Breastfeeding: why the baby sweats while eating. Baby's head sweats during feeding and sleep: possible causes


Mothers are always worried about the health of their children, so they notice any changes in their condition. Sometimes they notice that the baby sweats while feeding. Why is this happening and is it necessary to do something in this case?

Natural Causes of a Wet Head When Feeding

In fact, there is no need to panic. Most often, this phenomenon is explained by simple physiological reasons. There are no pathologies in the body of the baby. The baby's sweat glands are underdeveloped, so the baby's head may be wet at the most inopportune moment.

When a child eats, he actively works. Especially it concerns breastfeeding. To get milk from the breast, the baby has to make a lot of effort. And with a bottle, everything is not so simple, albeit a little to a lesser extent. Eating food for a baby is akin to physical activity. Especially if the baby is already several months old, and in the process he screams, growls, spins, waves his arms and legs. It is not surprising that he gets tired and overheats, as adults do when playing sports.

Increase in body temperature during feeding - normal phenomenon. Many pediatricians talk about this. Therefore, it is not recommended to measure the temperature if the child is eating: the results will be uninformative. Wise nature took care to protect the baby from overheating. That's where his head sweats.

If the child sweats when he eats, then you should think about it - maybe one of the parents is characterized by increased sweating? Maybe the baby got it.

In some periods, the baby has to make more efforts to suckle the breast. For example, if the mother has a lactation crisis. The amount of milk produced is reduced. Some kids don't want to put in more effort to get food. They cry and act up, and a woman needs to try to disperse lactation. Other babies suck hard, try hard, so they sweat more actively. As a result, the mother does not notice changes in her body, but she cannot miss wet hairs.

Maybe the child is too warmly dressed?

Often the situation is aggravated by the fact that the baby is simply hot. Small children seem so fragile and weak, parents often wrap them up, forgetting to pay attention to the temperature in the room, ignoring the ventilation. The child's body does not cope well with overheating, thermoregulation has not yet been established. It is no wonder that the baby's head sweats if he eats. Moreover, he is in close contact with his mother at this moment, receiving additional heat. It is necessary to choose clothes according to the microclimate in the room, it is worth refusing to wear a hat from the first months. Unless, of course, things don't happen. cold winter and the house is not too cold.

Also, a similar problem is often observed in weakened children who have recently had an illness. The baby will be back to normal soon. We just have to wait.

Rickets is one of the possible causes

But not always the reasons wet hair in infants in the process of feeding are so harmless. Sometimes it is a symptom of heart problems or malfunctions. thyroid gland. But more often than not, if we are talking about diseases, this is a manifestation of rickets.

It occurs due to a lack of vitamin D, which is very important for a growing organism. After all, calcium is not absorbed at the same time, which means that bone deformation, growth retardation and teething are likely. The consequences can be very unpleasant.

Rickets is accompanied by other signs:

  • the baby sweats not only the head, but also the arms and legs;
  • hair on the back of the head is wiped;
  • the skull changes shape, the back of the head becomes flat;
  • muscle tone becomes weak;
  • the stomach swells;
  • behavior changes: the baby becomes capricious and irritable.

One or more of these symptoms does not yet mean that the child really has a disease. Sometimes you may encounter the fact that the pediatrician, looking at the worn back of the head, immediately voices the diagnosis of rickets. But if you talk to other mothers, it turns out that most babies, who are absolutely healthy, have the same problem. And it passes after the child becomes more active, begins to spend little time on the back. The same applies to wet hair when the baby eats.

But, of course, simply ignoring the situation, focusing on someone else's experience, is not worth it. good doctor will issue a referral for urine and blood tests. You may need an X-ray of your knee. Based on the results, treatment will be prescribed. For example, an increase in the amount of vitamin D. But you can’t increase the dose yourself if the baby’s head is sweating. The drug is toxic in overdose. For prevention, it is taken 1-2 drops according to the instructions.

