old enough for solids, did you introduce a new food last week? Spend a few minutes thinking back to everything that has gone into or onto your baby in the past week. If something seems to stick out, stop using it (or feeding it to him) for a few days and see what happens. A friend had to give her baby a bath at our house this week (long story!). She used my Aloe Vera shampoo and her baby broke out instantly in little red dots all over. Nothing serious, but not comfortable either! We quickly rinsed her off, and within a few hours she was back to normal. Second Question to Ask: Does it seem itchy? You mentioned it looked dry. Babies can get eczema in the summer when their skin is moist (Elena has this constantly in the summer). However, they can also get eczema in the winter (we call it "The Winter Itch") when their skin is too dry. We use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000296DVY?ie=UTF8&tag=theessinfresf-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000296DVY"target="_blank">Eucerin's Baby Ointment Aquaphor</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theessinfresf-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000296DVY" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> every time skin gets wet. It holds in moisture and is a must in our house. In fact, I put it on my hands every night to prevent cracking fingers! I recommend getting the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HGUAW0?ie=UTF8&tag=theessinfresf-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000HGUAW0"target="_blank">Aquaphor multi-pack</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theessinfresf-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000HGUAW0" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> so you can keep one in the bathroom and one in the nursery. (The less I have to search for it, the more I will use it!) Since it is on his face, be very careful how you apply it. In fact, before using it, contact your pediatrician for specific permission. It is similar to Vaseline, so it's not the easiest thing to work with (can be greasy if not properly worked into the skin). Take small amounts and massage them in the problem areas until gone. Again, contact your doctor to get his/her approval before you do these things. He always knows best what to do. If you're unhappy with his reply - ask ANOTHER doctor until you receive the information you're looking for. I hope this is helpful, feel free to comment on THIS comment if you need more help or wish to mention something else! Warm regards, Heather

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Jan 12, 2009
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Same problem -
by: Anonymous

My 7 week old has had the same problem for several weeks - I can say that Aquaphor has really helped, at least with the dryness. Her rash also decreased when we changed her formula, although she was only getting 1 bottle a day.

I'm going to ask the Dr. tomorrow about allergies, because I haven't been able to identify anything *obvious* that she might be allergic to - especially since it's only on her face/neck.