Why Do Newborns Get Heat Rash and How to Treat It

Seeing a baby break out in heat rash always gets adults worried. Heat rash looks like a bunch of small red, pink, or white blisters. It pops up in places where the body's cooling off process gets messed up: like when sweat can't evaporate off the skin properly. It's most common around the neck, back, butt, thighs, and in the groin and diaper areas. Getting rid of heat rash isn't too hard. You just gotta keep things clean, use the right baby skincare products. But first things first, hit up a doctor to make sure you know exactly what you're dealing with.

What's the Deal with Baby Heat Rash

Baby heat rash is commonly referred to as a pathological condition that arises due to the disruption of heat regulation processes from the skin and deeper tissues. It's most often newborns who get hit with this, though older kids can catch it too. Heat rash looks like a rash of tiny red, pink, or white blisters.

Heat Rash in Newborns - A Sign of Heat Regulation Trouble

Heat rash in newborns can pop up on any skin area where there's messed up heat exchange, sweat release, and its evaporation from the skin surface. But it usually shows up:

around the neck;on the back;on the buttocks;on the thighs;in the groin and genital area.

Even though baby heat rash isn't contagious, it does require extra attention and appropriate action from parents to clear up the rash. That's because it can cause significant discomfort for the baby, can spread actively across the body, and move from one spot to another. However, it's rare for it to appear on the face.

Reasons Behind Rash Appearance

The emergence of a rash is linked to the underdeveloped physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation in newborns and infants. The main role in temperature regulation processes is assigned to sweat glands, which are unevenly distributed across the body. The highest concentration of these glands is found in areas most susceptible to overheating.

Key reasons for a baby's heat rash include:

increased sweating due to hot weather conditions; overheating the baby due to excessive swaddling; damage to the skin by fabrics, diapers, clothing – a primary reason for occurrence on the neck; frequent application of oily creams that disrupt the function of skin pores and glands; prolonged stay in a stuffy, unventilated room; violation of hygiene rules; infrequent bathing; high body temperature, leading to profuse sweating.

When there's a disruption in heat dissipation from the skin's surface, sweat glands are activated – causing the infant to sweat profusely. In newborns and young infants, sweat glands are prone to clogging. This leads to the accumulation of secretions that irritate the skin. With impaired sweat evaporation, more sweat accumulates on the skin, resulting in a rash in the newborn.

Heat rash on the face can pop up due to not following the right baby care guidelines.

Even after taking steps to normalize heat release, the condition of the sweat glands doesn't get back to normal. Also, deposits of salts and sebum remain on the skin, negatively affecting the condition of the sweat glands. To ease the situation, it's necessary to carry out hygiene measures.

Types of Heat Rash

Depending on the appearance and accompanying symptoms, medical professionals recognize different types of heat rash. In newborns, the types of heat rash include:

red; crystalline; papular; white; yellow.

The first three types are harmless and often go away on their own with proper baby care. The latter types, however, occur when an infection is present. They require a doctor's visit and appropriate treatment.

What Does Heat Rash Look Like?

The red variant of heat rash looks a lot like hives. It shows up on the skin as nodules or blisters, surrounded by red skin. Itching is a common symptom for this type of rash. This kind of rash typically appears in the folds of the skin, which is reminiscent of chafing.

This rash can last anywhere from 7-15 days, and often goes away on its own if you stick to good hygiene practices, and keep the area where the kid hangs out well-ventilated. The red type rarely shows up on the face.

Crystalline Variant

On the outside, it looks like white bubbles closely packed together, ready to merge. When exposed to external factors, they easily pop, leaving behind areas of peeling with discolored skin. Notably, this type of rash doesn't cause itching or pain – it doesn't affect the overall condition of the child. The crystalline variant disappears on its own within 2-5 days. This type often appears on the head.

Papular Type

This type of heat rash looks like small blisters that don't differ in color from the rest of the skin. It pops up due to frequent and intense sweating. It often occurs on the neck and thighs. The papular type doesn't last long and usually goes away on its own. You hardly ever see the papular type on the face.

What Does White Heat Rash Look Like

It looks like clusters of blisters on a small area of the skin or scattered around, filled with a white or grayish fluid. It can pop up anywhere on the body. They're easily damaged – the fluid leaks out of the blisters, but often they fill back up again.

