Dr. Sudhir R Padhye

Your baby's skin is soft and sensitive. Being cautious can reduce the chances of skin infections, but it doesn't in any way refute the possibility altogether. Hence, you must be overly careful. Your baby could face intense discomfort if you happen to neglect the appearance of diaper rashes. Persistent rashes on your baby's bottom can make him or her irritable. Look into the causes and remedies of diaper rash in children to keep your baby cheerful.

Causes of Diaper Rash in Babies:

1. Friction and lack of air circulation between the skin and the diaper can make your baby suffer from rashes. Make sure the baby doesn't rub against a diaper for too long; existing rashes can go worse in that case.
2. You should never let your child remain in a dirty diaper for more than a while. A dirty diaper increases the risk of bacterial infections on your baby's bottom.
3. Skin chafing could also be the reason behind diaper rashes.
4. Yeast infections could surface in the form of rashes on a baby's bottom. Yeast or fungus is present in small amounts in every person's body. It can be easily developed in the moist yet warm atmosphere of a child's diaper. Being the mother, if you are on medications, your child's chances of contracting skin rashes is likely to be more. The side effects show in children as they are breastfed.

Ways to Treat Diaper Rash in Babies:

1. Each time a diaper is changed; the area must be washed with lukewarm water and cleaned with a soft piece of cloth. The area should then be dried completely. It is best to avoid soaps as they can be harsh on sensitive skin.
2. Applying ointments or petroleum jelly can soothe diaper rash. Powder can keep the area dry; it can also remedy itching.
3. Feed your child liquids like cranberry juice; it makes his or her urine less concentrated. Concentrated urine can cause severe bacterial infection.

Related Tip: "Diaper Rash: 8 Questions Answered by Dermatologist"

Cradle cap is a slick, yellow scaling or crusting on a child's scalp. It is regular in children and can be effortlessly treated. Cradle cap is not a part of any ailment and does not indicate poor care of the child. It is the usual development of sticky skin oils, scales, and sloughed skin cells. It is not harmful to your child and generally leaves by an infant's first birthday. Some of the recommended ways to treat cradle cap are listed below:

1. Baby shampoo: Shampoo might be the absolute best approach to treat cradle caps in babies. Regular shampooing can get rid of a flakey scalp and make it a smooth one. Abstain from getting the shampoo in your child's eyes. In case you are uncertain about using it, ask a doctor or specialist for guidance. Do not utilize shampoos that contain groundnut oil or shelled nut oil on children under five years of age.

2. Olive oil: Olive or almond oil is regularly used to heal cradle cap. Try rubbing it on the infant’s hair and give it a chance to sit for some time, then delicately rub with a soft toothbrush.

3. Coconut oil: Every mother uses coconut oil for many reasons. It is the most effective treatment. It smells astounding as well. Put a little on your child's head every evening and wash it over the next morning with an infant brush.

4. Vaseline: A considerable number of mothers use Vaseline. Apply it on the hair around evening time and by morning, the cradle cap will be a little improved.

5. Fine-toothed comb: This is a lice brush and is very useful. However, with a little oil, this is most likely one of the least demanding and quickest approaches to evacuate those flakes.

6. Shea butter: Applying Shea butter on the scalp is a great approach. Rub it on the hair, then brush it off gradually. It brings about the ideal result, as indicated by a few mothers.

Home treatment is normally all that is required for support. Here is how one needs to do it:

1. An hour prior to shampooing, rub your child's scalp with infant oil petroleum gel to lift the coverings and flakey scales.

2. Before applying the shampoo, first get the scalp wet, then tenderly rub the scalp with a delicate swarm brush (a delicate toothbrush would work too) for a couple of minutes to remove the scales. You can attempt to tenderly remove the flakes with extreme attention to detail.

3. At that point, wash the scalp with baby shampoo, flush well, and tenderly towel dry.

In case that your child's cradle cap gets to be swollen or infected, a course of anti-infection agents or an antifungal cream or cleanser such as ketoconazole might be recommended by a specialist. A gentle steroid cream such as  hydrocortisone may likewise be suggested for an irritant rash.

Millions of children over the world have one thing in common that is they all like to run and play. Usually, this affinity for physical pursuits make them inclined towards sports and other such activities early on in life. But as parents, many of us are worried about how they will support their young bodies and still developing bones and joints as they run, hop, skip, jump and do many other things. Sports injuries are common for children with many cases of fractures and other injuries being reported on a daily basis globally. 

So how can we keep our children safe from such injuries? Here is a safety guide:

1. Most Common Injuries: Before we get into the prevention mode, it is important to understand the most common injuries faced by children. From strain and sprains to muscle pulls and even fractures, children are susceptible to a host of problems on the sports field. Injuries borne due to repetitive motion, as well as growth plate injuries and heat related conditions are also quite common.
2. Organised Sports: The first step that can help in avoiding undue harm and injury to your child is to ensure that the child is enrolled in an organised sports program at school or any other sports academy, so that the energy and skill is being channelled and moulded properly, as there is expert supervision to ensure that the child does not indulge in certain motions and movements which may cause an injury. These sports trainers usually help by observing how the child is doing a certain task on the field and then guide him or her properly, so that it may be done in the correct way to avoid injuries.
3. Warm Ups and Cool Downs: For children as well as adults, many injuries happen when the individual has not warmed up or cooled down sufficiently. Cold muscles and joints are most susceptible to sudden falls, injuries and other conditions due to the impact of the sudden and intense movements. The same can be said for cooling down. So, it is important to sufficiently warm up and cool down so that the joints, muscles, ligaments and bones in general, get a chance to get back to normal or to gain momentum in a gradual manner, which is comfortable for the body. The warm ups must not be hurried and should be done without holding one's breath. Also, it is usually recommended that stretching exercises must follow the warm up session before the child begins to run and jump.
4. Hydration: Ensure that the child has plenty of water so that he or she may remain properly hydrated during the sporting or training event. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Orthopedist.