Bounty feature

Baby skincare

A baby’s skin can be oily or dry, sensitive, and easily irritated. If using soap when washing your baby, make sure it’s a ph neutral baby soap. Follow these tips for preventing and treating…

• Rashes
• Cradle cap
• Nappy rash
• Spots

Rashes
Many babies develop some sort of rash in their first year. Most disappear without treatment, but if one persists, try to find the cause: is it a soap, a washing powder or a fabric conditioner you’re using that could be responsible? Try switching brands to see. If your baby has eczema, ask your midwife or health visitor’s advice about a suitable product to protect and soothe your baby’s skin. Sometimes rashes are caused by a reaction to biological washing powders. So if you’re using washable nappies, try an enzyme-free (non-biological) powder and see if the rash clears up.

Cradle cap
You may notice something that looks a bit like dandruff, flaky skin or a yellowish crust underneath the hair on your baby’s scalp. This is cradle cap. It’s very common, no special treatment is needed, and it will disappear. Don’t be tempted into picking it or trying to brush it off – you could pull your baby’s hair out or cause an infection. You can soften the cradle cap by massaging a teaspoon of almond oil or olive oil into his scalp, leaving it for an hour then washing his hair. This may remove the cradle cap for a while. If the cradle cap becomes severe or brownish-red, check with your doctor as it may need treatment.

Nappy rash
The best way to avoid your baby getting nappy rash is to:

• Keep him clean and dry; change his nappy regularly.
• Wash his skin with water.
• Dry him thoroughly, including all the creases
• Let him lie on his changing mat without a nappy once a day so that the air can get to his bottom. If your baby’s bottom does become red and sore, treat his skin with zinc and castor oil cream, whenever you change his nappy, until the rash has cleared up. If the rash stays for more than a week and is very bright red with a scaly edge, he may have thrush. See your doctor who will prescribe a cream to clear it up.

Spots
Most babies have tiny white spots on their nose. These are simply enlarged oil glands and will disappear in time. They don’t need any treatment. Tiny red spots with blisters (prickly heat) may appear if your baby gets too hot. If any spots become red and have a white head, see your doctor as they could be infected.

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