Taking Care of Your Baby's Skin

Su Laurent: Hello, I am Su Laurent; I am the Consultant Paediatrician and Medical Advisor to the Baby Channel. We come today to Viveka, which is an Integrated Healthcare Practice to see Ann who is a midwife, a Family Therapist and today we will be talking to a father about concerns he has about his baby. Ann Herreboudt: Now, what would you like to discuss today? Male Speaker: Well, there are a few things, the eczema. Ann Herreboudt: Yeah. Male Speaker: This is a kind of lot but not sure we need to do anything else on the feeding? She got a sticky ear, it’s quite bad actually, she had a bit of fever and swelling, baby swelling? Ann Herreboudt: Baby swelling, okay. Eczema generally comes on when you stop breastfeeding and go on to bottle milk and if the babies system adapting to the different proteins. The easiest way to look after it is to keep it very moisturized and with emollients in juice and something like increase cream in the bath as a certain solution. So, you dampen your hands, massage it all over the baby, rinse it off in the bath and then apply emollients after it. Male Speaker: We are doing massage with the olive oils, is that good enough or we need to get? Ann Herreboudt: Olive oil can be fine as along as the baby isn’t itchy, if the baby itchy, it can make the skin surface too hard. Male Speaker: I guess she’s crunching a bit. Ann Herreboudt: So, a very simple absorbent emollient will be the best, something like a death prebase. Male Speaker: Okay and then put on daily. Ann Herreboudt: And put it on daily and if she is very itchy, once or twice a day around nappy changes. Male Speaker: Alright. The rash is going, she still scratching a little bit. Ann Herreboudt: Yeah. Male Speaker: And keep up. Ann Herreboudt: Keep moisture in it, make sure the colder bath don’t interfere it. Male Speaker: Yeah. Ann Herreboudt: And don’t let her overheat but with the sticky ear and the temperature, the body temperature is high so she is going to be itchy. Male Speaker: So, that makes it a bit worse. Ann Herreboudt: So, with the sticky ear and the temperature, they are likely who is itchy have an ear infection and you would need to see your GP. Male Speaker: Yeah. Ann Herreboudt: And he will assess and possibly give you antibiotics. Male Speaker: You always take antibiotics with this infection or? Ann Herreboudt: Within the establish there infection? Male Speaker: Yes. Ann Herreboudt: Yes. Male Speaker: Just to be safe. Ann Herreboudt: And antibiotics they use less and less these days and are only used for bacterial infection. But with baby swimming in mind, she mustn’t go swimming with an ear infection. Male Speaker: No. Ann Herreboudt: And the ear has to be completely back to normal for at least five days after the infection. Male Speaker: And the fever down as well. Ann Herreboudt: The fever down, yes, fever down. Male Speaker: The baby swimming we do with is really nice and but it’s a long-term process, right? Ann Herreboudt: Yes. Male Speaker: And with these too, can we go once a year strictly of course, go to another swimming pool. The swimming pool is near our house to do baby swimming. Ann Herreboudt: Yes. Male Speaker: But it’s obviously a deeper pool, the small one is nice and warm as the before we do the baby swimming with some. Ann Herreboudt: The most important thing is the cleanliness of the water and warmth of the water. Baby shouldn’t get into a pool less than 28 degrees because they’ll lose too much body heat. Male Speaker: Yeah. Ann Herreboudt: So you really need to know the temperature of the pool. Male Speaker: Okay, temperatures is easy to check with the management. Ann Herreboudt: Oh, yeah. Male Speaker: This is like a sports center. Ann Herreboudt: Yeah, they will monitor. Male Speaker: And the water hygienic certificate I can look forward. Ann Herreboudt: You can ask to -- speak to the duty manager and just find out how often they analyze the pool each day and what their cleansing method is. Most pools in London use a chlorine cleansing mechanism. Male Speaker: Yeah. Ann Herreboudt: There are a few ozone ones and that use the salt water. Male Speaker: And it is always almost better or worse for baby swimming, it’s nice for your eyes. Ann Herreboudt: They are certainly is fine, but babies tend not to react to chlorine because the volume of the chlorine in the water is very, very reduced but with Lara, because she’s got slight to expert now, it might be wise just to put in the ammoniate on her before you take her -- Male Speaker: As a barrier? Ann Herreboudt: Water barrier and to keep it away and then shower off afterwards and cream her again before you dress her. Male Speaker: Oh, you’ll take a shower. Su Laurent: Thank you Ann, it was very interesting, interesting listening into your conversation just been about very common regularly asked questions. Ann Herreboudt: Yeah. Su Laurent: What sort of thing do you find parents want to know about and how do you help them? Ann Herreboudt: It’s a mixture, depends on the age of the babies, so, you know looking after babies from birth all the way through and its breastfeeding, its weaning, its teething, sleeping patterns, constipation, illnesses, how to cope with the baby’s first illness, when to see a doctor. Su Laurent: And all those are very, very nice, you see a dad here today, what made you come along here with Lara today? Male Speaker: Actually my wife was supposed to be here today, but she had a lunch so I had to take care, 50/50 care, so -- Su Laurent: That’s lovely, and do you come here often to ask about this or this is an unusual thing? Male Speaker: If you know then, I think, my wife is a main communication channel with her, but Ann is our trusted adviser. Su Laurent: Is Lara your first? Male Speaker: First one, there is a lot of new things to learn and if you have someone who know the ropes. Su Laurent: Would you agree with you Ann that it’s much common to see first time parents than it is to see subsequent parents. Ann Herreboudt: Yes, it is. And the excess time first of all they are learning how to be parents and to understand the baby. Second time with a toddler on the go, time is very limited and second time around, do have questions but it’s the time element that they are battling with. Su Laurent: Well, thank you very much, it’s been very interesting. Ann Herreboudt: Thank you.