Diaper Rash and Your Baby

Diaper rash may or may not be something that you will have to deal with on a regular basis.(And I hope it isn’t!) Often diaper rash can be avoided entirely with proper care of baby’s bottom and paying attention to changes in baby’s environment and eating habits.

The longer a baby is left in a damp diaper the more chance it will have of developing diaper rash.

Stool and urine combined in the diaper can feed bacteria and create ammonia which is particularly harsh on a baby’s skin.

Keeping the baby’s skin clean and dry will mean a healthier diaper environment.

Even with all my nine children, I have been able to avoid most diaper rashes. I attribute this to making sure that after I wash the bottom area thoroughly, I make sure the whole area is dry before I put on the next diaper. You can use a clean, dry cloth to blot, blow with your breath or fan with an unused diaper paying close attention to the cracks and folds. It usually isn’t necessary to use a powder with today’s disposable diapers, but you may want to just to be sure the bottom stays extra dry and fresh. I suggest a powder such as cornstarch especially  if you are using cloth. Some powders will irritate a very sensitive baby’s skin and all the extra chemicals aren’t necessary, so be aware and watch for signs of sensitivities. You can fancy up plain old cornstarch with a tiny drop of essential oil on a cotton ball added to the jar. Lavendar works very nice for this!

Sores can actually develop in the folds due to wetness and soil accumulating there. I see taking care of these areas as a VERY important part of baby care. If let go, these areas can become very sore and bleed. It could even lead to an infection. Never let that happen to your sweet baby!

If I notice that there is some redness in these areas, usually just taking extra care to get them dry will be enough for the skin to heal, but with my more sensitive baby I would use a non-petroleum jelly, or an over the counter natural butt paste or ointment. Many of my friends swear by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste .  You may have to experiment to see what works best for your baby.

Rashes may also be caused by something from the inside of your baby’s system. Don’t rule out allergies to chemicals in the diaper if you are using disposabe. Each diaper is made with a little different composition and may be causing your baby’s rash.

I did have one case of rash with my first darling that I couldn’t seem to get cleared up. His skin was red and slightly puffy and was getting open oozing sores. No rash ointment worked.

I finally asked our doctor about this rash. He gave me some samples of jock itch treatment. His rash immediately started to dissolve! I was very happy to find the solution. I had never heard of a rash being fungal before. Now I know if I see anything like it to rub on the jock itch cream.:)

You must not forget that rashes can be bacterial in origin. If your little sweetie has a rash that is not responding to regular ointments, try a simple antibiotic ointment. It may just save his or her little hiney!

Sometimes (especially if you are using cloth diapers) a rash will occur due to chemical reactions to detergents. If you suspect this may be the case, switch to washing your baby’s diapers and clothes in a more gently laundry soap such as Ivory or Deft.

As I touched on briefly, a change of food for your child and in particular when moving to solids can also cause a problem. Certainly there can be food sensitivities and quite simply there are foods that are acidic in nature and this can make urine or a bowel movement “burn” the skin.

I see basically only 2 solutions for this “problem”. The first would be stop feeding the offensive food(s) and if that is not possible, then keep the bottom coated and change the diaper IMMEDIATELY after every bowel movement.

Sometimes even with a coating of something on the skin there can still be a rash, especially if there are any uncovered areas that are exposed. Your best bet may be to eliminate the food entirely and introduce it back into the diet later when the baby’s digestive system is more mature.

To make it easy to find those food “offenders”, just introduce one new food to your baby at a time and give it a few days (the general rule seems to be 4) before you try another food. This will give plenty of time for digestive issues to surface.

You’ll want to do this and watch for tummy pains, gas, or overall fussiness,too. It’s just a good habit for you to have so you can easily spot something that may be hurting your precious baby.

This may seem like a lot to look for and try, but really there isn’t much to it.

Keeping your baby’s skin in tip top shape will help you quickly pinpoint problems as soon as they arise.