Heat rash in newborn babies

Babies and heat rashes Information | Mount Sinai

Heat rashes and babies; Prickly heat rash; Red miliaria

Heat rash occurs in babies when the pores of the sweat glands become blocked. This happens most often when the weather is hot or humid. As your infant sweats, little red bumps, and possibly tiny blisters, form because the blocked glands cannot clear the sweat.

To prevent or treat heat rash in an infant, dress the baby in light-weight cotton, use a fan with a gentle breeze (if air conditioning is unavailable), and avoid the use of powders.

The best way to prevent heat rash is to keep the baby's skin cool and dry during warm weather. Also dress the infant in light cotton clothing to help absorb excess moisture.

Information

To avoid heat rash, keep your baby cool and dry during warm weather.

Some helpful suggestions:

• During the hot season, dress your baby in lightweight, soft, cotton clothing. Cotton is very absorbent and keeps moisture away from the baby's skin.
• If air conditioning is not available, a fan may help cool your infant. Place the fan far enough away so that there is only a gentle breeze drifting over the infant.
• Avoid the use of powders, creams, and ointments. Baby powders do not improve or prevent heat rash. Creams and ointments tend to keep the skin warmer and block the pores.

Moon M, Guerrero AM, Li X, Koch E, Gehris RP. Dermatology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 8.

Howard RM, Frieden IJ. Vesiculopustular and erosive disorders in newborns and infants. In: Bolognia JL, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L, eds. Dermatology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 34.

Martin KL, Ken KM. Disorders of the sweat glands. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 681.

Last reviewed on: 12/10/2021

Reviewed by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Heat Rash

Is this your child's symptom?

• A fine pink rash caused by overheating
• Mainly on the neck, chest, and upper back

Symptoms of Heat Rash

• Tiny, pink bumps
• Mainly on the neck, chest and upper back
• Occurs during hot, humid weather or after lots of sun
• Heat rash can be itchy
• Older children may have a "prickly" pins and needles feeling
• In babies, the rash can have some tiny water blisters
• No fever or illness
• Also called "prickly heat"

Causes of Heat Rash

• Heat rash is caused by blocked-off sweat glands.
• Hot Weather. Hot, humid weather can cause the sweat glands to be overworked.
• Ointment. Babies can also get it in the wintertime from ointments put on the skin. Reason: Ointments can block off sweat glands.
• Location. Heat rash of the forehead can be caused by oil or ointment on the hair. Heat rash of the face of a breastfed baby can be caused by lanolin put on the nipples. Heat rash of the chest can be caused by menthol ointments put on for coughs.
• Exercise. Older children can get heat rash with hard exercise.

When to Call for Heat Rash

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Fever and looks infected (spreading redness or pus)
• Your child looks or acts very sick
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Looks infected (spreading redness, pus), but no fever
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Rash is not gone after 3 days of treatment
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Heat rash

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

• Bellevue
• Everett
• Federal Way
• Seattle

Care Advice for Heat Rash

1. What You Should Know About Heat Rash:
   • Heat rash is caused by blocked-off sweat glands.
   • It's common in hot, humid weather.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Cooling the Skin:
   • Cool off the skin to treat and prevent heat rash.
   • For large rashes, give your child a cool bath without soap. Do this for 10 minutes. (Caution: Avoid any chill.) Let the skin air-dry. Do this 3 or more times a day.
   • For small rashes, put a cool, wet washcloth on the area. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes. Then let the skin air-dry.
   • Dress in as few layers of clothing as you can.
   • Lower the temperature in your home if you can.
3. Sleeping Cooler:
   • When your child is asleep, run a fan in the bedroom.
   • During sleep, have your child lie on a cotton towel to absorb sweat. (Note: Only for older children age over 1 year.)
4. Steroid Cream for Itching:
   • Use 1% hydrocortisone cream (such as Cortaid). No prescription is needed.
   • Put it on itchy spots 3 times per day.
   • Avoid hydrocortisone ointment.
   • Calamine lotion can also work.
5. Do Not Use Ointments:
   • Avoid all ointments or oils on the skin. Reason: They can block off sweat glands.
   • Be sure the rash isn't caused by a menthol ointment being used for a cough.
6. What to Expect:
   • With treatment, heat rash will clear up in 2 to 3 days.
7. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Rash lasts more than 3 days on this treatment
   • Rash starts to look infected
   • You think your child needs to be seen
   • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 10/31/2022

Last Revised: 01/13/2022

Copyright 2000-2022. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

how to treat babies and how to avoid prickly heat?

