Respiratory tract infections are the most common childhood medical problems, mostly caused by a viral infection. It is not possible to totally prevent respiratory illness in children like coughs and colds. However, you can take the following steps to reduce their risk:

• Protect your child with vaccinations: 
  Your child should receive the recommended vaccines — 5 in 1 (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Haemophilus Influenza Type B), MMR, Pneumococcal — under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule. These diseases start with symptoms of fever, cough and cold. Make sure your child takes the vaccination according to the schedule to build his immunity. You can also bring your child for an annual influenza vaccination.
  

Practise good hygiene: When anyone in the family is sick, always wash hands with soap before handling children and wear a face mask to stop the spread of infectious diseases. Teach your child good health and hygiene habits, such as frequent hand-washing with soap, covering his or her mouth with a tissue when he or she coughs or sneezes and avoiding overly crowded places. Also, teach him to avoid touching his eyes, nose or mouth with his hands, as germs are often spread this way.

​Upper respiratory tract infections may affect the mouth, nose, sinuses and throat. The most common infection is the common cold. Your child may get several episodes of common cold a year, as these are usually caused by viral infections which spread easily.

• Lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia affect the bronchial tubes and lungs. They are usually caused by viruses, but less commonly, they may also be due to bacterial infections, which makes the illness more severe.

  Other respiratory illnesses include influenza, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis and SARS.

  
  If your child has an upper respiratory tract infection, he may have a:

  • cough– this may be a “dry” cough or a “wet” cough accompanied by phlegm
  • stuffy nose or runny nose
  • sore throat
  • fever

A common cold is a mild infection of the upper respiratory tract, which usually resolves itself on its own and does not need active treatment. Instead, let your child rest as much as possible and drink more fluids. Your child’s immune system usually will be able to fight the infection. How long the cold lasts depends on your child’s age and resistance. A younger child with a less mature immune system may take longer to recover.

• However, you can consult a doctor or a pharmacist for medication to relieve your child’s symptoms and help him feel more comfortable. It is not advisable to self-medicate young children as not all over-the-counter medicines are safe for them.

  Antibiotics are not needed for viral infections and will not help your child recover faster.

  Sometimes, an upper respiratory tract infection may lead to a lower respiratory tract infection such as bronchitis, when the tubes that carry air to the lungs are inflamed.
   

  Symptoms of lower respiratory system infection include:

  • cough
  • fever (usually high fever in pneumonia)
  • difficulty in breathing, including laboured or rapid breathing or wheezing

​
Lower respiratory tract infections caused by viruses may be mild, and may resolve on their own, like infections in the upper respiratory tract. However, bronchiolitis, a more serious viral infection in which the small air passages are inflamed, may cause severe blockage of the air passages. This is a common infection among babies and children under two years old. If your child has high fever and complains of chest pain, bring him to a doctor immediately in case he has pneumonia (infection of his lungs).

• Lower respiratory tract infections may also be caused by bacteria which may be more severe.

  Reference: HealthHub

G6PD deficiency is an inherited condition, usually affecting baby boys (25% Chinese and Malay), where the body has insufficient glucose- 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzymes. In this condition, the red blood cells may break down and cause jaundice and anaemia. All newborns are screened for G6PD deficiency by their cord blood.

If your newborn is diagnosed with G6PD deficiency, the doctor will counsel you about the condition and the precautions to take for your baby.

Your baby will need to remain in hospital for at least 72 hours after birth for monitoring and possibly treatment of jaundice. After hospital discharge, take care of your newborn as usual.

However, always check with your healthcare professional before taking any medication. Be careful about using herbal supplements or alternative therapies. 

In particular, the items below must be avoided life long.  Mothers who are breastfeeding must also avoid the food and drugs on this list.

