Baby woes

[Kheldarson]

To preface this, we are calling the doctor, but it's a busy practice so it might be a bit before we can get in.

But baby boy has a huge rash on his back. Started around the same time the weather changed. Doesn't seem to bother him and I put Aquaphor on it twice a day.

Anything else I can do to make him more comfy until we can talk to the pediatrician?

[Aethian]

Baby powder on the rash might dry up the skin while the aquaphor will keep it wet. Do any changes in your laundering chemicals?

[KiaKat]

We've had a similar problem with my nephew. Change the following:

*Soap. Get one with oatmeal. Aveeno has a good one.
*Detergent. Go fragrance free. I like Seventh Generation. Check if it uses coconut oil as the emollient rather than some of the harsher soaps.
*Wipes. Some of the wipes out there are harsher on baby skin, especially in the winter.

Try wiping down all the surfaces he lays in with a diluted vinegar mixture. Just be sure to wipe totally down before he next uses said items. That will remove most irritants left from spitup.

Does it look like dry skin, baby acne, or a yeast infection? I learned the difference between all three over the past few weeks, and they all have different treatments.

[Kheldarson]

We've had a similar problem with my nephew. Change the following:

*Soap. Get one with oatmeal. Aveeno has a good one.
*Detergent. Go fragrance free. I like Seventh Generation. Check if it uses coconut oil as the emollient rather than some of the harsher soaps.
*Wipes. Some of the wipes out there are harsher on baby skin, especially in the winter.

I'll look into those. We've got so many wipes still that were bought for us though, but I think I still have some of the Huggies and Pampers wipes of various types. And we've been working through a bottle of Dreft for detergent. Says it has surfactants? I'll look into Seventh Generation though.

Try wiping down all the surfaces he lays in with a diluted vinegar mixture. Just be sure to wipe totally down before he next uses said items. That will remove most irritants left from spitup.

....does vinegar hurt hardwood floors? *sigh*

Does it look like dry skin, baby acne, or a yeast infection? I learned the difference between all three over the past few weeks, and they all have different treatments.

My first child, and I can't remember my brothers ever having rashes like this, so I have no idea. I know he has eczema on his elbows at the moment, because that matches what Kabe has, but that's clearing up with the Aquaphor. The bumps on his back are red and splotched around his back in clumps, and spreading.

Baby powder on the rash might dry up the skin while the aquaphor will keep it wet. Do any changes in your laundering chemicals?

I'll have to try the baby powder next.


Part of my concern is the fact we had the chemical spill in the water back in January, and my FB feed keeps spouting stuff about it "may or may not be really resolved". We didn't have any issues, but...maybe we are now?

[Pimento]

In all my experience with chemicals and things like that....if it was a chemical He would be very bothered by it. If they don't burn they itch like hell.

I'd say it's an allergy of some kind. Regular baths. Keep baby hydrated and he'll turn out fine. I used elodell (sp?) on my son when his mom sent him to me with eczema so bad he was cracking all over. Within 24 hours all his rashes were gone with a very small amount.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

But baby boy has a huge rash on his back. Started around the same time the weather changed.

Have you changed the type of clothing he wears when the weather changed? It's possible that he has a reaction to a certain type of fabric.

Doesn't seem to bother him ... Anything else I can do to make him more comfy until we can talk to the pediatrician?

If it doesn't seem to bother him I probably wouldn't do anything different until I got into the doctors unless the symptoms changed. If it makes you feel better my son had a variety of rashes until he was about 2 years old, and all of the diagnosis were its 'nothing' or 'heat rash' or rarely the result of a mild bug and there was nothing I could do about it, it would go away as he fought off the bug.

Part of my concern is the fact we had the chemical spill in the water back in January, and my FB feed keeps spouting stuff about it "may or may not be really resolved". We didn't have any issues, but...maybe we are now?

Is there any reliable information out about what the chemical was, how it was treated and what should be done about it? Follow any recommendations issued by the authorities until you see the doctor, but again a rash without a fever or pain is probably nothing to worry about. Still see your (his) doctor but don't stress too much over it.

....does vinegar hurt hardwood floors? *sigh*

No, but dilute it to clean, then rinse lightly (don't soak it) with clear water after mopping. It can start to strip the clear coat if it's used to strongly and left on for a time.

[Kittish]

....does vinegar hurt hardwood floors? *sigh*

<snip>

Part of my concern is the fact we had the chemical spill in the water back in January, and my FB feed keeps spouting stuff about it "may or may not be really resolved". We didn't have any issues, but...maybe we are now?

No, vinegar and water is great for cleaning hardwood, laminate, vinyl and most tile floors (use caution with marble, vinegar dissolves calcium and lime). As well as counters, walls, mirrors, windows, bath tubs, sinks, pretty much any surface that you can use a liquid cleaner on.

You might look at using distilled or filtered water for bathing and laundry if chemicals are still a possible concern. A good charcoal filter should remove most or all contaminants.

ETA: Possible allergic reaction to something? Plant or insect or something else in the area?

[Kheldarson]

In all my experience with chemicals and things like that....if it was a chemical He would be very bothered by it. If they don't burn they itch like hell.

That's what I figured, but FB + new mommy...well...

I'd say it's an allergy of some kind. Regular baths. Keep baby hydrated and he'll turn out fine. I used elodell (sp?) on my son when his mom sent him to me with eczema so bad he was cracking all over. Within 24 hours all his rashes were gone with a very small amount.

I'll look into that. Thanks

Have you changed the type of clothing he wears when the weather changed? It's possible that he has a reaction to a certain type of fabric.

Not too much, and I wash his clothes before he wears them. He slowed down his growth over the winter, and I bought a lot of layered pieces, so they're still pretty good for right now. I just take jackets off. Plus the temperature keeps fluctuating.

