Skin Fold irritations

 

SKIN FOLD IRRITATIONS

I began this blog back in 2013. It is almost 10 years old! I started doing the weekly newsletter soon after. One fun little feature that you can see if you visit the actual blog is that the ten posts that are getting the most activity will show up at the top. It is an easy way to see what is going around. You can always count on head lice and pinworms to make the top ten. One of the other ones that is almost always in the top is one of my oldest posts on skin fold irritations. Most of the older posts are in dire need of editing (according to Sandy who took on this task several years ago.) This week alone, I have had multiple discussions about severe skinfold irritations; I decided it was time to freshen up the skinfold post. We love pudgy babies. There is something about all of those chins and chubby thighs that is so delicious. But as your baby gets rounder and rounder, they develop all sorts of little creases. It is common for the skin in these areas to get irritated. This doesn't only affect babies of course. Many folks have enough skin and sagging parts that this can remain an issue throughout the lifespan. The fancy medical term for this is intertrigo. Intertrigo is inflammation of the skin. It tends to occur in warm, moist creases of the body where two skin surfaces rub or press against each other. These troublesome spots can occur all over the body. Common areas are: Upper thigh/ groin area,  Butt creases Under the breasts In the armpits  Behind the ears. In the creases of the neck and chin  Prevention is key!!! If you ignore the skinfolds, you may be caught by surprise by how red and stinky they can get. When you are bathing your child make sure you get into all of those folds. I like to add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the bath water. I don’t have an exact amount, but roughly ¼ cup. This seems to prevent a good number of rashes When you are toweling them off, make sure those creases get completely dry.    Babies and children don't need to bathe every day, but they do need a bit of daily hygiene. It is important to be paying attention to all skin folds on a daily basis. Do a routine naked check. This includes separating all areas where the skin makes contact with itself, and making sure that there isn't trouble brewing in those creases.  My favorite tools for both prevention and treatment are pretty simple. Use a gentle cleanser. There are many where you don’t even need water. Apply the cleanser and wipe off. Some goods ones are Cetaphil and Mustela. Then apply a protective ointment: Aquaphor Tummy Todd (Lauren’s favorite) Emily’s soother Cerave ointment Calendula See if there is an obvious cause. When your baby is teething and drooling up a storm, the creases in the neck can be quite challenging.  Is there an irritation? In the upper thigh area, a poor fitting or new brand of diaper might be the culprit. Is it fungal? Yeast loves warm, moist, dark areas. If the area has any odor or has red dots then this could be the culprit. If you suspect yeast, I would go ahead and use a topical antifungal cream; lotrimin is fine. There is no such thing as a pediatric version. It is actually the same one that you would use for athlete's foot. For really red areas adding over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream twice a day. If the area is very raw, you can also add a dab of Neosporin (generic triple antibiotic ointment is fine) several times a day.  It is okay to mix and match any of these. Always start with the cleanser, add medication and follow with protective ointment. Dr. Ted sometimes uses a thicker diaper rash cream instead of ointment. If you are not seeing improvement after a few days of treatment, call your doctor to have a look. Some anti-fungal powders can be useful in creases, but the challenge is applying them without your child inhaling harmful particles. If you are someone who likes powders, sprinkle the powder into your hand away from the baby and gently apply it to the trouble area without causing the powder to get airborne. Paying attention to your baby's skinfolds, head to toe, is something that I wish parents would put on their daily to do list. I know you are exhausted and don’t need more tasks, but in this case, two minutes a day can spare you and your baby from being caught by surprise by a nasty crease.

What's Going Around? RSV is so prevalent that many pediatric ER's and ICUs are at capacity.  Croup There are lots of colds and coughs that linger There are lots of older kids with sore throats. They have all the classic symptoms of strep, but most of them are testing negative There is still some covid going around. There is misery associated, but I haven't seen any serious cases. Tummy bug. It is a combo, but perhaps more vomiting than diarrhea.  Hand Foot Mouth is not going anywhere, still very prevalent. Make sure you get your flu shot if you haven't yet. Some states are starting to see the flu. It hasn't taken hold in the Bay Area yet.