Antibiotics

• Sulphonamides  
• Co-trimoxazole (Septrin) 
• Dapsone  
• Chloramphenicol  
• Nitrofurantoin  
• Nalidixic acid

Antimalarials

• Chloroquine 
• Hydroxychloroquine 
• Primaquine 
• Quinine
• Mepacrine

Chemicals

• Moth Balls (naphthalene) 
• Methylene blue
   

Food

• Fava beans - also called broad beans
   

Signs & Symptoms

Some newborns with G6PD deficiency may develop jaundice more easily during the first week of life.  Decades ago in Singapore, before screening of G6PD deficiency was done routinely, some affected newborns developed high levels of jaundice which caused brain injury.

About the condition

Most people with G6PD deficiency have a completely normal life as long as they avoid certain foods and drugs and environmental chemicals.

Reference: Healthhub, National University Hospital

Breast milk is the best for babies. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. After six months of age, infants should receive age-appropriate foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.

How much milk does your baby need?

If you are breastfeeding, the amount of milk that a newborn baby takes is not fixed. As breast milk is easier to digest, you should feed on demand (every 2 - 3 hours) round the clock. If your baby has had enough, your baby will pass clear urine and have bowel movements 2-5 times or more in a day. Your baby's weight will increase after the initial drop in birth weight. Your baby will gain about 150 - 200 grams per week.

If you are feeding your child a milk formula, the total amount of formula milk you should feed your baby is approximately 150 ± 30 ml per kg per day. The formula of calculating the amount of formula milk is:

Total amount of milk ÷ No. of feeding daily = Amount per feed

For example, a baby weighing four kilograms should drink 150 × 4 = 600 ml of milk over six times in a day, so the single feeding amount is about 600 ÷ 6 = 100 ml. However, every baby is different, and no fixed amount of milk works for everyone. Generally, the baby is having enough milk if his/her overall growth and development and vitality are within the normal range.

Anaerobic milk period (Milk strike)
The anaerobic milk period may not always happen in the first few months of the baby. In the growing process, usually, a baby will have certain stages that his or her milk intake will reduce. Temporary milk refusal is characterized as that a child's physical development is normal, mental development is active, but the amount of milk intake is temporarily reduced. The length of this period is not necessarily the same for every baby. In about a month, usually your baby's appetite will naturally come back. As long as your baby's growing well, you do not need to worry too much.
 

What you should do:

• Do not force baby to drink milk. Forcing your baby to drink milk may cause your baby to fear drinking milk or even disgust. Parents' emotions and stress will affect the baby too. If we are impatient and anxious when we are feeding our baby, how can our baby happily enjoy the milk?
   
• Have small meals more frequently. Try feeding your baby on demand. This means when your baby feels like eating, feed him or her small meals more frequently and allow him or her to eat as much as he or her wants. The most important thing is that he or she is willing to eat.
   
• Change the feeding method. Try using bottles with different colors or shapes a sippy cup, or try to get your baby to hold the milk bottle/sippy cup by himself or herself to increase his or her sense of participation. If your baby starts teething, he or she may like to bite and chew instead of suck, that is why he refuses to drink milk. You can consider trying spoon-feeding, this may help increase your baby's appetite.
   
• Adjust the dining environment. Your growing baby starts to get curious about the environment around him or her. If there are toys, sounds and lights next to him or her, your baby will be curious and stop drinking milk. Therefore, choosing a quiet room instead to avoid any distractions.
   
• Do not change the taste of milk. If your baby finds the taste of milk has changed, it may also cause him or her to refuse the milk. Remember not to mix medicine with milk to feed your baby. Just out of convenience, some mothers will add medicine with milk to feed her baby. If the baby senses the taste is not right, he or she will reject the milk.
   
• Introduce weaning food if your child is 6 months of age.

Introducing weaning food
It is advised not to introduce weaning food to babies who are below 4 months old. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, weaning food is a must in the baby's diet. Otherwise, the risk of malnutrition may arise.

From 6 months of age, your baby is just about to learn how to swallow food. While milk should still be his staple, you can start by giving your child 3-5 baby spoonfuls of a single ingredient food. Most parents begin weaning their babies with iron-fortified rice cereals. These cereals are fortified with iron to help meet the baby's increased need for dietary iron at this time. Vegetables and fruit can also be included to provide vitamin C which enhances iron absorption.

