5 ways to deal with heat rashes in babies this summer

Here are tips that can help you deal with it.

Summer is a time that makes your baby feel uncomfortable and uneasy. First the rising heat and then the itchy, red and irritating prickly heat rashes can really put your little one off and make him more cranky and irritable. If your baby is suffering from a breakout of rashes this summer, our expert Sonali Shivlani, an Internationally Certified Pregnancy, Lactation and Child Nutrition Counsellor tells you about the ways you can soothe him this summer. Here's what you need to do:

Always dress your baby right: Make your baby wears loose and light-coloured cotton clothes. Remember fabrics other than cotton can cause friction on the skin or the affected areas and make the rashes more painful, itchy and uncomfortable for your baby to deal with. For the same reason, give those fancy satin outfits a miss and dress up your baby in comfy cotton summer wear.

Stay away from talcum powder: Contrary to popular belief talcum powder should not be used for babies. The chemicals in the powder are likely to do more harm than good to your baby's skin. They can react with your babies skin and make it dry, robbing it of all the moisture from the surface of the skin. This could in fact lead to more itching and discomfort. So, give powder a miss, instead wash the affected area a few times a day with tepid water and pat dry.

Be regular with baths: All that play, running around the house and outdoor activities takes a toll on your baby during the summer. Sweat and grime are not going to do any good to your baby's sensitive skin. Sweat mixed in with all that dust and grime makes the perfect environment for rashes to develop, therefore regular baths are essential ideally twice a day. If twice a day seems a bit much, you can opt to give a cold sponge instead. So, make sure you keep your baby's skin clean, grime, dust and sweat free.

Stay away from perfumed soaps and lotions: Remember that products that are high on fragrance and colour are also the ones that are high on chemical content. If you use such products to treat your baby's heat rashes, it might do more harm than good sometimes aggravating the symptoms and the condition. Hence stay off them, no matter what their promises. Instead use a baby friendly sunscreen after talking to your pediatrician when you take your little one outdoors.

Seek your pediatrician's help: If you notice that these rashes have spread across the body and is making your baby irritable to an extent that it's interfering with his appetite and making him cranky, ask your pediatrician for creams and lotions to deal with the rashes. Also keep your baby hydrated and give foods that doesn't make the body temperature rise, which could make the rashes get worse.

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