When does winter go away?

If it doesn't seem to bother him I probably wouldn't do anything different until I got into the doctors unless the symptoms changed. If it makes you feel better my son had a variety of rashes until he was about 2 years old, and all of the diagnosis were its 'nothing' or 'heat rash' or rarely the result of a mild bug and there was nothing I could do about it, it would go away as he fought off the bug.

That's somewhat comforting. At least it's kinda normal.

Is there any reliable information out about what the chemical was, how it was treated and what should be done about it? Follow any recommendations issued by the authorities until you see the doctor, but again a rash without a fever or pain is probably nothing to worry about. Still see your (his) doctor but don't stress too much over it.

It was something called MCHM, and they had to wait for it to dilute naturally. The problem was that it spilled above the intake for the water plant. So, of course, it got into the supply. When it was diluted enough to be considered safe, all the lines got flushed.

But, of course, there's still people saying that anything still in the water is too much in the water (even at .001 ppb) and that it wasn't properly cleared and blargh.

So we followed all the instructions and haven't had issues. At his sixth month check-up, doc said to just not let him sit in the water for extended periods, but we already had been and he didn't have the rash then.

No, but dilute it to clean, then rinse lightly (don't soak it) with clear water after mopping. It can start to strip the clear coat if it's used to strongly and left on for a time.

Okay. That's good to know, too. I've never had hard wood floors before, so I'm learning. Very carefully.

[fireheart]

Re the vinegar-as-a-cleaning mixture, DO NOT buy "cleaning vinegar". Regular old white vinegar will do fine.

I use a spray bottle for spot cleaning and wiping down most surfaces, while for mopping, I add about 1 part vinegar to 5-10 parts water. Also be prepared for the area to smell like a fish n chip shop for a bit (I used it to do a spot clean in the dining room area to get rid of some build up on the floor. It worked, but the entire room smelled of vinegar for a day)

[Tama]

Is it his diapers maybe? Al's niece would get a horrible rash if she did not have X brand Sensitive diapers for awhile.

[Kheldarson]

Is it his diapers maybe? Al's niece would get a horrible rash if she did not have X brand Sensitive diapers for awhile.

Maybe, but I don't think so. It's on his back above the diaper line. If it was his diaper, I'd presumably be seeing rashes there too.

[Seshat]

All soaps and detergents have surfactants. A surfactant is simply the name for any molecule which ... wait. Let me rephrase.

When we're washing clothes, dishes, skin, hair, and so on, we want to get rid of both water-soluble dirt (eg fingerpaints, mashed potato, icing) and oil-based dirts (butter, avocado, excess skin oils).

One way to do that would be to wash with water, and also wash with something that oils are soluble in. Unfortunately, the majority of degreasers (stuff oil is soluble in) are .. at best unpleasant, and at worst actually toxic to humans.

So we use 'surfactants'. These are molecules where one end clings to oils, and the other end clings to water.

Put a surfactant, water, and an oily thing together, and every time a surfactant molecule touches the oily thing, it'll lift one molecule of the oil away into the water.
You make that happen faster by either heating or agitating the mix (eg, scrubbing dishes in hot water, or rubbing shampoo into your hair).

So yeah. Soap, detergent, shampoo: the active, important element in all of them is the surfactant.

(NOTE: surfactants are not limited to the oil/water surfactants. There's water/other stuff, or oil/other stuff, or other stuff/yet more stuff. It's a very, very general term.)



Edit to add:

Can you take the baby to a pharmacist or a nurse practitioner, while waiting for the doctor's appointment?

[AnaKhouri]

As long as he doesn't seem bothered and the rash doesn't spread around his chest or to his face, I wouldn't worry too much. As others have said, it's likely heat rash/reaction to detergent or soap. Khan has rashes off and on, often on his back, and they're caused by things as mild as the tags in his shirts rubbing his skin. If it was bothering him I would suggest a baking soda bath to keep the burning/itching down, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[Kheldarson]

All soaps and detergents have surfactants. A surfactant is simply the name for any molecule which ... wait. Let me rephrase.

That's all pretty neat. I learned something

Edit to add:

Can you take the baby to a pharmacist or a nurse practitioner, while waiting for the doctor's appointment?

The pharmacy we usually go to is Kabe's Mart of Wall, and, honestly, I don't trust the management there so it makes it hard to trust the services there. And I have no idea of where one would go to see a NP particularly. I rarely go to the doctor. We were fairly underinsured. I have health insurance now because having him qualified me for the state medical card along with him.

Edit to add:

Got lucky and have an appointment in an hour. We'll see what the doc says.

[Seshat]

That's all pretty neat. I learned something

YAY! I taught someone something!

(Yes, I love this sort of feedback. Does it show?)

The pharmacy we usually go to is Kabe's Mart of Wall, and, honestly, I don't trust the management there so it makes it hard to trust the services there.

Damn.

If you can, find a nice local pharmacy with a regular, trustworthy pharmacist or two, who can get to know you and your family. We have one, and he's worth his weight in gold.


As for nurses; do you have a midwife, early childcare nurse, or other medically trained child-wellness assistant for bubs?

Edit to add:

Got lucky and have an appointment in an hour. We'll see what the doc says.

Excellent.

By the time you've read this, you should know what it is; or at least whether or not to be worried. So I'll go ahead and tell you some of the reasoning behind my personal decision not to say 'it's probably nothing to worry about'.

it probably IS nothing to worry about. But it also might be. Measles and chicken pox are characterised by rashes, for example. So are some very nasty (but thankfully very rare) diseases.

So .. yeah. I would always advise that someone medically trained see an unknown rash in an infant or in someone immune compromised. He's going to get diaper rash far too many times, don't bother chasing the doctor for that every time. But an unknown rash is different.