Evening star., 1942-07-17
Children Often
Get Prickly
Heat Rash
Frequent Bathing
Helps Control
OF Irritation
BY Letfice Lee Street,

In hot weather, babies, the poor
little things, are likely to suffer
with numerous minor but uncom-
Portable ailments. One of the most
peStiferous of these from the in
fant's point of view is prickly heat,
sometimes referred to as heat rash.
This is an itching, burning skin
condition with an awesome sound
ing medical name, miliaria.
Properly treated it soon disap-
pears, and so, fortunately, it is not
nearly as ominous as its name. Lots
of babies get it during extremely
hot weather or if they are overheat-
ed by too much clothing, or if they
are Ill and have a fever. Over
wrapped or sick infants can develop
it in winter as we'll as in summer.
1t is truly a miserable condition,
and every mother should seek to
avoid it and hasten to cure it If it
appears. The prickly heat-covered
baby experiences intense itching
that makes him whimper with dis
comfort, interrupts his sleep and
impairs his appetite. No mother
wants any of these things to hap
pen to her darling!
How, then. to prevent this so
common plague of babyhood? The
first rule is cleanliness. ! can fairly
hear your shocked cry of righteous
Indignation! Il keep my baby i'm
maculately clean, and yet he has
prickly heat; explain that if you
can" OF course you do, but the
high heat of summer causes the
baby to perspire excessively, and
this perspiration in turn Is one Of
the causes of prickly heat.
So. even though the daily routine
chart for your little child does not
specify two baths day, give him
two just the same or even three If
ne needs them. Do this only if the
day is unbearably hot and the baby
is sweating constantly. The extra
baths do not have to be in the tub.
Sponging the baby off with tepid
water is enough to cool his skin.
Follow with light application Of
baby powder.
The second step toward preven-
ton is called keeping the baby as
cool as you can. Don't overdress
or overcover him. A light shirt
and diaper or just diaper is all
he needs to wear in blistering
weather.
Place his crib or carriage in the
coolest spot you can find in the
house or on the porch. Change the
napkin under his head when it gets
damp and shift his position from
time to time. Offer him drinks of
boiled tepid water between feelings.
1t is perfectly all right to use an
electric fan in an infants room to
keep the air in motion, but be sure
that it does not blow on the baby
Also be sure that the whirling blades
are well out of reach of inquisitive
little fingers.
What to do, though, if in spite
of all the baby gets prickly heat?
What does it look like? So that
you will not imagine your cherub
is coming down with a dread dis
ease let us describe the appearance.
It is characterized by groups Of
tiny red papules that appear on the
hottest part of the baby's body.
Sponge the rash spots often and
apply a soothing paste made of
bicarbonate of soda and water. Milk
of magnesia is also effective. and
neither of these two. as you know,
is harmful If the baby happens to
get some on his fingers and then,
Of course, in his mouth.
In the rare event that unusual
symptoms appear, such as fever or
vomiting, or the affected parts be-
come raw and sore. don't attempt
to diagnose the trouble but call your
doctor.