Skin works hard to protect the body: to keep external irritants out and to support skin’s natural balance of moisture. A baby’s skin is thinner than adult skin so it’s more delicate and its natural barrier function is not fully developed. As well as being more sensitive and susceptible to irritation, it loses moisture more easily and so is prone to dryness.
A baby’s skin is particularly sensitive to changes in external temperature which can further exacerbate dryness causing skin to progress quickly from dry to very dry. You can read more in understanding skin at different ages and baby and children’s skin.
When dryness is accompanied by intense itchiness your baby may have Atopic Dermatitis. Often known as Eczema, it’s the most common skin disease in children and you can read more about it in Atopic Dermatitis in babies and children.
Patches of irritated skin often appear on baby’s bottom and are commonly known as ‘diaper rash’. Diaper rash isn’t related to Atopic Dermatitis (the area is too moist for it to develop) and can have a few different causes:
- The diaper rubbing and chafing baby’s skin
- Fungal or bacterial infection: baby’s skin reacting to the contents of their diaper
- Baby’s skin reacting to the material their diaper is made of or the ingredients in their baby wipes or cleanser