Heat rash in babies and children

It’s easy to get a little worried when a rash appears on a baby’s soft skin – but heat rash is common, harmless, and goes away on its own. It might be a bit irritating for the baby and there are some things you can do to get rid of heat rash.

Why do babies get heat rash?

Like we said, heat rash is common in infants and babies. Their sweat glands are not yet fully developed, and little ones also have a harder time regulating their body heat and can easily react to heat and moisture. Heat rash typically breaks out on the neck, throat and back. But babies can also develop heat rash on their face, bottom and legs – anywhere their skin gets too warm.

The risk of heat rash increases if the baby is wearing clothes that are too tight and warm. If the baby’s neck or back feel sweaty, this is an indication that they are too hot and need a slightly cooler environment. If you are in a tropical and moist climate, the risk of rash also increases.

What does heat rash look like?

There are different kinds of heat rash, but usually it looks like red dots or speckles. It can be harder to see on dark skin, though you can usually feel little bumps.. Heat rash can look a bit like hormonal spots, which newborn babies can develop a few days after birth, but they’re slightly more spread out. These can develop in single dots or in clusters, and the skin might feel a bit rough where the outbreak is located. The baby won’t usually be bothered by the rash, but sometimes it can be itchy, which will make the baby uneasy.

If the baby develops a widespread rash and the bumps look more like blisters/water droplets, then contact your paediatrician for input to make sure it isn’t something else.

How do you get rid of heat rash?

• Change to cool, airy and breathable clothing.
• Change the diaper as soon as you notice it’s wet and air out that little baby bottom for a moment between diaper changes.
• Dab the baby’s forehead and neck with cool water.
• For the most part, you don’t have to apply anything, but if the rash is itchy, you could try a cooling salve.
• If the baby’s bottom is very red and irritated, it could be a form of heat rash. We have a few more tips on how to take care of baby bottoms.

Once the baby has cooled down, the rash should disappear, usually within about a day. As we said, heat rash is harmless, but the cause – a baby who is too hot – can be directly harmful, since this could cause dehydration. In a tiny baby with small margins, that can be serious.
If you want to learn more about baby’s skin and the best way to take care of it, you can find tips and help in our Skin School.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.