Sweat in newborns. Breastfeeding: why does the baby sweat while eating?

Many mothers notice that their baby's head sweats heavily, while other parts of the body remain dry. Sometimes it seems that there is no reason for such a state, so parents are visited by not the most joyful thoughts. In fact, in newly born children, a wet head and neck is not at all an indicator of pathology, but is often their normal condition. To avoid this, it is often enough to identify and eliminate the cause. But you cannot miss cases that require medical attention in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

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Causes of increased sweating

It is known that even children born at term continue their development after birth: many of their organs and systems improve with age. This also applies to the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for sweating. Experts talk about the imperfection of thermoregulation in infants, whose sweat glands are actively working from 3 weeks of life, while their full development occurs only by 5 years.

When sweating is not a cause for concern

Babies begin to sweat intensely in response to any external or internal factors, and often it is their head that becomes wet. The most common reasons why a baby's head sweats include:

1. Fatigue and physical activity. Even in the smallest children, when actively moving their arms and legs, their heads immediately become wet. If the baby remains dry in a calm state, then the reason is probably his restlessness.
2. Emotional overexcitement and fatigue. A too busy day, lack of daytime sleep, and an abundance of impressions at the end of the day lead to the child becoming covered in perspiration. The neck and head get wet the most.
3. Sweating while feeding. Many mothers feel how the baby's hair gradually becomes wet when he suckles, because this process is accompanied by great effort for him. As soon as the child eats, his head dries out.
4. Failure to comply with temperature conditions. This applies to both too warm clothes indoors and outdoors, and the air temperature in the nursery. Overheating is often accompanied by prickly heat, which appears on the face and back of the head.
5. Unnatural fabrics. Synthetics, which are part of children's clothing or bedding, do not allow air to pass through, as a result the body does not breathe. As in the case of overheating, the baby immediately develops heat rash. In addition to the head, it will spread throughout the body.
6. Taking certain medications that may cause increased sweating as a side effect.

Sweating as a sign of illness

In some cases, excessive sweating of the head should alert parents, because this condition often indicates an illness:

• respiratory and viral infections;
• congenital pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
• hyperfunction of the thyroid gland;
• rickets.

A baby may sweat a lot with tuberculosis. This disease is extremely rare in children in the first year of life, but in the absence of other reasons, it is worth doing a mantoux test and visiting a phthisiatrician.

Lymphatic diathesis is another reason why a baby’s head sweats. This is a congenital enlargement of the lymph nodes, accompanied by marbling of the skin. It is mainly observed in children who have suffered a long anhydrous period or hypoxia during childbirth.

The listed diseases are accompanied not only by profuse sweating, but also by other, more serious symptoms: anxiety, unreasonable crying, fever. With rickets, which parents often suffer from when they notice wet hair, bald spots appear on the head, changes in the skeletal system, and softening of the edges of the fontanel. In addition, not only your head will be sweaty in a calm state, but also your feet and palms.

In all of these cases, the child should be shown to a doctor in order to establish the true cause and begin timely treatment.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about the causes of sweating of the head.

How to eliminate unpleasant symptoms

The most common is overheating, so you should pay attention to clothing and the microclimate in the nursery. The ideal temperature for a baby is no higher than 220C. Children are susceptible to sweating much more than adults, which is why maintaining temperature is so important for them. The children's room needs to be well ventilated, especially at night. If the baby's head sweats very much, then leaving the window open when he is in the room is undesirable.

Often infants do not sweat all night, but only when falling asleep. Wet hair can be observed during the active sleep phase. It can be easily determined by how the child begins to actively move his legs and arms in his sleep. Here it is difficult to help him with anything: these are characteristics of the body that pass over time. In this case, you can wear a thin cotton cap to sleep and change it when it gets wet.

It is advisable to bathe your baby every day. To regulate sweating, you can add a little sea salt or oak bark decoction to the water. Chamomile and string will also help.

If the temperature in the nursery is maintained, the baby is dressed for the weather, and the mother cannot identify the cause on her own, then a consultation with a doctor will clarify the situation. Most likely, the pediatrician will give a referral for a blood test: he will accurately determine whether sweating is associated with the disease.