What to do if the baby has wet hair when feeding?

If the mother noticed that the baby is eating, and his head is sweating, then she should inform the pediatrician about this. He will conduct a more thorough examination to suggest why this is happening and rule out any diseases.

At normal condition the child is enough to do the following.

  • Do not allow the baby to overheat. Do not dress him too warm, monitor the temperature in the room. Well, if it does not exceed 22 degrees. Humidity should be at least 50%.
  • Breastfed babies are less likely to develop rickets. Therefore, if possible, do not stop breastfeeding too early. Only mother should receive good nutrition so that her milk provides the baby with everything she needs.
  • Walking is also good for children. Under the influence sun rays naturally vitamin D is produced, so it's good prevention rickets. In addition, immunity increases, as a result, the head sweats less when the baby eats.

Like adults, babies sweat during physical activity and emotional experiences. And feeding requires a lot of strength from him, especially during periods lactation crises or if the baby is weak. And the stuffy atmosphere in the room can affect. But it is still worth consulting with a doctor to understand why the baby sweats when he eats. Especially if the behavior and well-being of the child has changed. In this case, it is necessary to exclude diseases.

Many mothers know this situation when infant sweats while feeding. Do not immediately worry, first you need to understand the reasons that can cause sweating in the baby. In most cases, these causes are not serious, but sometimes such an ailment can be caused dangerous disease. That's when you can not do without the help of a specialist.

Causes of sweating in babies

Often a baby sweats a lot because sweat glands the baby is not yet fully developed. A newborn can sweat at any time of the day and in any condition. It is possible that this feature was inherited to him, if one of the parents had the same tendency in childhood. Over time, around age 6, the sweat glands will be fully developed and the child will not sweat as much. Quite often, such an indisposition occurs when the mother does not pay great attention child hygiene. The clothes and bed of the baby should be from natural materials and keep clean

Often, increased sweating in a child comes from the fact that he recently suffered colds. In this case, his body is not yet fully strengthened, but over time everything will work out. Sweating can occur due to overheating if the parents tightly wrap the baby. The same problem can be in the case when the room where the child is located is very hot.

Sometimes a baby sweats while eating if it is difficult for him to suckle at the breast. During sucking, the baby's temperature rises, and at the same time his head becomes wet, helping to prevent overheating of the whole body. This is not dangerous for the health of the baby, mom should not worry too much, over time, such sweating disappears.

But there are serious diseases in which excessive sweating is one of their symptoms. These include when a child is deficient in vitamin D, so he sweats in his sleep or during feeding. But sweating is only one of the many signs of rickets, so you should pass everything necessary tests to establish an accurate diagnosis.

If the child is very, he quickly gets tired of crying, then from this he sweats, first of all, the back of his head and neck. But if the sweat is very profuse and at the same time sticky, thick and has bad smell, then you need to urgently go to the hospital and show the baby to a specialist. Perhaps he has serious illness nervous system.

Same condition small child may indicate vegetative-vascular dystonia. With this disease, the baby's skin becomes pale, he eats poorly, loses weight, his breathing is uneven. If the mother notices such symptoms, the trip to the doctor should also not be postponed for a long time. Why do children sweat and how to get rid of it, the pediatrician will tell you, only after an accurate diagnosis can the necessary treatment be prescribed.

How to avoid sweating in a child

If the parents have found out why the baby is sweating and this is not associated with the disease, then first of all, it is necessary to maintain normal conditions. It is desirable that the air temperature be no more than 20ºС, and humidity - within 70%. It is necessary to clean and ventilate the room daily.


The baby should not be tightly wrapped up, clothing should be made of natural materials and not hinder movement. Toddlers tolerate coolness more easily than overheating. They should be comfortable, because they are not yet able to regulate the temperature on their own.

