What's wrong with the baby's skin shedding?

What should I do if my baby's skin is peeling? I believe this is a problem that many mothers are concerned about. What causes the baby's skin to peel? We know that peeling is related to lack of water as well as vitamin deficiency. If the intake of vitamins or water is insufficient, it will also lead to peeling. In fact, there is a good solution to this. Parents don't need to worry too much. Let's take a look at it below.

1. Pathology

The outermost layer of skin of a newborn is called the keratinized layer of the epidermis. Due to its imperfect development, it is very thin and easy to fall off. The inner layer of the skin is called the dermis, and there is a basement membrane connecting the epidermis and the dermis. The basement membrane of a newborn baby is not well developed, but is delicate and soft, which results in a loose connection between the epidermis and dermis, making the epidermis more likely to fall off. The basement membrane of newborns is not well developed, tender and soft, which makes the connection between the epidermis and dermis not tight enough, and the chance of epidermis shedding is greater. Moreover, newborns are in warm amniotic fluid before birth. After birth, they are stimulated by the cold and dry air, which causes their skin to shrink and become more prone to peeling. If you have scaly skin peeling at birth, it is not a physiological phenomenon.

2. Reasons

After birth, the baby changes from a moist environment immersed in amniotic fluid to a dry environment. Newborns with active metabolism are no exception, and their epidermal keratinized layer becomes dandruff and falls off. Because the tissue between the epidermis and dermis of newborns is not tight enough, peeling may occur in the wrinkles of the wrists, ankles and trunk. This is more obvious in post-term infants with placental insufficiency. If scaly skin peeling occurs at birth, it is not a physiological phenomenon. Newborn babies grow rapidly and naturally have a lot of dandruff, especially on their fingers and toes. During the shedding period, you can apply some lubricating oil on the skin to keep it moist. This is because if the baby's skin is dry, small cracks will appear on the skin after shedding, and there is a risk of infection. Secondly, do not tear off the baby's shed skin, wait for it to fall off naturally.

3. Suggestions

Don't worry, it's normal. Every child will shed a whole layer of skin during the confinement period, and basically all of it will be shed after one month, leaving the child white, tender and beautiful. Remember not to tear it with your hands. Try not to use shower gel or lotion on your baby during the confinement period. Just wash it with clean water and use it after the full month. With bathing and natural shedding, the vernix caseosa of a full-month newborn baby will basically fall off! Peeling on the face of a child is considered to be a manifestation of peeling caused by dry skin. In this case, you need to let the child drink more water, and at the same time, you need to adjust the temperature and humidity of the room. If necessary, you need to use external moisturizing children's skin care products externally, which should be able to achieve the ideal therapeutic effect. The child's diet should be balanced and not picky.

4. How long does it take to peel?

It is normal for newborns to have peeling skin. Don't worry too much. It will usually heal in about half a month to a month. The situation of each baby is different. When you bathe or change your baby's clothes, you will see small white flakes of skin falling off. Newborns may experience peeling all over the body, but it is most obvious on the limbs and behind the ears.

The above is a detailed answer to what to do if your baby’s skin is peeling. When a child has this problem, the mother must pay attention to it and find out what causes the peeling. If it is due to insufficient water intake, pay attention to replenishing the child with water in time. In addition, it is best to take the child to the hospital for examination in time to see if the child is lacking in any trace elements and supplement them in time.