Video: Why you shouldn’t wrap your baby up too much.

When a baby's head sweats, parents should not be afraid. But it’s still worth seeing a doctor. The reasons can be very different, in most cases harmless.

Attentive and overly vigilant mothers immediately go to the doctor for advice when they notice that the child’s head is often sweating. For complete reassurance, the doctor may prescribe tests (for example, a biochemical blood test).

Common reasons why a small child’s head sweats:

In the first months of life, hormonal levels change. The body gets used to new environmental conditions, the skin adapts to the effects of air temperature.

Signal about possible pathological processes

Sweating may indicate illness. Why does my head sweat in this case?

Rickets can occur due to improper, unbalanced nutrition, lack of sunlight, insufficient physical activity of the baby, and frequent colds. If all these reasons are excluded, then the baby will quickly recover.

If increased sweat production is accompanied by irritability, crying, or the smell of sweat changes (becomes unpleasant), you need to urgently go to a specialist.

Preventive measures

In order for the child to feel comfortable and cozy, you need to try to create all the conditions for this.

• You should not avoid preventive examinations with a doctor, during which all the necessary measurements will be taken (waist circumference, head circumference), and referrals will be given for a general blood and urine test.
• The temperature and humidity in the room must correspond to the child’s condition: for a healthy baby, the optimal temperature is considered to be no higher than 22 degrees with a humidity of no more than 70%.

• Bed linen should be made of natural fabrics: linen, cotton. It should not contain bright drawings. Clothes also need to be chosen from similar materials.
• To regulate the sweating process, you can add sea salt, oak bark decoction, chamomile or string to the bathtub.
• Don't wrap your child up too much.
• During feeding, you need to take a comfortable position. When the baby eats, he should clasp the nipple correctly and be placed comfortably near the breast.
• There is no need to wear a hat or cap if the room is warm.

You need to urgently consult a doctor when your baby, who is in a calm state, is covered in cold, sticky sweat. However, it has a pungent odor.

An infant is always the subject of increased attention from parents and their exorbitant fears. Therefore, when a mother notices that the baby’s head is sweating during feeding, she begins to be overcome by doubts about whether this is normal. After all, everyone knows that increased sweating can be a sign of weakness or illness. However, in most cases, when it comes to a newborn, this is just a sign of the baby’s intense labor - after all, for him, even sucking the mother’s breast is physical activity.

Why does a baby's head sweat during feeding?

In fact, there may be several reasons, and not all of them are safe for the baby. Factors that influence increased sweating include:

• Heredity. The number of sweat glands can vary - some people sweat a lot, others hardly suffer from it. This quality can be passed on genetically to a baby;
• Overheating. A banal excess of warm or synthetic clothing can lead to the fact that the child’s thermoregulation system begins to actively cool the body;
• Hyperactivity. Some babies move too much when feeding: screaming, squirming, growling. This behavior causes increased heat production and, accordingly, sweat;
. For a baby, sucking milk is an effort that requires a certain amount of energy. Especially during the period when lactation ends or for some reason there is a decrease in it;
• Past colds. In this case, most often the body tries to get rid of toxins after an illness, so increased sweating is a temporary phenomenon.

Why does the head sweat? Firstly, it is almost always open, so it is easier to notice its hydration, and secondly, it is the brain that needs the strongest cooling - after all, it is the main organ in the human body.

Baby sweats during feeding: pathological reasons

However, increased sweating may not always be so safe. Although this happens quite rarely, in some cases this phenomenon is a sign of dangerous pathological conditions.

Rickets

Most often, at the age of 1-2 months, doctors diagnose rickets and prescribe vitamin D.

Both deficiency and excess of vitamins harmful to children's body.

Therefore, you should pay attention to other symptoms of the disease:

• The child becomes capricious, fearful, lethargic;
• Increased sweating is noticeable when feeding ( droplets of moisture appear on the face) and during sleep (the pillow is wet);
• Changes in the chemical composition of sweat cause constant itching, causing the baby to constantly turn his head, and bald patches appear on the back of the head.

