Bungang Araw and Other Baby Skin Problems During Monsoon

The fickle weather can be both a blessing and a curse, comfortably cool one moment and humid the next. It is this exact feeling that is experienced whenever the monsoon season makes itself felt, usually from June to October in this country.
When the seasonal rains roll in, there is an internal shift in people’s bodies as respective immune systems scramble to adjust their temperature in accordance to the weather. When the body fails to keep up, it can lead to different kinds of sickness.
Babies, in particular, are sensitive to the constant changes to their environment. As their immune systems are still developing with the rest of their physique, their bodies still have a hard time adjusting to sudden changes in weather and temperature. As a result, they easily fall prey to common baby skin problems that manifest when the monsoon season happens. New parents need to take caution when caring for newborn skin.
Baby skin problems are especially rampant during this particular climate period of constantly conflicting weather forecasts. One of the most common of these maladies is the prickly heat rash, more popularly known by its local name as bungang araw. For babies, who still have difficulties in adjusting their body temperature to maintain internal equilibrium, the stickly heat that monsoon season brings can pose a problem. Their still-sensitive skin is prone to breaking out in red rashes at anything that makes them feel hot and uncomfortable, such as harsh sunlight or even tight clothes. Moisturizing by means of a regular water intake and the application of cooling, child-friendly creams are recommended.
The monsoon season also brings other baby skin problems that can be a source of distress for parents. Eczema, which could be inherited from the babies\’ parents, can be triggered by extreme weather changes from excessive heat or cold. Certain ingredients in soaps and types of fabric used in clothing (such as wool) can also be a determining factor. The key is to keep your baby moisturized with products that would not be a source of their discomfort, such as fragrance-free creams and cleansers gentle to the skin.