You can also give him porridge blended with mashed or pureed vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot. Introduce other cereals like wheat and mixed cereals when he is a little older. If your baby is eating well, gradually increase it to a meal. To see if your baby is eating well, look at his bowel movement, his weight and his height.

By about 6 - 7 months, you can slowly introduce some protein food. The form and texture of each food should also vary with the age of your baby. Do not add sugar, salt and seasonings into the food. Salt cannot be added to baby's food till after 12 months as the kidneys may not be able to excrete the high salt load. Natural spices can be used in cooking to expose your child to a wide variety of tastes and flavours.
 

If your baby has a strong family history of allergy or has a personal history of other allergic problems, food allergy is more likely to occur. If you are concerned, consult your doctor. 

How to introduce solids

Establishing a routine whilst allowing your baby to enjoy his food

Your baby may be ready for solids but he may not want to eat as he is not used to it yet. You need to establish a routine for eating. Once he is used to it, the process becomes easier and enjoyable for your baby.

Here are some tips on how to establish a routine:

• Set a time for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
   
• Seat your baby in the same place at mealtimes, preferably at the dining table. Put him in a high chair. Remember to pull the straps on the high chair firmly so that he cannot climb his way out.​
   
• Minimise distractions. Keep toys away and do not switch on the television.

Feeding baby

• ​Start your baby on a single-ingredient food. Give him only half a spoonful of the food. Bring the spoon towards his mouth and if he opens his mouth, place the food gently at the back of the tongue. Remove the spoon and see how he learns to swallow.
   
• Give your baby sufficient time to finish his food. Do not force him if he is not hungry or is not interested. If he rejects the food, give him milk and try weaning again during the next meal. It may take your baby up to 8-10 times before he accepts a new food. Many babies have a tongue-thrusting reflex ​​when trying new solids, but this does not mean that he does not like the food.
   
• Use the above table on “Recommended number of servings per day for infants 6-1​2 months” ​to transit your baby towards eating regular meals and snacks from all the food groups in age-appropriate portions.
   
• Teach him how to feed himself. Allow him to pick up food with his fingers or a spoon and to put it in his mouth. This will help develop his motor skills. Teach him to drink from a sipper cup. Do not be fussy about neatness during mealtimes.
   
• Introduce one new food every 3-4 days.

Prevent choking

• ​Never leave your baby alone when he is eating. Always watch him to make sure he does not choke.
• Ensure he sits upright and is not slouched over while eating.
• Ensure that the food is properly pureed, mashed or scraped so that it is easy for your baby to swallow without choking. As he gets older, food should still be soft, but chunkier and textured to help him learn how to chew properly.

​​​​​​Avoid:

• ​Hard food such as nuts, raw carrots, apples. These should be grated or cooked until soft.
  Food with small bones. Fish bones should be removed.
• Small, round food such as grapes and berries. These should be cut into bite-size portions and served.

​
Food preparation

• ​​Food hygiene in food preparation is very important.
   
• Wash your hands before and after preparing your baby’s food.
   
• Have a designated space in the kitchen for food preparation. Clean surfaces before and after preparing food.
   
• Do not use cracked or chipped utensils (these have a higher chance of harbouring germs).
   
• Do not mix raw food, especially meats, with cooked food. Meats, if used, must be cooked thoroughly.
   
• If you re-heat food, make sure you bring it to full boil for a few minutes.
   
• Discard unfinished food from your baby's bowl.
   
• Keep food storage areas pest-free.
   
• Cover rubbish bins properly and empty them regularly.
   

Vary the form and texture of food with your baby's age

Reference: HealthHub

Every child is unique and so are his/her nutritional needs, which can vary with age. By following some simple tips, you can serve up nourishing meals for your child. 

Aim for Variety and Balance

Ensure that your child gets all the nutrients he/she needs by providing a wide variety of food from the Rice and Alternatives, Fruit and Vegetables, and Meat and Alternatives food groups. Bear in mind that food high in fat and sugar should be eaten sparingly.

