Is a child's head sweating a lot?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Nguyen Thai Ngoc Chau - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
Baby sweating a lot is one of the very common cases, especially in babies. Most cases are normal, but this can also be a sign of a health problem that parents need to be aware of.

1. The reason why babies sweat their heads

Medically, the main purpose of sweating is to cool the body, and in children, the first day or night sweats are often due to the impact of objective factors such as weather, wearing pants. Too many clothes, too secret in the room... The phenomenon of head sweating in children will show signs of decreasing or completely disappearing when the child can self-regulate body temperature by coordinating the parasympathetic nervous system with the muscles. other organs create a balance system for the body.
Most children sweat a lot is a normal phenomenon, there is nothing to worry about, the cause of this condition can be:
Because the nervous system has not been completed In terms of structure, the nervous system The human body is an extremely complex network of cells and nerves, whose job is to carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body and vice versa, and to control body temperature. In infants, the nervous system is still not mature and fully developed, so it cannot help regulate the baby's body temperature like adults, thus causing the baby to sweat in the head.
Due to the location of sweat glands For adults, sweat glands are not restricted to any part of the body but for babies it is different, babies don't have many sweat glands in the armpits, whereas The most active sweat glands are on the head, so if the baby sleeps in a secret environment, there is no ventilation or much activity, the head will sweat.

Due to breastfeeding, the baby's head sweat a lot while feeding is a very common phenomenon because when breastfeeding, the mother will keep the baby's head in the same position for a certain time, so the arm will continuously transmit warmth. to the baby, causing the baby to get hot and sweat more.
Room temperature is too hot Not only babies but even adults are prone to sweating when in a room that is too hot. Therefore, for newborns who cannot regulate their own body temperature, it is understandable to sweat their heads when in a high-temperature room. Not to mention, some mothers are still afraid of their children being cold, so they always dress their children in thick clothes that cover the whole body from head to toe and then cover them with extra blankets, which causes children to sweat a lot and have acne.

2. Does the child have a lot of sweat on his head?

In addition to some objective factors, a baby's head sweating a lot or abnormal sweating is sometimes a warning sign of health problems, parents need to watch out for some cases such as:
Children have problems with their health. Heart In the case that the child not only has a sweaty head while sleeping, but also sweats a lot while participating in simple activities, it is possible that the child is having a heart problem, possibly a congenital heart defect. The reason why you sweat a lot is because the heart has to work harder to complete its job of pumping blood.
Children with hyperhidrosis If the child is in a room with a cool, stable temperature and still sweats profusely, it is likely that the child has hyperhidrosis, although this condition is It can go away on its own when the child grows up, or parents can teach their child how to control sweating to avoid affecting daily activities.
Sleep apnea syndrome This can also be the cause of excessive sweating in the head, more common in premature babies, accompanied by wheezing, blue skin, this syndrome will make the baby difficult bear.

3. Treatment of sweating of the head in infants and children

Regarding the treatment options for sweating of the head in infants and young children, specialists suggest the following measures for parents:
Need adequate vitamin D supplementation for children. Keep the child's body always cool, the bedroom is spacious and airy. Clean the child's body every row and fully replenish the water. Do not let the child be afraid when sleeping and do not eat before sleeping. If the child sweats a lot on the head and back, it is recommended to use a soft towel to wipe the sweat to help the child avoid catching a cold. For children to use a reasonable diet with a variety of cool, sweet and nutritious vegetables and fruits. Children must be taken to the doctor immediately when detecting abnormalities in the phenomenon of sweating in the child's head. Although the phenomenon of head sweating in babies is quite common, if the baby sweats too much, it should not be taken lightly, but should take the child to the hospital to be checked to rule out unwanted health problems.
In Vietnam today, 7 out of 10 children under 5 years old have zinc deficiency and 8 pregnant women have zinc deficiency. The prevalence of zinc deficiency in pregnant women is 80.3%, women of childbearing age 63.6% and children under 5 years old is 69.4%. The most common manifestations of zinc deficiency in children are growth retardation, mild and moderate malnutrition, delayed growth in height, and some observable symptoms such as anorexia or decreased appetite, decreased suckling, and no meat. fish, slow digestion, mild constipation, persistent nausea and vomiting in children. In addition to reasonable zinc supplementation, parents also need to provide their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... resistance to minor illnesses and less digestive problems.
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