Baby Wipes and Contact Dermatitis: Is Your Baby In Danger?
After your pregnancy, it is important to have proper postpartum care for you and your baby. It’s not uncommon for a baby to get a rash. Most of the time, these rashes aren’t harmful and will clear up in several days after using baby ointment or another treatment.
If your baby has recurring rashes, however, it’s important to find the cause. A rash that will not go away or one that’s spreading to other areas of the body can actually be an allergic reaction.
Recently, more and more people are reporting allergic reactions to a preservative called methylisothiazolinone, commonly known as MI. MI is used in a variety of personal care products, including baby wipes, as well as shampoos, deodorants, hand soap, sunscreen, and laundry detergent. It isn’t unusual for adults to have an allergic reaction to MI. If you’re using new lotion or soap after your pregnancy, look out for the signs of a skin reaction on your own body in addition to your baby's.
This skin reaction is called allergic contact dermatitis. MI is usually harmless for those who aren’t allergic to it.
What is allergic contact dermatitis?
Allergic contact dermatitis is a type of dermatitis that forms as a result of the skin coming in contact with an allergen. Symptoms usually appear 48-72 hours after the initial contact. Typically, allergic contact dermatitis will only affect the area of the skin that was in contact with the allergen. However, it can spread to other parts of the body.
The most common symptom of an allergic reaction to baby wipes is a scaly rash that commonly appears on the bottom, mouth, or hands of your baby. The rash is usually itchy and can appear anywhere on the body that came in contact with wipes. Redness, swelling, and peeling skin are also signs of an allergic reaction. Some babies might even develop bumps on the skin that can turn into sore blisters.
Your baby's skin is more sensitive and more likely to develop an allergic reaction because newborns have thinner, more absorbent skin.
Postpartum care is important for both you and your baby so make sure you’re looking out for these signs. If you suspect your baby is developing a reaction to MI or another preservative, avoid using those baby wipes. You can try using water to clean your baby when changing their diaper. You can also try using allergen-free commercial wipes that might not affect your baby's sensitive skin or make homemade baby wipes.
If the rash doesn’t clear up after you stop using the baby wipes, it might not be allergic contact dermatitis. If you’re unsure about the cause of the rash or what type of baby wipes you should be using, you should contact your baby's pediatrician or talk to another maternal child health specialist.
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