The delicate skin of newborns often develops prickly heat. Together with the pediatrician, we figure out how to recognize prickly heat, what means to treat it and how to avoid it in the future.

Vera Tarasova

pediatrician of Maria Popova clinic

What is miliaria?

What does prickly heat look like in babies?

Types of prickly heat in newborns

Causes of prickly heat

Symptoms of prickly heat

Diagnosis

Treatment of prickly heat

Prevention

What is prickly heat?

• Endogenous (internal)
• exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (external) exogenous (outer) among the causes of the internal order are the physiological features of the structure and functioning of children's skin . The skin of a child is much thinner and more delicate than that of adults, has a rich blood supply, and a diffuse arrangement of sweat glands over the entire surface of the body. In addition, close to neutral pH (6.7).

  The skin of infants does not effectively neutralize bacteria on the surface of the skin. The function of thermoregulation in children is immature and imperfect, from which the babies are not able to adequately respond to changes in the temperature of the environment by expanding or spasm of blood vessels. Therefore, with improper care, children can easily overheat and overcool.

  Endogenous factors are closely related to external causes . Among the latter, the main role is played by errors in child care: irregular bathing and bathing, tight swaddling and excessive wrapping, the use of clothes made of synthetic fabrics, the use of excessively oily creams that are not absorbed into the skin, disrupting skin respiration and heat transfer.

  Prickly heat in children can occur during the period of an infectious disease (SARS, chickenpox, measles, tonsillitis, pneumonia). This is due to the fact that a sick child may have a fever, and his sweating increases. More often prickly heat occurs in premature infants, as well as in children with obesity, diabetes mellitus and endocrine disorders.
  

  Symptoms of miliaria

  The main symptoms of miliaria are rash, redness and inflammation of the skin. They can appear only in one area of ​​the body (it can be the armpits or groin), or they can spread more widely. If the child is still very young, the symptoms of prickly heat can irritate him, cause anxiety, disturb sleep and appetite.

  How can you tell if a child has prickly heat? First of all, you need to remember if you have violated the hygiene rules for caring for the baby's skin over the past few hours:

  • if you have poorly observed skin hygiene, prickly heat in newborns appears in the neck;
  • if the child is overheated and has been in clothes made of synthetic fabrics for some time, prickly heat will appear on the back;
  • if you often use a greasy cream in the groin area and rarely remove the baby's diaper, prickly heat will appear in the groin area and on the buttocks;
  • if the rash on the neck is not treated in time, it can spread to the face;
  • If the baby is constantly wearing a hat, even at home and on hot days, a rash may appear on the head.

  By the way: chickenpox, measles and allergies start with symptoms similar to prickly heat. Therefore, it is better to show the baby to the pediatrician.
  

  How to distinguish prickly heat from allergies

  Miliaria is usually located only in areas where sweating is difficult - in the folds, under the diaper, in places where diapers are rubbed.

  An allergic rash can be anywhere, even on exposed skin. Rashes on the face are often allergic in nature.

  If the delicate skin of the baby is treated in time and the rules of care are followed, then prickly heat will pass rather quickly. But a rash due to an infection or an allergic reaction, on the contrary, will spread more and more. It is important to distinguish prickly heat from allergies. In prickly heat, when the skin is stretched, the elements disappear, strong peeling of the skin is not typical , when the skin is dried, the phenomena quickly disappear.
  

  Diagnosis

  Diagnosis of prickly heat requires a visual examination of the child's skin. Newborn prickly heat rashes may appear in one area (on the neck, face, behind the ears, in the groin, on the back or chest), but may spread to the skin of the entire body. Also, the rash may be accompanied by anxiety, itching. The child begins to act up.