What Yellow Heat Rash Looks Like

On the outside, the rash looks similar to the previous type, but the blisters are filled with a yellow, or less commonly, yellow-green, liquid or mushy substance. This oozes out once the blister's membrane bursts. There's a tendency for it to spread quickly.

Signs of Heat Rash

True heat rash on the face is pretty rare. More often than not, a rash on a kid's face is a sign of an allergic reaction. Though, a rash appearing on the scalp is usually heat rash. The occurrence of true heat rash on the face is most often seen when there's a widespread rash on other parts of the body.

Only a doctor truly knows how to treat heat rash

With heat rash, the following symptoms are often present:

peeling – a telltale sign;the formation of clusters from rash elements;dryness or excessive moisture of the skin.

The most common places for heat rash to appear on an infant's face are the forehead, chin, and areas near the ears. This is because these areas are usually covered by hats, hoods, and scarves – disrupting proper heat exchange. Therefore, the formation of a rash in these zones is a clear sign of improper care for the newborn – often overheating them.

How to Tell the Difference Between an Allergy and Heat Rash

Even though heat rash symptoms look a lot like those of an allergic reaction, it's a relatively mild condition that doesn't pose a threat to a child and can easily be treated. Although only a doctor can know for sure how to distinguish an allergy from heat rash, you can likely figure it out on your own with a high degree of certainty.

One clue is a direct link between the baby overheating and the appearance of skin rashes. If your little one got sweaty and then developed a rash, chances are it's heat rash. The absence of itchy skin and a fever also points to heat rash. The presence of similar rashes on other parts of the body, in addition to the face, also confirms it's likely heat rash.

Start thinking about allergies if the rashes appeared after changes in the mother's and/or child's diet, or the introduction of new solid foods. If the rashes are accompanied by itching – there's a 97% chance they are allergic in nature.

If the rash is due to an allergy, it's crucial to seek medical help as soon as possible.

In a situation where airing out the room, bathing the baby regularly, and dressing them appropriately for the weather doesn't clear up the rash, you might wanna suspect it's due to allergies. Also, a telltale sign of allergies is when the rash pops up specifically on the face, regardless of where it spreads later on.

What Heat Rash Can Lead To

Constant rashes, especially if left untreated, can lead to complications or trigger new diseases. The condition may cause:

vesiculopustular eruptions;purulent infections;eczematous changes;widespread diaper rash;the appearance of sores;the formation of ulcers;the spread of infection into the bloodstream and the development of sepsis.

If a purulent infection occurs, widespread diaper rash appears, or sores develop, it's time to seek medical attention. The development of sepsis is extremely dangerous. Only a doctor should treat it.

How to Treat Skin Rashes at Home

Getting rid of this troublesome condition isn't hard. You just need to stick to hygiene rules and use the right skincare products for your kid. For minor cases, you can even try some home remedies.

Only a healthcare professional truly knows how to treat widespread skin issues, so self-medication is definitely not recommended.

To treat heat rash in newborns, you can use chamomile baths

To ease symptoms and speed up recovery, the following can help:

regular air baths – the room temperature should be between 66-70°F; frequent diaper changes; wearing clothes made of natural fabrics.

By following these hygiene practices for a few days, the condition should improve. If it doesn't, consider using special ointments, powders, or baths with medicinal herbs.

Herbal Baths

Taking baths with herbs can help soothe skin irritation and reduce inflammation. For medical purposes, the following are used:

chamomile; series; oak bark; yarrow.

To prepare for a bath, you need to make a decoction 30 minutes before bathing. To do this, 3 tablespoons of the herb are poured with 1 liter of boiling water, and strained after 30 minutes. Then, the decoction is added to warm water and stirred. After taking the bath, pat the skin dry with a towel, then dust with baby powder.

The powder has a therapeutic effect due to the presence of talc, starch, and zinc in its composition. They effectively fight infection and normalize skin moisture. The powder should only be used on exposed areas, never under diapers or nappies.

Ointments and creams should be chosen from those containing zinc and panthenol, based on the recommendations of a pediatrician.

The treatment of severe or widespread prickly heat should also be managed by a pediatrician.