Milk scab, or gneiss in infants: causes and methods of treatment

The child will not have time to be born, as many troubles and diseases are waiting for him. And one of these difficulties in a new world for him is a milk scab or gneiss. This phenomenon is characterized by the appearance in the very first months of milk crusts on the baby’s head. And although after a certain time they will pass, young mothers are very concerned about such manifestations.

In fact, a milk scab, known in medicine as diathesis, is not a disease in the generally accepted sense of the word. This is a kind of rash that appears as a reaction of the baby to various phenomena - an allergy to certain foods or to a cold aggressive environment. A long stay in the damp, cold air or eating by the mother of allergy-causing products - strawberries, citrus fruits, eggs and some others - can cause the appearance of ugly seborrheic crusts - scabs on the baby's head. In this article, we will find out why a baby has a milk scab, the causes of this phenomenon, the symptoms of the disease and its types. In addition, we will try to figure out how to deal with trouble and what methods to use.

What is this ailment, and how is it manifested?

Why does gneiss appear in children? Most often, milk crusts occur in children up to a year. At a later age, they are rarely observed, and after a child reaches the age of 4 years, they are almost never found. This phenomenon is called exudative-catarrhal diathesis and is caused by excessive secretions from the sebaceous glands located on the baby’s head. But for what reason do these glands begin to produce fat so intensely, showing excessive activity?

This can occur due to excessive dryness of the skin, which was formed due to too frequent shampooing or the use of rather coarse shampoos, not suitable for a very delicate skin of the baby. The cause of gneiss in children can also be a too strong head wrapping, which begins to sweat actively with excessive heat. As a result, excess fat is produced, which dries and is taken by a yellowish ugly crust. Such manifestations are not limited to the head area and can pass to the cheeks, causing redness and peeling.

Milk scab is a sure sign of diathesis. It appears literally in the first months of the baby’s life and looks like yellow crusts in the parietal region, in the fontanel area, and also near the superciliary arches. A little later, the child begins to feel severe itching in these places, and eczema may occur. At this time, the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, throat, genitals and perineum become very weak and inflamed.

We can say that the scab on a baby skin looks absolutely frightening. Many mothers panic because of this. And they can be understood - on the thin and delicate skin of the baby, yellow crusts suddenly appear on the head. They dry out, forming a monolithic layer, which can decay into separate formations and become covered with seborrheic scales.

Washing a child with a problem

Dry crusts cannot be removed. To remove these dried fat secretions, you need to moisten them well. This is best done while swimming. By the way, washing the baby’s head after a milk scab has appeared is not only prohibited, but also welcome. During contact in warm water, the crusts soak and may even lag behind the skin on their own. If they themselves have not moved away, you can carefully try to remove them if they are removed without effort. If you regularly wash your baby’s head a couple of times a week with baby soft shampoo, the milk scab on the head may gradually disappear by itself. And use before washing your head for pre-lubrication of various oils - sesame, olive, vegetable - will help to soften it as much as possible. If you wash your baby with baby soap, then you can reduce the secretion of glands and dry the skin. Softened crusts are removed with a frequent scallop.

Types of diathesis in children

For many parents, exudative-catarrhal diathesis becomes a real shock. Of course, it looks terrible, but this phenomenon is quite frequent and commonplace for children from three months to two years. Sometimes a simple rash can turn into a continuous reddening of the skin, which is covered with small vesicles. As a result, a yellowish liquid begins to ooze from these bubbles, which, when dried, forms a milk scab.

Exudative diathesis is better known as atopic dermatitis. It appears in almost 40% of newborns and older children. As a rule, it arises due to the individual intolerance of certain foods, moreover, this product should be quite a lot. With small amounts, a strong reaction of the body will not follow. The result of eating allergenic foods causes certain disturbances during metabolic processes, which leads to unpleasant consequences - diathesis appears in infants on the face and head.

Diathesis can also appear for a number of other reasons. These include:

• dysbiosis;
• frequent SARS;
• dysbiosis and gastrointestinal diseases in the mother during the period of gestation;
• the use of a large number of antibiotics;
• intestinal infections;
• Early transfer of the baby to artificial nutrition.

Types of diathesis in children are different, and there are many of them. There are two types of diathesis - pasty and heretical. In the first case, children are overweight, inactive, have a pale skin and mucous membranes, as well as juicy rashes on the body.

The second type is typical for those who have low nutrition, a strong manifestation of anxiety and a dry rash.