  If any rash appears on the skin of a child, you should contact a pediatrician or pediatric dermatologist for differential diagnosis and exclusion of other diseases that occur with skin rash: scarlet fever, chickenpox, measles, sudden exanthema, atopic dermatitis, urticaria, shingles. Usually, an experienced pediatric specialist can easily distinguish prickly heat in children from other skin diseases based on a visual examination.

  In order to identify the causative agent of a secondary infection, it may be necessary to carry out a scraping for pathogenic fungi from smooth skin, bakposev discharged on the microflora.
  

  Treatment of prickly heat

  Air temperature around +20 °C

  To regulate the heating in an apartment building, you can purchase special regulators for the heating system. They allow you to reduce the air temperature in the room to the desired values.

  Relative air humidity 50-70%

  You can measure air humidity with a hygrometer, and a special device - an air humidifier - will help create the desired climate. You can also use wet towels hung around the battery or an aquarium that can be installed in a children's room.

  Clothing made from natural fabrics

  The child should be dressed appropriately for the weather, without wrapping or overheating. Clothing should be only from natural fabrics, synthetics and semi-synthetics should be avoided. Be sure to give him water baths every time before dressing the child and before changing the diaper - this is both hardening and a method of treating prickly heat.

  Bathing

  Bathe your child daily, but do not use soap. It is also better to refuse the use of potassium permanganate solution. For bathing, you can use decoctions of medicinal plants - sage, chamomile, succession, for older children - a decoction of celandine. Phyto baths should not be long. It is best to limit the time of bathing in water with decoctions of medicinal herbs to 5-10 minutes. Therefore, baths should be alternated - one day ordinary bathing in ordinary water, the next evening - a bath with decoction. Do not use medicinal plants without the permission of a doctor if the child has a tendency to an allergic reaction.

  Medicinal therapies

  The main requirement for products to treat a problem such as prickly heat is a slight drying property. You need to use only those preparations that dry the skin and create a protective layer.

  For example:

  Bepanthen - apply the product only after water procedures, air baths on dry skin. There is no limit on the number of applications per day.

  Zinc ointment - apply to the child's skin 1-2 times a day in a very thin layer.

  Sudocrem - Zinc oxide, water-repellent. Allowed for children of any age.

  Drapomen - benconyl chloride. Has anti-inflammatory action. The protective layer lasts for several hours.

  Deksianthenom is a gel, cream and solution for external use, has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.

  If a pustular rash appears in the area of ​​diaper rash, antibiotic ointments are recommended - Levomik , Erythromycil ointment, Baneocin powder and ointment.

  Anise dyes are effective against the most common bacteria - Zelenka and Fukortsin . But it should be remembered that their cannot be applied to the mucous membrane, genitals .

  If signs of an attached infection appear, a doctor's consultation is mandatory. Only he will be able to establish which microbe caused the inflammation and advise a specific drug.

  Not all medicines can be bought in one place. You can find the necessary medicines in one pharmacy and at a favorable price at the link:

  Order and quickly get medications

  Prevention

  In order to exclude the occurrence of the sweets, the following rules must be followed:

  • dress your child too warmly;
  • clothing must not be synthetic or tight;
  • regularly take air baths;
  • buy diapers only from trusted companies made of breathable materials;
  • in the room in which the baby is located, there must be a certain temperature regime - 23-24 degrees;
  • ventilate the room often, especially 15 minutes before bedtime;
  • bathe the child daily;
  • dry thoroughly after bathing;
  • do not apply "heavy" lotions, creams, oils, etc. to baby's delicate skin;
  • make sure that the child does not scratch the rash.

  Only a doctor can correctly determine the diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment! You can get an online consultation of a qualified specialist and make an appointment in your city at the link:

  GET ONLINE CONSULTATION AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

  The disease is a fairly common problem. You shouldn't be afraid of him. The main thing is not to forget about prevention and consult a doctor in time.

  Unfortunately, medical advice from the Internet is not always coordinated with a specialist. Therefore, no one canceled the consultation of a doctor. Why you should not always trust medical forums and how to get information about health from a specialist without queues in clinics online, read in our material.
  

