Though there are no clear ways to prevent some of the common types of newborn rashes, such as erythema toxicum, cradle cap, milia and baby acne, for others there are recommendations that parents and caregivers can follow to try to avoid them.
Fortunately, prevention involves the basic care that these individuals give to the newborns; it is important that they learn how to properly clean, dress and pay attention to the condition of the newborns. In order to prevent diaper rash, the baby’s diaper should be changed in a timely manner after they void. In addition, parents or caregivers should clean the baby’s bottom thoroughly but gently, ideally using a warm, wet washcloth or a wipe, and pat it dry. They should also allow the baby to be diaper-free for short periods of time, in order to expose the skin to fresh air. For the prevention of both diaper rash and baby eczema, a generous amount of unscented cream, ointment or Vaseline would help to prevent the skin from over-drying, and thus should be applied. There are additional ways to try to avoid baby eczema: parents and caregivers should pay attention to substances that appear to irritate the newborn’s skin, and avoid those as well as avoid overheating the newborn; another approach for preventing the skin from over-drying is to bathe the newborn every two or three days. Finally, in order to prevent heat rash, parents and caregivers should simply use common sense in dressing the newborn; dress him or her in lightweight clothing during warmer weather and in layers during colder weather. This will also help to prevent a yeast infection by minimizing the extent of sweat on the newborn’s skin.
Parents and caregivers should treat appearances of diaper rash, baby eczema and heat rash with the same methods that are recommended for preventing them. There are additional steps that can be taken for each: using more specialized ointment or paste, such as Desitin, for diaper rash; using soft sheets or a cool compress to...