The Healthy Diet Pyramid will help you plan what your child needs to eat every day and will ensure that your child's diet has all the nutrients he/she needs to grow well and stay healthy.

Include food from all food groups but remember to choose more from the bottom of the pyramid and less from the top. It is important to remember that younger children have smaller tummies so if you find that your child is unable to finish his/her meal at one go, provide him with healthy snacks to help reach his/her suggested number of servings every day.

Develop Healthy Habits

To help your child adopt healthy eating habits, start at a young age and he/she will more likely continue to have a preference for them as an adult. It may take several tries before he/she accepts a new food, so do not give up if he/she does not like it right away. Remember, children learn from their parents, caregivers and teachers. Hence it is important for you, as a role model, to make healthier food choices too.

It may often be tempting to offer your child a particular food as a reward for good behaviour. However, using food that are high in fat and sugar (e.g. candy, cookies and soft drinks) to reward your child teaches him the habit of rewarding or comforting himself with unhealthy food. Instead provide nonfood rewards such as words of encouragement or a small gift of his/her choice.

Cut Down on Saturated Fat

Fat is an essential nutrient in your child’s diet. It provides energy and also helps absorb, transport and store important vitamins in the body. But too much fat, particularly saturated fat and trans fat, can lead to excessive weight gain and many health problems like heart disease and stroke. When choosing fat, the healthier options are the monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. These fat can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.

 

Exception:
Children under the age of 2 years grow rapidly so food higher in fat will help meet their energy needs. Low fat food or diets are not suitable for them at this age. For older children aged 2 years and above, reducing food with unhealthy saturated fat in the diet and replacing some of this fat with food containing monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, will result in a better fat balance. Also, try to minimize his/her intake of food high in trans fat.

Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are rich in important vitamins and minerals; and are excellent sources of fibre and antioxidants. An increased intake of fruit and vegetables is linked to reduced risks of many diseases such as heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Hence adequate intake of these food is important for your child's health now and also in the future.
 

Fruit and vegetables provide bulk in the diet which can make your child feel full. If your child eats too much fruit and vegetables, it can limit his/her intake of other important food in the diet and he/she may fail to meet his/her energy needs.

To get the best nutrition and health benefits, brightly coloured red, yellow and orange fruit and vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables should contribute half of all fruit and vegetables consumed in your child's daily diet.

Go for Whole-Grains

A whole-grain has all the 3 parts intact. However, a refined grain has had the bran and the germ removed during processing. This is why whole-grains are packed with more vitamins, minerals and fibre than refined grains, making them an essential component in your child's diet.

The recommendations for whole-grain servings are part of your child's Rice and Alternatives serving needs. For example, out of the 2-3 Rice and Alternatives servings recommended for children aged 1 through 2 years, ½-1 serving should come from whole-grains while the remaining servings should come from the other food in this food group. Whole-grain food includes wholemeal bread, brown rice, brown rice beehoon, rolled oats, oat porridge, wholemeal pasta and whole wheat or whole-grain cereal.

Bone Up on Calcium

Milk and other calcium-rich food are a must-have in your child's diet. Calcium is the key building block for strong, healthy bones and teeth. During childhood and the teenage years bones grow longer and stronger, which makes these years the best time for your child to invest in his/her bone health. The more savings he/she has in his/her ‘bone bank’ now, the lower the risk of his/her ‘bone bank’ being depleted of calcium as he/she grows older.
 

Breastmilk and infant formulas are the main sources of calcium for children under 1 year of age. As your child gets older, milk should remain an important part of his/her diet. It is a source of many important nutrients, including calcium, protein, vitamin A and some B vitamins.

The best sources of calcium are dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt (low-fat versions contain similar amounts of calcium). Other good sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, fish with edible bones (e.g. sardines), nuts, calcium-fortified products (e.g. cereals and soybean drink with the Healthier Choice Symbol) and tofu.