  Author: Alexey Kravchenko

  Sweating in a child: causes, treatment, symptoms

  Pediatrician of the highest category - neonatologist

  Saifulina

  Maryam Zakareevna

  Experience 32 years

  Member of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia

  Make an appointment

  Prickly heat in children up to a year and older is a fairly common skin lesion, which is a rash against the background of severe sweating or illiterate care for the delicate skin of a child. It is important to understand that the baby's thermoregulation processes are not yet perfect, and therefore the slightest negative factors can cause an undesirable reaction - parents should not be scared and think that this is a rare occurrence. Almost all babies go through this.

  However, this problem should not be neglected either: ordinary prickly heat without treatment tends to become more complicated and aggravated, and in this case a longer and more complex treatment will be required - it is better not to bring it to it.

  Symptoms

  Symptoms of diarrhea in children include:

  • Appearance of a characteristic rash on the neck, in the area of ​​the ears, on the back of the head, along the hairline, under the armpits, on the upper chest, as well as on the back, in the inguinal folds and on the buttocks.
  • Small eruption in the form of vesicles with transparent contents. In more complex cases, these are reddish nodules with an inflamed rim. The rash reacts to temperature, so it may decrease or increase depending on the environment.
  • Weeping foci - they occur with extensive damage to the skin.
  • Pustules, swelling, redness of the skin and putrid odor. This is not so much a symptom of prickly heat in children as a signal that a bacterial or fungal infection has joined it.
  • Soreness, itching and other unpleasant sensations that cause anxiety in the child, make him capricious. With ordinary prickly heat, this is not observed, but if the condition is complicated, such negative factors will progress, simultaneously causing an increase in body temperature.

  At any stage of prickly heat in a child, even if it is very mild, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician. If complications arise, you should immediately consult a doctor - either a pediatrician or a pediatric dermatologist deals with such issues.

  Causes

  The main cause of prickly heat in a child is overheating, and already it is caused by various factors, including:

  • Too warm, plus synthetic clothing.
  • Untimely diaper changes, especially in hot weather or in a warm room.
  • Minimal air baths and infrequent bathing, which makes the skin not clear and does not breathe.
  • Use of skin cosmetics that are too greasy and thick and do not allow heat to be released properly.
  • Diseases associated with fever. Especially if parents also use warming methods of treatment.

  Add to overheating factors such as allergies to various materials, friction and pressure of clothing, the effect on irritated areas of feces and urine.

  It may seem that the causes of prickly heat in children are due solely to parental errors in care, but this is absolutely not the case. There are children who themselves are prone to developing this condition. These are allergy sufferers, overweight babies, children with various endocrine diseases (for example, diabetes mellitus). Also at risk are formula-fed babies and premature newborns. When caring for such babies, you should be especially attentive to the condition of the skin and body.

  Diagnostics

  A pediatric dermatologist or pediatrician will examine the child and interview the parents, as well as a series of tests to rule out dermatitis, chickenpox, scarlet fever and many other diseases with similar symptoms. Most often, a visual examination is enough, but tests (scraping) may be required to help identify the causative agent of a secondary infection (if any). Often a general and biochemical blood test is done, as well as an analysis of the contents of the vesicles - it all depends on the recommendations of the attending physician.

  Treatment

  Usually, the treatment of prickly heat in a child is carried out in a complex manner and includes the following points: The same goes for humidity, which needs to be monitored - 50-70%.

• The right choice of clothes. It must be appropriate for the temperature, not be synthetic and too dense.
• Regular hygiene procedures - washing, bathing using gentle cosmetics designed specifically for delicate baby skin.
• Regular diaper change. Your baby's skin should always be clean and dry.
• Use of medicines and other drugs prescribed by a physician. Sometimes decoctions of medicinal herbs are allowed, but only when the doctor has allowed it. Otherwise, specially selected ointments, powders and other medicines are used. In difficult cases, antifungal drugs, antibiotic-based ointments can be used - but parents should not purchase such funds on their own.