There are a number of skin lesions of the baby, which depends on the age of the child, as well as the individual characteristics of his body. Here is a list of these manifestations:

1. Gneiss is the appearance of fat brownish scales on the eyebrows of the baby and on the hairline of his head, while an inflammatory process on the skin is observed. This is characteristic for the onset of diathesis. About how to remove the seborrheic crust, we will talk a little later.
2. Weeping eczema is a rather severe lesion of the skin, can spread to the neck, body, arms or legs. Small bubbles with a clear liquid appear. When they burst, you get a constantly wet surface with a yellowish color of discharge, which forms a translucent crust when dried. Eczema is very itchy and is difficult and long to treat.
3. Diaper rash - appear in the folds of the skin in the form of redness of individual areas, often occur simultaneously with gneiss.
4. Strofulus - a small scattering of nodules, inside each of which there is a vesicle with serous fluid, happens in children after a year.
5. Milk scab on the cheeks and head - appears shortly after the onset of gneiss and diaper rash and looks like redness against the background of a thickened epidermal layer, which is characterized by exfoliation of small plates from this formation.
6. Pruritus - small nodules on the extremities, fairly dense to the touch, itchy.

With any type of exudative-catarrhal diathesis, inflammation of the mucous membranes is observed. And this can provoke diseases such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, and complications in the form of pneumonia and bronchial asthma are also possible. Now it’s logical to go on to consider how to remove a milk scab. What to do in order to get rid of this problem?

How to remove crusts?

If there is diathesis in the baby on the face or head, it is necessary to perform simple actions, namely, to learn how to properly remove dried crusts so as not to injure healing skin.

And you need to do this like this:

• grease the crust with vaseline oil;
• cover with a dry gauze cloth;
• coated with wax paper;
• put on a bonnet on top and wait a few hours (3-4 will be enough);
• when bathing, wash the baby's head - the crusts can easily be removed without leaving a wound.

It is absolutely impossible to pry off a dry crust with nails or sharp objects. To soften it, you can still use a baby cream. Synthetic clothing should be excluded, as well as natural wool. The baby’s bedding and underwear should only be washed with baby soap, and the house must be clean and well ventilated. Mandatory walks in the fresh air and high-quality good nutrition.

Prevention of the formation of new crusts consists of several simple measures. It is necessary to protect the scalp from overheating. That is, it is necessary to carry out air and sun baths for the whole body and head of the baby.

The second important event - you need to wash your hair no more than 2 times a week. In the process, it is necessary to use baby shampoos without aggressive components. Also a mandatory preventive measure is daily combing.

Features of the treatment of the disease in children

The main treatment should be carried out by a qualified specialist who will prescribe the necessary drugs for the child, write down the daily routine and outline the circle of prohibited foods in the mother’s diet. The task of parents is to strictly comply with all the doctor’s prescriptions and provide the baby with quality care and nutrition. As a rule, the attending physician in this situation prescribes an additional intake of vitamins A, C, E and B-groups. Mom recommend natural juices.

Treatment, as a rule, is carried out local, but together with daily baths with antiseptic, antipruritic, anti-inflammatory drying preparations. In the acute period, you can make chilled lotions with medicines or herbal medicines prescribed by your doctor. During the treatment of diathesis, dry skin should be treated with vegetable oils, previously boiled and chilled. For these purposes, you can use sea buckthorn and rosehip oil or vitamin A in an oil solution.

Eczema treatment

In the case of eczema, a 1% solution of methylene blue, brilliant green and other anti-infective agents is used. If the child has symptoms of sleep disturbance, the doctor should prescribe medications for increased irritability.

Dermatitis treatment

Atopic dermatitis is one of the most difficult forms of diathesis to treat. The disease is due to a genetic predisposition and is chronic. The main characteristic of atopic dermatitis, which usually manifests itself in the infant period - before the age of two years, can be considered severe itching and red spots on the forehead and cheeks.

The disease is difficult, the affected skin becomes wet, severe swelling appears, after which a crust forms. In the acute period, one can observe papular elements - tubercles of the skin. Papules and spots are hidden in the folds of the skin, the inner surface of the elbows and knees, behind the ears. The skin in these places dries and peels. Over time, signs of an atopic face may appear - strong pigmentation around the eyes, folds on the lower eyelids, dull color of the skin. What can be the treatment of childhood atopic dermatitis?

First of all, parents should remember that neither dermatitis nor diathesis is strictly recommended to be treated independently, even when you use alternative recipes or herbal medicine. Skin diseases are very moody and instead of cure, you can get even deeper skin lesions, which can be much more difficult to cope with. If signs of diathesis or dermatitis are detected, consult a doctor for a more accurate diagnosis and selection of a treatment method. There are some serious diseases that are symptomatically similar to dermatitis, but are not, so your child’s life may be at stake.

