What do you suggest to help my 10-month-old's itching at bath time?

My 10-month-old daughter scratches her skin in the lower-back and buttock area like mad when getting into a warm bath. I use an ultra-sensitive baby wash that I squirt into her bath water. I can feel small bumps on her skin and try to stop her from scratching and pulling at the area, but until she has finished in the bath, the area is very red and irritated. She has left marks on her skin and would probably scratch until she bled if I let her. What do you suggest?

Your daughter is not alone in itching at bathtime. This is a fairly common complaint in my practice, especially in children with a history of extremely dry skin or eczema. The exact cause is unclear. Since you describe small bumps in the area, I might mention that some individuals can develop hives in areas in contact with water, a condition called "aquagenic urticaria". This, however, is quite rare. Some general recommendations for your daughter are to keep the bath water as cool as she can comfortably tolerate, to keep bathtime under 10 minutes, and to liberally apply a thick moisturiser immediately after she has finished bathing. The products you add to the bath are unlikely to be at the root of her itching, but you might want to try a different perfume-free, hypoallergenic product. Most important is to make sure that any residue of soap or bath bubbles is thoroughly rinsed off. If these simple measures are unsuccessful, get your daughter seen by her GP, who can make more recommendations after examining her skin.