Collaborative Post
When your new child comes into the world, all you want is to protect it and make it happy. It can be frustrating and even frightening if your baby develops any health issues. Unfortunately, several common health problems affect infants, but luckily, many are minor and easily treated at home.
The following list outlines the common health issues that can affect babies, with remedies you can try to treat them and bring your baby back to health and happiness.
Skin Problems that Affect Babies
Babies’ skin is so soft and smells so sweet! Shortly after they are born, many babies can develop skin conditions such as diaper rashes, dry scalp or cradle cap. Fortunately, many of these skin issues do not last long and sometimes disappear on their own.
Diaper rash is inflamed skin that appears on your baby’s bottom. It can develop due to wet or infrequently changed diapers, and treatment usually involves changing your baby’s diaper more often, along with applying soothing treatment creams. Sometimes, diaper rash can occur if your baby has heightened skin sensitivity, or their diaper or clothing causes chafing. If your baby develops a diaper rash, the best ways to treat it at home include:
- Using a sink or infant tub to rinse your baby’s bum with warm water during each diaper change. Be gentle and use fragrance-free soaps. Never use wipes that contain alcohol, which can irritate your baby’s skin and increase inflammation. After washing, gently pat your baby’s bottom with a clean towel or let it air-dry. In fact, it may be a good idea to let your baby go without a diaper when possible to allow the skin to air-dry naturally. Place a large towel underneath them to prevent any messes.
- Changing your baby’s diaper frequently and avoiding the over-tightening of the diaper tabs. Tight diapers can cause chafing and make diaper rash worse. They also prevent airflow and create a moist environment that can cause or irritate diaper rashes.
- Applying a soothing ointment with each diaper change. Use a cream with petroleum jelly or zinc oxide to treat diaper rash and irritation. Apply it to the inflamed areas after cleaning your baby’s bum and before putting on a fresh diaper.
Other skin issues that commonly affect babies are dry scalp and cradle cap.
Dry scalp, also known as baby dandruff, is essentially harmless and consists of dry, flaky skin on the baby’s head. It may be yellow and feel rough or scaly. The skin underneath may be pink or red. Dry scalp is often a result of baths that are too long or too hot, soaps or shampoos that irritate your baby’s skin, or shampoo residue that hasn’t been sufficiently rinsed off after a bath.
Cradle cap can often happen as a result of dry scalp since it’s a more progressive form of the skin condition. The flaky, dry skin turns into crusty, rough bumps that feel oily. It can develop from excess production of the natural oil sebum, which the body produces to keep your baby’s skin moisturized. Cradle cap can also happen if they have a skin infection due to Malassezia, which is a strain of yeast that’s naturally found on the skin.
You can treat dry scalp and cradle cap in the same ways: Give your baby shorter and cooler baths, avoid bathing them too frequently (3-4 times per week is best), switch to a gentler shampoo or soap, and apply baby oil after their bath. If the condition lasts longer than a week, take your baby to a pediatrician for further treatment.
Jaundice Often Happens with Newborns
If you notice that your baby’s skin or eyes appear yellowish, they may have jaundice. It’s an issue that affects most babies, mainly if your baby was premature or has trouble feeding. Jaundice is usually the result of high levels of bilirubin, a pigment that is produced as your baby’s body breaks down red blood cells in the intestinal tract. Since a newborn’s liver is still developing, the organ may not be mature enough to process and remove the bilirubin.
Luckily, jaundice will disappear on its own within 2-3 weeks as your baby feeds, and as their liver develops. However, if jaundice lasts longer than three weeks, you should take the infant to a pediatrician because it may be a symptom of something else, such as internal bleeding, liver problems, an infection or enzyme deficiency, or an abnormality in the red blood cells. If jaundice appears to worsen, or your baby shows symptoms of dehydration or has trouble feeding, you should go to your health-care provider. If your baby develops a fever of over 38°C (100°F), they need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Infant Fevers Are Very Serious
The first and perhaps only sign of a severe infection in your little one’s body may be a fever. If your child is less than one month old and develops a temperature of over 38°C (100°F), you should immediately take them to the hospital. Changes in behaviour can also be a sign of illness, so check your baby’s temperature if they become listless, abnormally sleepy, have trouble sleeping, or cry more than usual.
While the common cold or a viral infection may be the cause of fever in a newborn, it may be caused by other severe diseases such as ear infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and even meningitis. Sometimes, a baby can develop a fever after a vaccination, or if they become overheated.
Digestive Problems May Cause Colic
It can be frustrating and heartbreaking when your baby cries a lot at times, especially if it’s the high-pitched crying or screaming, and it is difficult to comfort your newborn. When this happens, your baby may have colic, especially if they are healthy and cry for more than three hours, which persists for more than three days. Most babies develop colic at some point in their first three months of life.
Although colic isn’t a symptom of health problems and it usually goes away on its own, the condition is most likely caused by digestive issues, gas, or a sensitivity to something in their diet. Your baby may also be sensitive to something in their nursing mother’s diet. Some of the best ways to alleviate colic include:
- Burping your baby more often during and after feedings
- Changing to a different type of bottle to reduce the amount of air they swallow
- Consider changing the baby’s formula (check with your doctor, first)
- If you’re nursing, cut or reduce your intake of caffeine, dairy, wheat or soy from your diet – only stop one thing at a time
- Try putting your child in a vibrating seat or a swing, since the motion may help them release excess gasses and soothe them
Some Babies Have Trouble Feeding
Feeding problems may be the cause of a few things on this list, and it’s a common health issue for lots of newborns. For the first few days of their life, your baby will likely need to feed every couple of hours, which will stimulate breast milk production. Good feeding patterns often take three or four weeks to establish.
A regular feeding schedule will ensure that your newborn is getting enough milk. They should pass at least two bowel movements and wet at least six diapers each day if they are receiving a healthy amount of milk. However, they may still lose some weight, and this is expected. Don’t worry! They will be back to their birth weight in about two weeks with healthy feeding patterns.
Typically, babies will spit up some of the milk they consume during or after they are fed. This spit-up should come out effortlessly, and often happens during burping. If your baby vomits forcefully and the material is dark green, you should take them to the hospital as something serious may be wrong.