Calcium does not act alone in promoting bone health. It works with vitamin D to increase calcium absorption from our food. The action of sunlight on the skin is the best way of producing vitamin D in the body and just 15 minutes of daily sunlight outdoors will ensure sufficient vitamin D for your child. Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish (e.g. salmon) and eggs.

Limit Salt Intake

Salt contains 40% sodium, which affects blood pressure if taken in excess. Sodium can also be found in sauces, monosodium glutamate (MSG), food preservatives and processed food. By encouraging lightly salted food and reducing overall salt intake, it is possible for your child to consume a low sodium diet. 

Reducing salt from the diet is easy. Here's how:

• Avoid adding salt to your child's food during preparation.
• Try not to add salt or sauces at the table.
• Cut down on salty processed food (e.g canned food).
• Check food labels for sodium content and go for lower salt choices. Look out for the Healthier Choice Symbol on food labels.

Watch The Sugar

No matter what form they are in, sugar always taste sweet! Most children have a sweet tooth and should be encouraged to consume less food and drinks containing added sugar.

The simplest way to group sugar is:

• Naturally occurring sugar, such as those naturally present in plain milk, fruit and some vegetables.
• Added sugar, such as those added to cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks or at the table.

Added sugar is often referred to as ‘empty calories’ because they provide little nutritional value in your child's diet. So if you are concerned that your child may gain weight if he/she consumes more calories than he/she can burn through physical activity, now is a good time to take steps to reduce his/her intake of sugary food and drinks to ensure a healthy weight.

Bacteria in the mouth use sugar to produce tooth-damaging acid so eating sugar frequently puts teeth at risk of decay. This is especially true for processed sugar, for example, cordials or in food and drinks containing added sugar rather than those that occur naturally in food (e.g. fruit). To help look after your child’s teeth, it is best to avoid sugary food and drinks.

The best drinks for your child are plain milk and water. Fruit juice (with added sugar) and other sweetened drinks should be limited as they are often high in calories. If you choose to give your child sweetened drinks, look out for those with the Healthier Choice Symbol.

5 tips to reduce your child's sugar intake:

• Choose plain water and milk instead of sweetened drinks.
   
• Avoid adding sugar to food and drinks.
   
• Choose food and drinks labelled
  • no added sugar,
  • less or reduced sugar,
  • low in sugar,
  • sugar free.
     
• Read food labels and compare the sugar content in products.
   
• Use spreads like jam, kaya and marmalade sparingly.

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) refer to the recommended daily levels of nutrients to meet the needs of nearly all healthy individuals in a particular age and gender group.

Reference: HealthHub

The best way to protect your child's teeth is to teach him good dental habits. Here are some tips to keep those pearly whites clean and strong:
 

1. After getting up, after meals (such as drinking breast milk or formula milk, beverages and fruit juices, cereals and purees, other non-staple food, etc.) and before going to sleep at night, you will need to help clean your baby's mouth.
    
2. Before your child turns 6 months old, you should use gauze to clean his mouth after meals (including the gums, mucous membrane, and the tongue). When your child is between 6 months and 1.5 years old (before the eruption of baby molars), you can use a silicone finger brush to clean his front teeth. After the eruption of baby molars, you should use a toothbrush to help clean his teeth.
    
3. When helping your child brush his teeth, make sure that your baby's head leans on something and choose a safe and bright place to do so, for example, sitting on a sofa, on the carpet or a bed and put your baby's head on an adult's lap. Your baby's gums are fragile, be gentle when brushing.
    

Fix the brushing method, time, and order. Let your child develop a schedule fixed manner for cleaning teeth. Also, you can make teeth brushing more interesting by adding games and music.

​

How to use a toothbrush
 

1. Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush and it should be replaced every 3 months to 6 months.
    
2. When brushing teeth, place the toothbrush bristles at about 45 degrees toward the gums. And at the same time, they should cover teeth and gums. When you brush the upper teeth, keep bristles up. And keep them down when brushing the lower teeth. Brush two teeth at a time and brush them back and forth for at least ten times. Clean every side of a tooth.
    