At this time, a biochemical blood test will show an increase in the activity of phosphatase (an enzyme that transports calcium and phosphorus) and a decrease in phosphorus concentration (at a normal level of 1.3-2.3 mmol/l, in severe cases the figure drops to 0.65 mmol/l) .

Important If urgent measures are not taken during this period, deformation of the bones of the skull and skeleton will occur in the future.

Nervous disorders

The second common reason that a baby’s head sweats during feeding is a disruption in the functioning of the nervous system. Young children are very sensitive to the world around them, although it seems to us that they do not understand anything. The baby reacts especially sensitively to the mother’s mood - even changes in intonation in the voice may cause stress in the baby. If a child has a disordered nervous system, then the following signs are present:

• Increased sweating may occur during feeding for no obvious reason;
• The unpaired part of the body (forehead) or one of the paired parts (palm, foot) always sweats;
• The consistency of sweat changes ( sticky or watery) and its smell ( tastes sour).

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

The third place among pathological causes is occupied by: disruption of the regulation of the functioning of internal organs by the autonomic nervous system. This pathology can develop as a result hereditary factors, unsuccessful pregnancy or childbirth, in the presence of severe somatic diseases, unfavorable social factors. In a baby, vegetative-vascular dystonia is manifested by a number of the following symptoms:

• Frequent regurgitation;
• Irregular bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea;
• Poor appetite and weight gain;
• Restless sleep;
• Skin rashes, diaper rash;
• Capricious behavior.

Possible consequences Later, the disease may manifest itself as incorrect foot placement, excessive fearfulness and anxiety, and increased susceptibility.

What should parents do?

First of all, if a child sweats during feeding, physiological factors should be analyzed:

1. Adjust temperature and humidity conditions in the room;
2. Do not overheat the baby, give preference to clothes and bedding made from natural fibers;
3. Pay special attention hardening the child, constant walks and water procedures;
4. Give your baby vitamin D only in doses recommended by your doctor after a medical examination;
5. As long as possible maintain breastfeeding- Mother's milk is the best medicine for babies and a preventive measure against any disease.

If the basic recommendations do not give a positive result, the child continues to sweat heavily and there are other signs of a painful condition, consult a doctor as soon as possible and find out the cause. In most cases, increased sweating is not a pathology, but it is better to make sure of this as early as possible.

There are a lot of horror stories for mothers. Particularly impressionable women perceive every action or inaction of a baby with horror. One of the most common fears is the threat of rickets if the baby's head sweats during feeding.

As soon as the mother notices this at least once, she is overcome by anxiety and the desire to immediately cure the child of this scourge. But if rickets is not expected, excess vitamin D can harm it more than its deficiency. Don’t panic, you need to carefully study the problem and find the right solution.

Sweating is a natural occurrence for anyone, even if they are only a few weeks old. The process of feeding a child is quite serious work that requires a lot of effort. Therefore, it is not strange that he sweats, especially during periods of lactation crises, when there is less milk and it becomes even more difficult to obtain it.

However, there are quite a few reasons for a baby to sweat - from quite harmless to quite serious. Therefore, you should not ignore this sign. By eliminating them all one by one, you can determine whether you should worry and see a doctor or just open the window slightly.

Congenital feature

If mom or dad are prone to excessive sweating, we should expect that the newborn will also have this “ability.” In this case, there is no need to worry that the baby is sweating during feeding - if there are no other alarming signs, this is not a symptom of the disease.

The thermoregulation system in newborn babies is not adjusted immediately. Sweat glands begin to work as early as 2-3 weeks, but are fully “tuned” only by 5-6 years! Therefore, children are much more sensitive to the slightest temperature changes that are imperceptible to adults.

Hot

As logically follows from the previous paragraph, a baby can become hot even when adults feel quite comfortable. In addition, with the birth of a child in a family, the desire to protect him from everything in the world often intensifies, so they dress him warmly, close all the windows and cracks so that the baby does not get blown out. If the house is hot, naturally the baby sweats during feeding, during sleep, and just like that.

The baby is already prone to sweating when he eats breast milk, as it requires a lot of effort from him. If, at the same time, caring parents wrapped him up so that only his nose sticks out, and in the house it is +25 - it is not surprising that the baby will sweat profusely.

