Pediatrician Dr. Dyan Hes Offers Skin Care Tips to Keep Baby Healthy and Comfortable During the Chilly Winter Months Ahead
Winter weather can be particularly tough on a baby’s tender skin. As parents look to bundle up and protect their infants from the cold, it’s important that they seek out products that are gentle on baby’s sensitive skin.
Baby skin care is as important as keeping your child warm and nourished. A baby’s skin is not as fully developed as an adult’s, so it’s thinner and has smaller cells. This means your child’s skin has an increased risk of bacterial growth and may be more prone to irritation. Because a baby’s skin is more delicate and about 20 to 30% thinner than adult skin, they are prone to dryness, chafing and rashes.
Named a “2013 Top Doctor” by New York Magazine, Dr. Dyan Hes is Medical Director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City. She is Board Certified in pediatrics and obesity medicine and practices both in her New York office. In addition, she serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Dr. Dyan Hes is available to discuss baby skin care tips for the changing seasons and how to prevent your baby’s skin from dryness, irritation and rashes. Some of her tips include:
- Don’t let rosy cheeks get red: Chapped skin is basically dry skin that has become inflamed. Spend as little time in the elements with baby as possible, and bundle up your tiny tot when you do go outside. Using a thick moisturizer on your baby’s cheeks or other problem areas will add to their natural barrier and help treat any skin that’s already chapped.
- Bath time: Ten minutes is plenty of time for water play. Use warm water (vs. hot) and leave the suds to the very end. Use a mild fragrance-free cleanser to keep skin soft and itch-free. Gently pat skin dry and end with an after-bath moisturizer to seal in moisture and protect baby’s soft skin. Don’t bathe too often – 2-3 times a week in pleasantly warm water is ideal.
- Choose the right fabrics & care for them properly: As a parent, your touch on your newborn’s skin has a soothing, nurturing effect. It’s extremely important to seek out gentle and hypoallergenic items that can protect baby’s sensitive skin.
- Wash new baby clothes and bedding before use, and ensure that fabrics are cared for properly. Wash baby’s items with a specially-formulated product that is gentle and hypoallergenic on baby’s skin.
- Avoid fabric softener – it may reduce flame resistance when used on children’s sleepwear or other garments labeled as flame resistant.
- Don’t overdress: Babies under 6 months can’t regulate their body temperatures as well as adults, so dress them in one layer more than what you’re comfortable in. Soft, loose fitting, cotton clothing will also help to regulate temperature and keep skin dry.
ABOUT: Dr. Dyan Hes is Medical Director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City and a Director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is Board Certified in both pediatrics and obesity medicine, and practices both in her New York office. In addition, she serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Hes has served as a medical expert on CBS This Morning, WPIX News, the Dr. Steve Show, NY1 and FOX News. She has contributed to numerous articles on pediatrics in newspapers, periodicals and internet sites including the Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, MSN Health, CafeMom.com and MindBodyGreen.com. In addition to being included in New York Magazine’s 2013 Top Doctors, she was named one of New York’s Top Doctors by Castle and Connolly in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
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