3. Brushing order for children: at first, brush the cheek side on the right-> the occlusal surface-> the tongue side, then brush the lip side of the upper and lower incisors->the tongue side, and finally brush the cheek side on the left->the occlusal surface -> the tongue side.

How to use dental floss
 

1. The main function of floss is to support the toothbrush to remove food debris and plaque between teeth. Therefore, when your child has more baby teeth, it is best to use dental floss at least once a day to clean his teeth.
    
2. When flossing, first pull out about 45 cm of dental floss (about an arm's length), wrap it around the second knuckle of the middle fingers of your hands. Pose a pistol gesture with both thumbs and index fingers straight up to hold the floss, leaving 1 cm of floss. Pull the floss into a C shape so that the floss is closely against the surface of teeth, and you can move it up and down.

1. Babies should sleep on their backs. Baby sleeping on his or her stomach may likely lead to sudden infant death syndrome. The stomach sleeping position is not recommended as it may lead to suffocation or even sudden infant death syndrome. Sleeping on the side is not recommend too as it is easy to roll from side to stomach.
    
2. Your baby's mattress should be smooth and not too soft. Besides bedsheets, there should not be any pillows, quilts, or blankets next to your sleeping baby. The baby cot should be firm and just covered with bedsheets.
    
3. Do not let your baby touch the soft items, beddings, pillows, quilt, blanket, wool products or stuffed toys around the baby cot. If there are cushions, they need to be firm, thin, and well secured. It is not necessary to put a baby wrap behind your baby's back.
    
4. When using towels or blankets, your baby should be wrapped up to his or her chest to reduce the chance of the towel or blanket covering his or her face.
    
5. The sleeping environment should not be too warm. Do not wear too many clothes or put on a hat for your baby.
    
6. Co-sleeping with your baby on the same bed is not recommended as it can increase the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy and fatal sleeping accidents.
   

Cradle cap happens if your baby's skin makes too much oil (sebum). This extra oil interferes with the natural shedding of skin on his scalp and creates a build-up of dead skin over the scalp. Your baby's skin probably makes the extra oil because mum's hormones are still circulating in his bloodstream after birth. Cradle cap might also happen if your baby's immune system overreacts to the presence of normal yeast on her scalp. This overreaction causes inflammation. It usually presents within the first few weeks of life and can recur for up to 4-6 months. This is dry flaky skin on the scalp, eyebrows and occasionally behind the ears. You may notice scaly, pink to red patches on the scalp or other areas of the body e.g. the neck, armpits and groin. Areas can present with greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales.

Cradle cap isn't contagious, dangerous or serious, neither does it bother your baby. Cradle cap doesn't need to be treated. It usually clears by itself within a few months of birth, as mum's hormones leave your baby's bloodstream. If you want to get rid of the scale, regularly massage with baby oil or soft paraffin (Vaseline) into the crusts before bathing your baby. Use mild baby shampoo to wash this out. Over time, the crusts will soften and should lift off easily with a cotton bud or soft brush. Don't force the crusts, because this might make your baby's skin bleed. Don't be worried if the cradle cap comes back after treatment. This just means that your baby's glands are still making extra oil. The cradle cap should clear by 6-12 months.

When to see a doctor about cradle cap

Take your child to a healthcare professional if:

• The cradle cap doesn't improve after two weeks, despite the simple treatment described above
• The rash is red, or your baby is scratching at it
• The rash seems to be spreading
• Your baby seems irritated by it
• You're in any doubt that it is cradle cap

Reference: HealthHub, HealthXchange, BabyBonus

Diaper rash is common and can happen no matter how careful you are about looking after your baby's bottom. Almost all children who wear diapers get diaper rash at some stage.

Many things can combine to cause diaper rash in your child. The main cause is wearing a wet or dirty diaper for too long. Prolonged dampness, friction and ammonia substances released from urine can irritate your child's skin. Plastic pants often make diaper rash worse because they stop air circulating normally and keep the diaper area damp. Soaps and detergents left on cloth diapers after washing can also contribute to diaper rash. Sometimes children also have other conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, thrush or impetigo, which might make diaper rash worse.