You should not bundle up your child - he should be wearing the same amount of clothing as his parents, plus one layer. A cap indoors becomes unnecessary already at 1.5-2 months. For a walk you will need another layer of outerwear.

Wrong clothes

Another reason for increased sweating during feeding or sleeping is improperly selected clothing. Synthetic, non-air-permeable materials do not allow the skin to breathe and disrupt the baby’s thermoregulation, which is not yet working very stably.

If your child sweats, review his wardrobe and get rid of unsuitable clothes, leaving only cotton, linen and wool (if there is no allergy), high-quality knitwear and terry made from natural materials (for towels and robes).

This also applies to mothers - while breastfeeding, it is better to choose clothes made from natural materials, especially in hot weather.

The child has a cold

The possibility of a cold should not be ruled out. It is accompanied by elevated temperature and often increased sweating. Additional symptoms will help recognize the disease in an infant:

• Runny nose;
• Cough;
• Red and watery eyes;
• Hot hands and feet;
• Chills.

When you have a fever, drinking plenty of fluids is recommended, and this usually causes sweating. In addition, the baby often sweats from medications taken that have such a side effect. Sweating during a cold cannot be considered a negative phenomenon, since it is the body’s way of avoiding overheating and releasing “steam.”

Give your baby food more often (if he is formula-fed or already has solid foods) or breastfeed to avoid dehydration.

Initial stage of rickets

Of course, if a baby's head sweats while suckling, this may also be a sign of rickets. In this case, there are a number of other symptoms:

• Poor sleep, shaking, crying;
• Irritability;
• Fear of sharp sounds;
• Unpleasant, sour odor of urine;
• Irritation on the skin from sweat, its sour smell. Due to itching, the baby constantly rubs his head on the pillow and bald patches appear on the back of his head;
• Softening of the bones of the skull, which is detected by the doctor during examination.

A diagnosis can be made for sure only after a special examination and tests. Usually, the doctor prescribes vitamin D to the child to prevent or treat rickets.

You shouldn’t be nervous right away, you need to study the baby’s behavior, the back of his head, and check if he’s hot. If all external causes are excluded, you need to consult a doctor. As in other cases, treatment of rickets is much more productive in the early stages. Mom should also know that rickets has been quite rare lately. It was common when most children did not receive enough mother's milk, but today many women breastfeed for a long time and walk a lot with their children. And this is the best prevention of rickets.

Neurological features

If there is a disorder in the nervous system, sweating and restlessness may be signs of a disorder. In this case, the newborn baby usually sweats from the arms and legs, forehead and front of the head. He sleeps restlessly, gets tired quickly, and cannot concentrate.

If the doctor has not identified serious disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, but has diagnosed increased nervous excitability, any drug treatment may not be required. Sometimes infusions of soothing herbs and following a daily routine are enough.

An infant is very sensitive to the emotional background in the family, so if the baby’s head sweats during feeding, and there are also signs of nervous excitement, pay attention to the atmosphere in the family.

Endocrine disorders

Endocrine disorders can cause the development of secondary hyperhidrosis - excessive sweating. Also, as a result of impaired metabolism, the baby may become overweight. In this case, any activity requires a lot of effort, so he sweats.

Identify the cause and then think about treatment. If the problem is overweight, you need to reconsider the baby’s diet, but if the cause is hormonal disorders, the doctor will help you choose the right medications.

Cardiovascular disorders

Symptoms of disorders in the cardiovascular system are quite difficult to track in young children, especially under the age of 1 year. Pay close attention to your child and monitor for any suspicious deviations from the usual picture.

You need to pay attention to the following signs:

• Increased sweating of the head;
• Poor appetite, lethargy, general lethargy;
• Blue discoloration of the area between the nose and lips;
• Crying in sleep, paleness, cold sweat;
• Rapid breathing, shortness of breath;
• Chest pain when pressed.

In childhood, cardiovascular system disorders can be treated quite successfully; the main thing is not to delay a visit to the doctor.

What to do

It is necessary to exclude all reasons not related to health. First, the temperature in the room and the baby's clothes are checked. Then heredity, stress, physical activity and excess fluid are swept aside.