A nursing mother must definitely reconsider her diet, she must give up everything spicy. Sweating increases after tea, cocoa, coffee or chocolate, so these products are also best avoided. If the mother begins to strictly monitor her diet, then the baby will feel fine during feeding.

If the baby is dressed very warmly and sweats while sucking, then it will be enough to remove extra clothes from him, and the baby's condition will improve in just a few minutes. When a baby misses his mother, he will express his emotions very violently and may sweat at the same time. It's quite normal reaction baby, he will soon calm down and the sweat will disappear.

The problem may also arise due to the fact that there is not enough milk or it does not flow well from. The baby in this case tries very hard when sucking, makes a lot of effort. In this case, he sweats from exertion, the mother should take care of a sufficient amount of milk in the breast.

This is especially true for weakened children, for them sucking is a very difficult task. And when artificial feeding it is necessary to adjust the hole on the nipple, which is put on the feeding bottle. When the milk is supplied normally, the baby sucks it without tension, then there is no sweating.


Sweating a child in most cases is a natural physiological process, unless it is associated with a serious illness. You should find out exactly why this is happening and eliminate all possible reasons. But if the mother has any doubts, then you should seek the advice of a pediatrician.

Most parents are faced with the fact that the child sweats during feeding. In most cases, this is not a problem, since the sweat glands are formed and begin to function normally only when they reach school age. An important factor is also the fact that the baby's body temperature is poorly regulated, and the body is prone to rapid overheating.

What causes baby to sweat while breastfeeding?

  • Heredity. If at least one of the parents has a tendency to hyperhidrosis, then it is likely that this problem can be transmitted to the child.
  • Fatigue. When a child eats by sucking maternal breast or bottled formula, it works. Because of this, his body temperature may rise. A wet head just helps to escape from overheating.
  • Overwrapping babies. This is another reason why babies sweat when they eat.
  • External influence of hot air. It is the basis of heavy sweating in a child when he suckles at the breast. From this, the baby can not only sweat, his body temperature can also rise.

Sweat in a newborn during breastfeeding can be provoked completely natural factors that do no harm. That is why parents need to first check whether their child is overheating. However, despite this, there are many diseases and pathological conditions that can cause the baby to sweat.

Why does rickets provoke hyperhidrosis?


Increased sweating can be triggered by rickets.

Sweating while breastfeeding can be caused by rickets. With this ailment, the head and forehead sweat in the baby, which is associated with a lack of vitamin D in the body. In addition, there are such symptoms: a bald patch on the back of the head, poor overgrowth of the fontanel, an unpleasant smell of skin and feces. The baby is restless, does not grow well, the teeth may not erupt for a long time. All this should alert caring parents who are urgently advised to consult a doctor.

Increased sweating after illness

This process is more often associated with the activation of the nervous system of the baby, namely its sympathetic department. This is attributed to the imperfection of the protective system of a growing organism in the fight against infection. Most often, the baby's forehead sweats after eating. Over time, hyperhidrosis disappears, so parents should not worry, and even more so use folk and medical methods to treat this condition.

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Often while breastfeeding, you can notice that he sweats. This is due to the fact that the baby is working hard, getting his own food. But, there are moments at which the release of sweat is accompanied unpleasant symptoms indicating the development of a disease. It is important to understand why this is happening, whether you need to worry and what to do in such a situation.

Causes

The skin of newborn babies retains and gives off heat, so babies under the influence of certain factors can sweat or freeze. In babies of three weeks of age, the sweat glands begin to work better. Since there are many of them in the face, palms and feet, profuse sweating is noted in these places.

Thanks to sweating, the baby's body protects it from overheating of the brain when the body temperature rises.

Most often, the child sweats when he eats, due to the fact that he is simply hot during the meal.

The main causes of profuse sweating in children during feeding:

  • overheating due to warm clothes or high temperature air in the room;
  • active movements during feeding;
  • "extraction" of milk from the breast when there is less than usual.