How to handle it?

Diaper rash will usually get better or go away within a few days of taking the following steps.

Change your baby's nappies frequently

Frequent diaper changes keep the diaper area dry and give your child's skin a chance to heal. Check your child every hour or so to see if his diaper is wet or soiled. Change wet or soiled diapers straight away.

Let your baby's bottom 'air'

Give your baby's bottom some air for as long as possible every day. You can leave baby lying on an open diaper or a towel (naked from the waist down) even while she's sleeping. You can also try fastening her diaper loosely, to allow air to circulate freely.

Clean your baby's skin

Use lukewarm water and a mild soap to wash your baby's skin. Rinse the skin thoroughly and gently pat him dry with a towel. Use running water to clean your baby where possible.

If you're using disposable wipes, make sure they don't contain alcohol or other irritants, which will sting and irritate the raw areas on your baby's skin. Also, some babies might be allergic to the preservatives in disposable wipes.

Use an appropriate protective cream after each diaper change

Apply a simple cheap barrier cream thickly with every change. You can get these creams from a supermarket or a pharmacy without a prescription.

Talcum-based powders aren't recommended for diaper rash, because accidentally breathing in a puff of talcum powder can cause breathing difficulties in babies.

Rinse cloth diapers thoroughly after they're washed

This gets rid of soap residue in your baby's diaper. Bleach is most effective for killing bacteria, but make sure to rinse the diapers well in fresh water after using bleach-based detergents. Ensure the diapers are quite dry before using them again.

Avoid plastic overpants if you're using cloth diapers.

Always keep your child's diaper area clean and dry. Change your child's diaper frequently and give his bottom air as often as you can.

Protective barrier creams can help keep your child's skin in good condition.

When to see a doctor about diaper rash

You should take your child to see a healthcare professional if:

• the rash hasn't improved after three days, even when you use the treatment steps below
   
• blisters, crusts or pimples appear
   
• your child is upset and isn't sleeping
   
• your child has an unexplained fever
   
• the rash is spreading
   
• the end of your son's penis is red and swollen, or has a scab on it.
   

Reference: Baby Bonus Parenting Resources

A newborn baby's skin differs from the skin of older children and adults, both in structure and function. When a baby is just born, he may be covered in a layer of white, creamy substance known as vernix caseosa. This natural substance provides a waterproof layer to protect a baby's skin when he is still in the womb. At birth, it acts as a lubricant and is involved in heat and water regulation. It also protects from bacteria and aids in wound healing during the birth process, until it is gently removed at the first few baths. 

Full term newborns have wrinkled skin and within a month or two, their skin will start peeling. The peeling of skin on your baby's palms and feet will be more prominent. Babies spend their first nine months in amniotic fluid in the womb while the air humidity after birth is about 60%. The skin humidity of newborn conditions from inside the womb to the dry environment outside causes their skins to peel off slowly. It is more noticeable in one or two weeks after birth. After one or two months, your baby's skin will adapt to the new humidity level in the new environment and the skin peeling condition will improve.

For overdue babies (more than 42 weeks of pregnancy), as his or her fetal subcutaneous fat is reduced, his or her skin will be drier and more wrinkled and his or her skin peeling will get more severe after birth.

Treating newborn skin peeling: 

• Newborn skin peeling is a normal and will recover naturally over time. Also, you can apply some baby oil/ emollient to your baby's skin to moisturize his or her dry skin.
   
• Use mild cleansers or soap substitutes without added fragrances or dyes. Strong soaps, especially antiseptic soaps and bubble baths are not recommended for babies.
   
• The ideal water temperature for bathing a newborn baby is 36-38 degrees Celsius. This is because hot water can rob a baby's skin of its natural protective oils. Bath time should be limited to 5-10 minutes.

Reference: SingHealth, HealthHub, HealthXchange