If everything is fine, you need to visit a doctor. He will be able to accurately determine the cause of increased sweating and eliminate the threat of rickets or other serious disorders. When visiting, it is advisable to tell the doctor about all suspicious symptoms, this will help him get a complete picture.

And although sweating during feeding frightens many mothers, in this case a thoughtful approach and a lack of panic is required. This will save you from unnecessary treatments and hassle, allowing you to maintain the baby’s health and mother’s peace of mind.

Such important processes occurring in the human body as heartbeat, digestion, breathing and many others are carried out under the control of the autonomic nervous system. It is also responsible for the functioning of the sweat glands, which help adapt to constantly changing external conditions: air humidity, temperature, physical activity.

Why do babies sweat?

During the infant period, the vegetative system is imperfect, not fully developed and the sweat glands are not fully formed. Therefore, infants are prone to profuse sweating and this is considered a physiological norm. Full formation of sweat glands in children is completed closer to 5 years of age.

Don't panic or be overly concerned if:

• there is no smell of sweat or the smell is not strong and quite natural
• the child begins to sweat when he gets hot or has a fever - this is his reaction to external or internal temperature changes
• sweat appears evenly throughout the body: in the armpits, on the back, head, chest and palms

A child with an undeveloped sweating system quickly reacts even to minor changes in temperature in the environment. When the temperature rises, he begins to sweat profusely. Sometimes parents overdo it: when going for a walk, they bundle up the baby, fearing that he is cold. You shouldn’t do this; you should dress your baby according to the weather, the way you dress yourself. It is better to take a blanket with you and cover your baby if it gets cold.

The baby may have rickets

Normal sweating is natural, but excessive sweating with unusual symptoms should alert parents, because it can be caused by quite dangerous causes. Depending on the reason, the child may behave differently.

Sometimes sweat becomes viscous, thick and appears on “problem” areas of the body. If you notice that your sweat has acquired a sharp, unusual odor, then the problem is most likely not in the nervous system. More likely, rickets begins to develop or a hereditary disease manifests itself.

You should be concerned and take immediate action if:

• the baby sweats frequently and profusely, especially during play, feeding, toileting or at night while sleeping
• the sweat released has a sharp sour odor, causes skin irritation and itching
• sweating is accompanied by crying of the baby, increased excitability, anxiety, poor sleep
• the top of the child’s head gets wet, and he constantly turns his head, trying to dry it

The listed symptoms indicate development. He needs to be examined immediately by a pediatrician; only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis.

To avoid rickets, you should take your baby for walks more. Under the influence of bright rays of the sun, the body begins to produce vitamin D through the skin, which prevents the onset of the disease. It is important to pay attention to the child’s proper nutrition and ensure that it is balanced.

Malfunction of the nervous system

Sweating can also occur if the functioning of the nervous system is disrupted. An overly emotional child begins to sweat intensely when suddenly scared or unexpectedly happy. A child who is psychologically unbalanced breaks out in sweat if he is slightly irritated or excited. Disruption of the nervous system may be accompanied by symptoms such as:

If excessive sweating occurs, the child should be shown to a pediatrician or neurologist. Specialists examine the baby and if this is their disease profile, they will prescribe appropriate treatment. If additional examination is necessary, they will indicate which doctor you still need to contact.

The cause of sweating is heredity

Some hereditary diseases are accompanied by increased secretion of secretions: sweat, saliva, mucus, digestive juice. As the disease progresses, the actively secreted sweat changes its structure and smell. For example, in the presence of cystic fibrosis, the child’s sweat acquires a characteristic salty taste, and in case of phenylketonuria, the sweat begins to smell musty.

You should not subject your child to self-medication, as this is accompanied by danger and can harm the child’s fragile body. Some parents may make the mistake of assuming that their child has rickets and start giving him . And if the baby is not sick with rickets, and the cause of the sweat lies in a completely different disease, then an excess of vitamin D can cause negative consequences, as well as any attempts at self-medication. Only a doctor can determine the true reason that caused profuse sweating in a baby after a full examination and test results.