You can’t even independently increase the course of treatment with drugs already prescribed by the doctor, because their side effects can become more dangerous for the child than what they treated him for. Atopic dermatitis is treated:

• adherence to a hypoallergenic diet;
• taking antihistamines that reduce the intensity of itching;
• detoxification of the body;
• local anti-inflammatory drugs, such as cream "Timogen" 0.05%;
• taking sedative sedatives - glycine, valerian, peony, soothing herbs;
• the use of antibacterial agents against infections.

For severe forms of dermatitis, a rather long treatment is required, even in the complete absence of exacerbation. The rest of the forms can be treated with different folk methods, since over the course of many centuries humanity has gained much experience in the treatment of diathesis.

Alternative methods of treating diathesis in children

In alternative medicine, such methods of combating diathesis have long and successfully been used:

• Dandelion root infusion - insist in a glass of boiling water a teaspoon of a dry plant under a tight lid for an hour or longer. Take an infusion of ¼ cup half an hour before a meal.
• Infusion of the series, prepared similarly to the first recipe, but drink three times a day, before meals, for 20-30 minutes.
• A bath with a succession - 1 time per day, the infusion is prepared from 4-5 tablespoons of crushed dry raw materials, which are placed in a liter of boiling water, leave for 10-12 hours, then strain well, add to the bath water at a temperature not higher, but also not lower than 37 degrees.
• Alternating a tub with a string with a juniper decoction - 100 g of dry juniper per liter of cold water. Insist 1.5–2 hours and boil 15 minutes after boiling, add to bath water when bathing before bedtime.
• Baths from chamomile infusion - powdered dry inflorescences 100–150 g pour 1-2 liters of boiling water, leave for half an hour at room temperature, and then pour into bath water. The water in the bath should not be colder or hotter than 36–37.5 degrees; the course of treatment is 8–10 bath procedures.
• Baths with nettle infusion: 100–150 g crushed into flour and pour 1-2 l of boiling water for infusion in a sealed container. The infusion time is 45 minutes at room temperature. Strain through cheesecloth and pour into a warm bath 36–37.5 degrees. Bathe your baby daily. For treatment, you need to spend about 8-10 sessions.

• Bathing the child in an infusion of calendula flowers, crushed into powder: 80-100 g per 1-2 l of boiling water, leave for half an hour, wrapping it tightly in a towel or other warm cloth, strain through gauze. The time of the procedure, the number of courses water temperature are identical to the previous case.
• Peppermint infusion: 80–100 g of dry grass, leave for 45 minutes in boiling water under a lid. Then pour the infusion into the bath water and bathe the baby. It can also be used for lotions, as well as wash the affected area.
• A decoction of a mixture of herbs for baths. The ratio in parts: wheat sowing - 10, sprouted rye grains - 5, pine buds - 3, succession, burdock and calamus roots - 2 each, oak bark, blackcurrant leaves, sage, thyme (thyme), chamomile flowers, lunatic root - in 1 part. Approximately 100 g of the plant mixture should be boiled in 1-2 l of water over low heat for half an hour. Strain and pour into bath water, the procedure takes 4–5 minutes, 8–10 sessions.
• An ointment from fir oil mixed with olive or baby cream in a 1: 3 ratio, lubricate the affected area once a day, you can alternate this remedy with others.
• Phytoapplication cabbage leaves, boiled in cow's milk, knead them and apply for 20-30 minutes on a diathesis peel.
• From bad sleep and itching - lingonberry infusion is warm - 1 teaspoon of dried raw material is infused for several hours in a glass with boiling water, then it needs to be filtered and squeezed out, and the baby should be given 3-4 times a day with a teaspoon.

When do I need help from a doctor?

If the gnes does not pass, then it is worth looking for the reason for this. It is possible that this is due to a fungal infection. Or the cause is atopic dermatitis. If you are breastfeeding, then review your diet.

It is necessary to consult a doctor:

• if the scales get wet;
• if within 7 days after trying to get rid of gneiss there are no changes;
• crusts grow;
• flakes flaky;
• severe itching appears;
• the child becomes irritable;
• flakes spread throughout the body.

Conclusion

We hope that this article was interesting and useful to you. This material contains information on the causes and symptoms of childhood diathesis, as well as on the means to combat it. Do not forget that only a doctor can prescribe treatment, and it is up to the parents to clearly and correctly follow the instructions and consult with a medical specialist for any deviations.