If a child has recently had an acute respiratory viral infection or another cold, his immunity is weakened, as a result of which, when sucking the breast, the head and other parts of the child's body will sweat.

The development of dangerous diseases

The baby's head may sweat due to a lack of vitamin D or calcium in the body. But in order to make sure that the problem lies in the development of rickets, it is important to consult a doctor.

The symptoms of rickets are as follows: profuse sweating, nape baldness, feces and skin begin to smell with a sour aroma, urine smells like ammonia, the fontanel does not grow well, teeth start to cut late, the baby does not sleep well, the baby is naughty and is constantly in a restless state.

A baby may sweat while suckling at the breast, not only because possible development rickets, but also through disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system.

If hyperhidrosis bothers a child along with poor weight gain or weight loss, with pallor or purplish skin when suckling, it is important to take the little patient to the doctor. With such symptoms, heart, kidney or liver failure may develop.

It is important to remember that no serious disease is accompanied by a single symptom. Therefore, in order to make a diagnosis, the doctor examines everything possible symptoms that the child has.

Heredity

The baby sweats when suckling at the breast of almost all mothers. Usually after completion breastfeeding the problem goes away. But, if a child at an older age sweats during a meal, this phenomenon can be called a hereditary factor (provided that one of the relatives also sweats while eating).

In the case when sweating is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms or a deterioration in the well-being of the baby, it is important to seek medical care to a specialist in order to detect the development in time possible diseases.

Doing hard work

When the baby suckles the breast or gets the mixture from the bottle, he spends a lot of his strength. Due to labor, the child begins to sweat during feeding.

Pediatricians say that when feeding, the baby's body temperature may rise, as he is actively working, getting his own milk. Therefore, it is not recommended to measure the temperature during feeding, as the indicators on the thermometer will not be correct. So that the brain does not overheat, during a meal, sweat sweat can be seen on the baby’s head and nose.

Often, hyperhidrosis in babies occurs when there is a decrease in milk in the mother's breasts. Therefore, the baby spends even more energy to become full.

In the case when the baby misses his mother and milk, he, sucking his breast, will express his emotions, as a result of which the sweat will stand out even more. It is also important to consider contact with the woman's body. The heat emanating from the mother when in contact with the baby also provokes an increase in sweating.

If the baby is bottle-fed and fed in a crib, sweating will be caused by a pillow, bed, warm mattress, blanket. Poor quality and synthetic bed sheets or clothing on the baby also provokes the appearance of hyperhidrosis.

What should I do and should I be worried?

Before you start to worry about profuse sweating in babies during feeding, determine the cause of the problem.

If excessive sweating occurs due to a hereditary predisposition, you should not panic. It is important to monitor the well-being of the child. If there are no other symptoms besides sweating, then such a process is natural and does not need to panic.

To prevent your baby from sweating while suckling, follow these guidelines:

  1. Do not wear too warm clothes on the baby.
  2. The room temperature should not exceed 22 degrees Celsius. It is important to ventilate the apartment regularly. In winter, turn on a humidifier in the baby's room, and also do not heat the apartment too much.
  3. The child should always be dressed in clothes made only from natural fabrics.
  4. If the house is warm when feeding the baby, remove the hat from him.

If you follow these simple tips, can be avoided excessive sweating when breastfeeding, as well as to prevent the formation unpleasant consequences as skin irritation.

A nursing mother should reconsider her diet, and also try to maintain lactation for as long as possible.

Walk with your child at any time of the year and in any weather on fresh air. Walking will strengthen the immune system of the child, as well as provide him with vitamin D, which is produced under the influence of sunlight.

After examining the baby, the doctor may prescribe vitamin D drops. It is necessary to give it to a child strictly according to the scheme painted by a specialist. It is impossible to make a decision on the use of vitamin D on your own, since serious consequences can occur in case of an overdose.

