Teething Skin Rash and Eczema
Skin rashes are an unfortunate side effect of teething. They usually develop on your baby's face, especially around the mouth and chin which is due to the extra dribbling. Yes, it is quite a shock to find that your sweet smelling bundle of joy has turned into a drooling, biting, cranky little so and so, complete with an angry red rash. You may want to prevent your mother (or mother-in-law) from picking Junior up to give him/her a big kiss as she will be faced with this angry red facial eruption. Plus her saliva might further aggravate this rash.
On a positive note, facial skin rashes such as this are not a common sign of teething so your baby might not develop this. But if he or she does then prepared to be surprised at the sheer volume of drool!
Causes of a facial skin rash
The main reason for this is that the skin around the mouth and chin is in constant contact with saliva or drool. Your baby will be drooling for Britain at this time and his/her skin is likely to be permanently wet. This skin becomes red, chapped and sore which causes pain and discomfort and leads to a rash as well. Plus if your baby has a runny nose then this further inflames the rash which then spreads around his nose as well. The poor little mite ends up with a rash on his cheeks, mouth and chin. This is worsened by contact with drool soaked sheets as your baby will continue to dribble during the night. These sheets rub against your baby's skin and this friction results in dry skin or a rash.
Eczema and teething
What about eczema? If your baby already has eczema then teething will worsen this.
Eczema is a skin condition in which someone develops dry, red, itchy skin which in some cases, becomes cracked and sore. This is a genetic condition which means that if either you or your partner has eczema then there is fair chance your baby will do the same. Your baby will experience what is known as a 'flare up'(episode) of eczema while they are teething. Drooling worsens this rash as the saliva aggravates the skin. Check to see if his/her eczema dies down following a bout of teething.
