728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
Get Pregnancy Information
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Newborn and Infant Months › Skincare for Tots

Skincare for Tots

Shielding Baby's Skin from Winter's Chill

By Laura Cone

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Dr. Amy Paller, professor of pediatrics and dermatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, says she also thinks it's a good idea to layer children for winter so they do not become overheated. It may be difficult to know if your baby is feeling too hot under a blanket, two scarves, coat, sweater, shirt and undershirt, but unless you are walking them from the car to a home in a blizzard, all that clothing is probably overkill. "They are not going to necessarily cry if they are too hot," Dr. Paller says.

Dr. Paller says wool is usually an irritating fabric. Also, polyester outfits may not breath so babies will tend to sweat. "Sweat can be extremely irritating to the skin," she says. "Cotton material is always the best."

Natural Lotions
All babies are born with a creamy white coating called the vernix, which is mucus that protects them during the pregnancy, says Dr. Paller. Some manufacturers try to mimic the coating, but most products can't compare. "It's a cheesy white material," she says. "There is a lot of lipids in it, and it's protective. It does protect them against a water environment for nine months. Products on the market have tried to basically provide a barrier against water loss and against too much exposure to irritating substances including water. That has evolved somewhat from just having oil."

Dr. Paller says most of the better moisturizers contain oil with less amounts of water. According to Dr. Paller, skin has a lot of lipids in it and a fair amount of water. "Winter affects the toddler's skin the ame way it affects our skin," she says. "If you have high humidity, if you have irritations from cold, all of these factors break down the barrier and damage skin."


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.