Heat rash is locally referred to as “enoga.” Heat rash in some Ugandan societies is associated with eating a lot of salt during pregnancy.

But according to medical experts, heat rash is a skin condition usually found on body areas covered by clothing. The condition is common during the hot weather.

It is common in newborns because their mothers/caretakers keep the babies covered all the time to keep them warm.

In a bid to keep them warm all the time, their caretakers dress them in many layers of clothes. Keeping babies, especially those about 6 months old in poorly ventilated houses may also trigger heat rash. Unlike a nappy rash that covers the buttocks and groin, heat rash usually covers the face, neck and trunk.

It may also gradually spread to other parts of the baby’s body. Dr. Aisha Rashid Lukwago of Lukwago Herbal Research Medicine says that a baby’s skin is so delicate, with sweating mechanism that is not as fully developed as an adult’s. “Babies can’t dispel heat through sweat; instead, the sweat is trapped in the skin. And when the sweat remains on the skin for a long time, the salty substances in the sweat triggers a reaction, causing rash known as ‘enoga’ in Luganda,” she says.

Ends