This Morning’s Dr Zoe Williams explains the baby skin conditions parents need to know about including rashes and eczema – NewsChain

Baby skin is soft, smooth, plump and perfect, right?Not always. In fact, most of the time that fresh new skin has at least one problem, as most new parents will know.

One of those parents is the This Morning resident doctor Zoe Williams, who had her first baby, Lisbon Lion, nearly four months ago. Soon after his birth, Williams beautiful baby broke out in spots, which his medic mum was easily able to diagnose as newborn acne.

His little face, bless him, was covered in red and white spots we called him our little spotty teenager, she says. Lisbon didnt know he had it and it wasnt uncomfortable for him so he didnt care its more that as parents we want our babies to look perfect.

She says most babies grow out of newborn acne after a few months, and its not harmful and doesnt scar the skin.

But she adds: When your newborn arrives, everybody always talks about silky smooth baby skin, so we have the expectation thats what a babys skin is going to be like, and often its not, because their skin is likely to be affected by at least one of many common conditions.

Its probably quite rare for babies not to have any skin condition whatsoever.

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Here, Williams outlines the most common skin problems babies can have, and gives advice on how to deal with them

Williams says the dry, red, itchy skin condition eczema is very common in babies, and theyll often get it on their cheeks, or around their chin. The skin is a barrier between our bodies and the outside world, she explains, and sometimes when babies are born, the barrier isnt working quite as effectively and they get eczema, so we want to support that barrier as much as possible by using emollients [soothing moisturising treatments].

If emollients dont work, or if the eczemas severe, then its important to see your GP, stresses Williams, who says babies with eczema might sometimes be prescribed mild, topical steroids, although its not usually necessary.

But as well as treating the skin, we have to think about preventing the eczema from getting worse, she says, so that means avoiding anything that can irritate the skin, like things that are perfumed, or contain any cosmetics that might dry the skin. Keep the nappy area clean and dry, and look for wipes that are as pure as possible and dont have any alcohol or chemicals added.

She says sometimes even bath water can irritate and dry delicate baby skin, and points out: We dont really need to bathe our babies more than three times a week. If a baby has eczema, then think about reducing how frequently you bathe them, and not using soap, but using emollients instead.

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Nappy rash, which looks like pink or red patches on a babys bottom, or warm areas on darker skin, is often caused by a nappy rubbing or from prolonged contact with a damp or soiled nappy. Its extremely common WaterWipes research has found 88% of parents say their baby has had it.

Williams says parents should keep the nappy area clean and dry, and change nappies frequently if theyre soiled or wet. Use pure and natural wipes, and a nappy rash cream.

Most babies will experience nappy rash at some point and, with the best will in the world, if youre changing that nappy every time they wee, sometimes theyll still get nappy rash, says Williams. If its mild and youre doing everything you can, you cant always completely eliminate it. But if its quite severe, if the skins blistering or your baby seems to be in a lot of discomfort and youre concerned, get it checked by a healthcare professional.

Williams son Lisbon had newborn acne for around three or four weeks, and she says: Newborn acne has the appearance of teenage acne, its bright red and is very common. But mostly they grow out of it after a few months, and its not harmful.

Keep the area clean, but dont overwash it and, importantly, dont pick or squeeze the spots or use any acne treatments designed for older children or adults.

She says its thought the acne occurs because glands in a babys skin arent fully mature, so they have an inflammatory reaction and the skin becomes red and spotty. Nothing more than a very light moisturiser or emollient should be used on it, she stresses.

Williams says that for sensitive skin, the advice is similar to that for eczema. If they have itch or discomfort, try to find out what might be causing it the bath, creams youre putting on the skin, washing powder, clothing dyes, and if you can identify whats causing it, then you can eliminate it.

Otherwise its not using perfumes or strong cosmetics, using purified wipes, and using a non-bio washing powder.

Understandably, many parents are terrified when their baby gets a rash, because their first thought is that it could be a sign of meningitis although Williams points out: Its a good thing theres a general awareness that minutes make a difference when it comes to meningitis, but luckily meningitis is now reasonably rare, especially in fully immunised children. But Id encourage every parent to make sure they know how to do the glass test.

She explains that to do the glass test, if a baby has a red or purply rash, push a glass over it and look what happens to the rash as you do it. If the colour disappears or blanches its a reassuring sign. But if you apply pressure with the glass and the colour remains, thats non-blanching and your should get medical advice quickly.

She stresses: With any rash that doesnt blanch, even if your child seems reasonably well, its important to get it checked out by a healthcare professional.

Other rashes, that do blanche, may not be so concerning and Williams says of these: Its about a bigger picture than just the rash if the child is completely well, with no other symptoms except the rash, there are so many common rashes. Often its a reaction to the child having a virus and its the immune system causing the rash, it could be a mild allergy, or just skin irritation.

She says there are hundreds of different ways rashes can look they can be red, white, purple, flat and smooth, or bumpy and rough, and may be accompanied by heat, or might even feel colder. My advice is take a photo of it and maybe even a short video, run your fingertips over the rash and explain what you can feel does it feel smooth, bumpy, hot or cold? she asks. Then, if you see a doctor about it, or if it comes back months later, youve got that documented.

If youre worried your child is seriously unwell, use emergency services, but if they have a rash and youre just not sure, contact your GP or 111 to arrange to speak to someone to get it checked.

Dr Zoe Williams is helping to launch the WaterWipes ABC of baby skin http://www.waterwipes.com/uk/en/community/abc-baby-skin, which aims to provide practical advice, checked by a dermatologist, on how to care for common baby skin conditions. The information provided should not be considered a diagnostic tool, and for any concerns, parents are advised to speak to their healthcare provider.

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This Morning's Dr Zoe Williams explains the baby skin conditions parents need to know about including rashes and eczema - NewsChain