Paediatricians have urged parents to stop applying dusting powder on babies to treat prickly heat, stressing that the common practice during hot weather and power outages may cause breathing problems, skin irritation, severe jaundice, and permanent brain damage in infants.
They stressed that neither talcum- nor cornstarch-based powders, whether commercial or locally made, prevent or reliably treat prickly heat.
According to them, the powders may even worsen the condition.
The child health experts further noted that some dusting powders contain menthol, camphor, or similar compounds, warning that in babies with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, a common inherited enzyme disorder, particularly among boys, these substances can trigger the breakdown of red blood cells, leading to severe neonatal jaundice and an increased risk of permanent brain damage.
They added that this remains a leading cause of cerebral palsy in Nigeria.
In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts urged parents to adopt safer alternatives such as keeping babies cool, dressing them lightly, and maintaining proper hygiene to manage heat rash effectively.
The leading doctors also advised parents to seek medical attention if the rash persists for more than three days, shows signs of infection such as pus or worsening appearance, or if the baby develops a fever or appears unwell.
Findings revealed that due to poor power supply in the country, many parents have resorted to applying dusting powder on their babies and children as a way to treat or prevent heat rash.
The poor electricity supply is compounded by rising temperatures across various parts of the country, causing heat stress and heat waves.
Commenting on the issue, a Consultant Paediatrician and Chief Medical Director at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Prof John Okeniyi, said mothers should not apply any form of dusting powder on babies for prickly heat.
He said prickly heat, medically known as miliaria or heat rash, occurs when sweat ducts become blocked in hot, humid conditions, precisely the conditions that millions of Nigerian families are currently experiencing due to the combination of intense heat and unreliable power supply.
Okeniyi explained that dusting powder does not prevent or treat the condition. Instead, it worsens it.
“Powders do not prevent or reliably treat prickly heat. On the contrary, they can worsen the problem by clumping with sweat, blocking pores further, or irritating the tender newborn skin,” he said.
The primary danger, the expert said, is inhalation, explaining that fine powder particles become airborne easily and babies, whose small airways and developing lungs make them vulnerable, can inhale them, leading to respiratory irritation, wheezing, coughing, chemical pneumonitis, or severe lung damage.
“Babies can inhale these particles, leading to respiratory irritation, coughing, wheezing and, in severe cases, lung damage or pneumonia. Both talc-based and cornstarch-based powders carry this risk, though talc particles are finer,” he said.
Okeniyi noted that the powder can also excessively dry the skin, cause allergic reactions from fragrances and additives, and trap bacteria or fungi when mixed with sweat, potentially worsening the rash or leading to secondary infection.
He said the risk escalates dramatically when locally made or mentholated powders are used on babies with G6PD deficiency, a genetic condition he described as very common in Nigeria, affecting up to 20 to 30 per cent of some populations, particularly boys.
“In babies with G6PD deficiency, menthol, camphor, or similar compounds can trigger red blood cell breakdown, haemolysis. This leads to severe neonatal jaundice and the risk of permanent brain damage known as kernicterus,” he said.
He added that kernicterus remains a leading cause of cerebral palsy in Nigeria.
The professor referenced a classic Nigerian study from Lagos that directly linked the use of mentholated powder to significantly worse jaundice outcomes in G6PD-deficient newborns.
Okeniyi said many local powders used for umbilical cord care or general dusting contain menthol, camphor, or similar compounds, and may also carry impurities, unknown additives, and contaminants that increase the risk of allergy, irritation, or toxicity.
“Prickly heat is common and manageable without powder. The risks of dusting powder, especially inhalation and G6PD-related complications in our setting, make it an outdated and unsafe practice.
“Local powders may also have impurities, unknown additives, or contaminants, increasing allergy, irritation, or toxicity risks. They are not safer; in fact, they pose heightened danger for the many G6PD-affected infants in our population,” he stressed.
Okeniyi recommended dressing babies lightly in loose, breathable cotton clothing, giving frequent lukewarm baths or gentle sponging with clean water, and keeping the skin folds, neck, groin, and armpits clean and dry.
He advised parents to change diapers and clothing frequently and to maximise airflow using battery-powered or solar fans, or by keeping windows open or using shaded rooms.
“If the rash persists for more than three days, looks infected (pus, fever, worsening), or the baby seems unwell, seek prompt medical review, as secondary bacterial infection can readily occur,” Okeniyi advised.
Also, a Consultant Paediatrician at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Katsina State, Dr Abdurrazzaq Alege, said camphor and menthol, common ingredients in locally made dusting powders, can attack red blood cells when absorbed through a baby’s skin, leading to jaundice.
“The smell of camphor alone can trigger it, and much more so when it is applied directly to the skin surface. It gets absorbed into the bloodstream and attacks the red blood cells,” he said, adding that this is a very common cause of jaundice in young infants presenting at hospitals.
Alege added that inhaling powder particles could irritate the airway and cause breathing difficulties in children, whose airways are still narrow and sensitive.
He noted that while powders are often perceived to have a soothing effect, they do not effectively treat itching or heat rash.
Instead, he recommended the use of zinc oxide–based products as safer alternatives for relieving skin irritation.
“Zinc oxide creams help relieve itching and rashes without the risks associated with dusting powders. It is a very good alternative,” he said.
Alege stated that the popular local product known as Moju powder, a white powder used in some Yoruba-speaking communities, was acceptable only if it is 100 per cent pure zinc oxide and not adulterated.
“People have adulterated it. They have added so many other chemicals, including heavy metals, that can even cause cancer in children. If it is adulterated or not the plain one, then it is not good,” he said.
The paediatrician also advised parents to keep babies’ skin dry, avoid overdressing them, and improve airflow using hand fans or natural ventilation where possible.
Credit: healthwise.punchng.com
