Infant Skin Care: Thai Caregivers’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Practices

Background: Skin problems are common among infants in Thailand due to the sensitivity of infant skin, high humidity, and hot weather in tropical climates, along with improper skin care. However, caregivers can mitigate these issues by providing appropriate skin care. Objective: To investigate the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of infant skin care among Thai caregivers. Materials and Methods: Questionnaire-based, cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted among caregivers who brought children under one year old to a well-baby clinic in Chonburi Province, Thailand, between December 2022 and July 2023. Results: Three hundred seventy Thai caregivers participated in the present study. Attitude, knowledge, and practice scores were calculated from the questionnaire. The mean infant skin care attitude score was 88.67%, the mean knowledge score was 57.00%, and the mean practice score was 76.14%. Statistically significant correlations were found between skin care knowledge and attitude (p<0.001), and between skin care knowledge and practice (p<0.05). According to caregiver’s perceptions, the top five skin conditions they encountered were miliaria rubra, dry itchy rash, intertrigo, insect bite rash, and diaper rash. Notably, only 27.84% of caregivers had accurate knowledge about miliaria rubra care, with many mistakenly using moisturizers to treat prickly heat rash. About one-third of carers use botanical products, with the most common being from butterfly pea, followed by turmeric, coconut oil, olive oil, aloe vera, and cucumber. Conclusion: Thai caregivers should be encouraged to improve their knowledge and practices regarding the management of common skin conditions, particularly miliaria rubra, and the safe use of baby products, including botanical items.