In the case when the baby has just been ill, in order to get rid of strong discharge sweat during feeding, it is important, on the recommendation of a doctor, to feed crumbs vitamin complexes or other drugs to increase immunity. When the defenses child's body restored, the problem will disappear.

If excessive sweating in a child is due to the development of any disease, it is important to cure it first. The doctor diagnoses the disease and makes the correct diagnosis. On its basis, it is assigned effective treatment, which allows you to cure the underlying disease, as well as eliminate copious excretion baby's sweat.

Having found out the reason why the baby sweats during feeding, you can successfully eliminate the problem and improve the well-being of the crumbs. You cannot self-medicate. Diagnosis of pathology should be carried out by a doctor. When possible diseases are detected, it is important to treat them. Hyperhidrosis will stop disturbing the baby during feeding, if it is not wrapped up, but created indoors comfortable conditions stay: adjust normal temperature and air humidity.

After childbirth comes the time of motherhood, which brings even more questions related primarily to the health of the baby. Starting from about 3-4 weeks of the baby's life, the mother notices: the baby sweats during feeding, sometimes very much. What is this phenomenon, why is it happening and how should we respond?

Excessive sweating of the baby is possible in several cases.

After birth, almost everyone infants the head is covered with a seborrheic crust, which looks like many small leathery scales. This is absolutely normal, but when the crust remains on the baby's head, heat transfer is disturbed, and the baby may sweat a lot, especially when eating. Seborrheic crust can be removed, but very carefully:

  • Buy vaseline oil at the pharmacy, as well as the softest comb brush (you can use toothbrush for the first tooth, it is very soft).
  • Treat the baby's head vaseline oil, due to which the crusts will become softer, more pliable.
  • Very carefully, and most importantly, carefully massage the areas of the head with scales. Gradually, they will roll down and be easily removed from the head.
  • Do not try to remove everything at once - the crust can be removed within a few months.

Heredity

predisposition to increased sweating a baby can inherit as easily as the color of the eyes or the shape of the nose. If mom or dad has hyperhidrosis, then it is not surprising that the child can sweat a lot while eating. As well as there is nothing to worry about.

What to do:

  • wrap less;
  • arrange air baths more often;
  • bathe with the use of infusion of herbs of chamomile, sage, succession;
  • when the baby eats, put on the lightest cap for him or completely do without him.

Perhaps the problem will not disappear completely, but it is in your power to minimize it.

Wrong diaper fabric

At the first stage of a baby’s life, it is important what material his clothes are made of, diapers with which delicate baby skin comes into contact, as well as the quality of baby powder. Make sure that the clothes, diapers of the crumbs allow air to pass through as much as possible so that the skin breathes.

Too hot

Normal heat exchange in an infant is established by about 3 months of age. In the meantime, it is very small, heat exchange occurs mainly through the scalp, which is why the baby can sweat while eating.

In this case, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the room within 22 ° C, regularly ventilate the apartment and do not wrap the baby when he eats.

Food takes up a lot of energy

For a newborn, eating means doing hard physical work. Especially children have to try, eating breast milk, because in order to "get it", you need to make an effort. So if the baby sweats while eating, it means from diligence and expended physical strength.

Vitamin D deficiency

Often, young mothers take any sweating as a sign of rickets, which is not always true. Signs of rachitic sweating are somewhat different.

In children with vitamin D deficiency, profuse sweating is noticed mainly during sleep, and not during meals.

In any case, if you have questions and suspicions about why the baby is sweating, you should show it to the pediatrician. You should not prescribe vitamin D to your child on your own. Remember that oversaturation with vitamins is no less a problem than their lack.

General weak condition

Another reason why a baby sweats while breastfeeding may be that the baby has recently had a respiratory illness and his body is still weakened.

If this happens, and you notice that the sweating has increased while the baby is eating, tell the doctor about it. He will give general recommendations and advise essential vitamins if necessary. But most likely, you just need to wait until the baby gets stronger.