How to prevent irritating your baby’s sensitive skin

Nearly every parent has experienced this distressing situation: the baby who wakes, irritable and uncomfortable, drenched in perspiration. Unfortunately, the resulting moisture then causes the baby's sensitive skin to become irritated and itchy. What's the right thing for a parent to do?

More than half of all infants between 4 months and 15 months of age develop rashes and other skin conditions, and 65 percent of all eczema patients are diagnosed in the first year of life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Heat and sweating are triggers that cause the itch/scratch cycle to begin among many children who suffer from atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema," says Julie Block, president and CEO of the National Eczema Association (NEA). "Managing this trigger can help control this discomfort and minimize eczema flares."

How to prevent flare-ups

* Keep your child's skin moisturized. Always use fragrance-free moisturizers. After a bath, gently pat skin with a towel and then apply moisturizer to damp skin. Apply moisturizers at least two times each day or more if needed.

* Avoid irritants. Use mild laundry detergent with no dyes or perfumes, avoid dryer fabric softener and rinse clothing two times to remove any laundry detergent residue.

* Keep your child's fingernails short and encourage her not to scratch. The more your child scratches, the itchier the area will be. Try to find a distraction for your child when the scratching starts.

* Ask your child's doctor if allergies could be a cause. Sometimes allergies to food, pets, pollens or dust mites (in bedding) can trigger or make a rash worse. If your child's eczema is caused by an allergy, it's important to avoid the trigger if possible.

* Place your child in clothing that keeps her cool and dry. Contrary to popular belief, cotton is not always the best choice, especially for babies with sensitive skin. Instead, use non-cotton clothing that wicks away moisture without absorbing topical creams and skin treatments. For example, HALO Innovations has introduced ComfortLuxe, a line of sleepwear that's lightweight, breathable and dries twice as fast as cotton to transfer moisture away from the baby. Available as a coverall or two-piece sleep set, its unique properties allow fresh air to circulate to keep skin cool, dry and comfortable, helping the baby to remain cooler in warmer temperatures and warmer in cooler temperatures.

Jill Lewis, a mother of an active 2-year-old son who has suffered from eczema since he was 4 months old, has tried every cream or prescription she can find to ease the symptoms. Looking for a nonmedical way to make her child more comfortable, Lewis tried ComfortLuxe Sleepwear. After only two weeks of wearing it, Lewis reported that her son had fewer outbreaks and referred to ComfortLuxe as "another tool in my toolkit to help fight any irritations and reduce any redness or rashes."

For tips on how to help your child sleep more comfortably, visit www.halocomfortluxe.com. ComfortLuxe children's sleepwear can be found on Amazon at www.amazon.com.