If Your Baby Gets a Rash

A baby's skin is more prone to having more reactions than an adult. And that's because the skin is just different. When a baby has a rash on their arms or legs, and you think it might be the product that you use, such as a lotion or soap, remember that rashes can be from many different things.

So it could be the food she ate. It could be the carpet. It could be the clothing she wore. It could be outside with the pollen. Or it could be eczema, or it could be that the baby's sick. So remember, don't assume that it's the product. And there's different ways that a product reaction happens versus something else.

If your baby's having a reaction to some sort of product, like a soap or lotion, know that that reaction usually goes away within a few hours to a day. However, if your baby's bothered by it, such as itching or irritability or fussiness, then you might want to put a cool compress on it or a glycerin-based ointment that doesn't have any fragrances or color to it. That'll soothe the baby's skin, and hopefully, that will help her get to the point where the reaction is gone.

A rash that's caused by something else could be all over the body. It could cause the baby to be fussy, tired, not eating, not drinking, has a fever. And that's when you really want to reach out to your doctor and ask the doctor about the rash.

It's hard being a parent sometimes, 'cause you're not sure what's happening. When you see a rash on a baby, just know that a lot of babies get rashes. I see them all the time. And most of the time, it's really just a small reaction to something the baby ran into. But it will go away, and most of the time, your baby's absolutely fine.