Caring for sensitive baby skin through 3 tips from a pediatrician

Babies are born with more sensitive skin than adults. That's why newborn babies need more painstaking skin care so they don't get irritated and inflamed easily. So, what are the ways to care for sensitive baby skin?

Why is baby's skin sensitive?

During the 9 months in the womb, the baby is protected by a layer of a fatty substance called vernix which sticks to the entire skin. This layer acts like a blanket to maintain the baby's body temperature while keeping his skin moisturised and free from wrinkles even when immersed in amniotic fluid.

Now when a baby is born into the world, changes in extreme environmental temperature from humidity (the environment in the womb) to very dry (outside air) can make the baby's skin dry out quickly.

"Compared to adult skin, baby's skin is much thinner so it tends to be more sensitive to changes that occur around it," said Dr. Srie Prihianti Sp.KK, a pediatric dermatologist who was met by the Hello Sehat team in the Mega Kuningan area, Monday (5/11).

The tissue structure of the newborn's skin is also loose, so any foreign particles in the surrounding air can easily enter and irritate the skin. In addition, the baby's skin protection system is also not yet fully formed to fight these foreign substances that enter.

Baby's dry and sensitive skin makes it very susceptible to skin disorders such as eczema and irritation itchy rashes. Using the wrong baby skin care products can also make skin problems worse if you are not careful. This is a high risk of causing itching, redness, skin breakouts, and even dry scaling to the point of peeling.

Tips for caring for sensitive baby skin

"Before knowing tips for newborn skin care, you must first know what is the purpose of caring for sensitive baby skin," said dr. Srie Prihianti Sp.KK.

Newborn skin care should:

Maintain baby's skin moisture.
Keeps the skin healthy.
Prevent irritation or allergies.

After knowing the goals of caring for baby skin, you can do the following:

1. Carefully select safe products

Choose newborn skin care products that contain organic ingredients. Also, choose products that are labeled hypoallergenic to prevent the risk of allergies. Also try to choose soap and shampoo products that have a pH balanced with the pH level of the tears or "low occular irritation index”(Labeled“ pH-balanced ”).

Don't choose bath products that are colored, scented, and produce a lot of foam as these usually contain chemicals that can irritate the skin

Don't also choose soap which afterwards makes your skin rough, said dr. Srie. Soap that makes the skin stiff is a sign that it dries out the skin. Choose baby soap that actually feels slippery even after drying it, because this is a sign that it contains a lot of moisturizer.

2. Wise to bathe the baby

When a new baby is born, it is better not to bathe it immediately. Generally, many mothers are uncomfortable seeing the fat membrane that sticks to the baby's body shortly after birth. Even though this fat membrane, which has the name vernix caseosa, functions to moisturize and protect the skin from infection and the risk of allergies.

Many neonatal health professionals advise parents to delay their baby's first bath until the baby's vital signs and temperature have stabilized, roughly 2-4 hours after birth.

Also pay attention to how. Bathing babies should be lukewarm (36-47º Celsius) by soaking the whole body in the tub. Do not bathe the baby for too long, at most 10-15 minutes. Too long a shower can lower the baby's body temperature and trigger hypothermia.

3. Don't forget to apply a moisturizer

It's not just adult skin that needs moisturizing moisturizer, newborn babies need too. Especially because baby's skin tends to be dry and very sensitive.

A good moisturizer can help maintain moisture in the skin immediately after bathing. Moisturizer also functions to improve the texture of the baby's skin to make it softer and more flexible.

Apply a moisturizer 2-3 minutes after showering, while the skin is still slightly damp, washed off with water. This trick will be more effective at moisturizing the skin than applying moisturizer when your baby's skin is completely dry.

If your baby's skin is not sensitive or normal, choose a lotion type moisturizer. If dry skin is sensitive, choose the type of cream.