How To Treat Your Baby’s Diaper Rash

It is an inevitable part of rearing a baby – you wake up one day and open your little one’s diaper to wash her and put on a clean diaper, then find an angry patch of red rashes on her cute little bottom. Oh no! Baby has a diaper rash! What should you do?

When I was a new mom to our now 4-year-old son, I thought that one of the worst things that could happen is for a baby to get rashes from diapers, thinking that it is a reflection of being a "bad mother". Thank God though for the internet and parenting books, and my own mom’s words of wisdom – I realized that a diaper rash is very common among babies.

Considering all my lessons learned from our first baby, I thought that with our second-born, a girl this time, diaper rashes would be a thing of the past. Imagine how dismayed I was when one month old Therese developed an extremely bad rash in her diaper area, which was eventually diagnosed as a plain rash-turned-fungal infection due to prolonged antibiotic use (she had to take medications because she was diagnosed with sepsis and UTI right after birth). Fortunately with lots of internet research and the right medical advice, we were able to effectively clear up Therese’s yeast infection diaper rash.

Here I’d like to share some tips on how to deal with your baby’s diaper rash, based on my own experience as a mom, and the resulting research I did.

These steps can be described using the acronym “DIAPER”, which stands for:

Dry at all times.
In the book “365 Baby Care Tips” by Penny Warner and Dr. Paula Kelly, it is highly recommended that parents check Baby’s diaper often and change it as often as possible. Diaper rash often develops because of the skin's long exposure to urine, and occasionally, feces.  Keeping Baby dry will prevent rashes from developing in the first place.

Whether you’re using cloth diapers or disposables, you need to change them as often as possible (after one wetting with cloth, maybe 2 with disposables). Don’t forget to clean the diaper area with clean water and mild hypoallergenic baby cleanser, and gently pat (not rub) the area dry, before putting on the new diaper. Most paediatricians recommend avoiding the use of baby wipes whenever Baby has a rash; instead you can use cotton balls, or even more economical, a plain washcloth soaked in clean water.

 

Click here to see other treatment tips for diaper rash.

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Read on to see other treatment tips for diaper rash.

 

Be Informed.

When our kids first got rashes, I was initially at a loss on what to do. At that time, we were based in Timor Leste (East Timor) and I did not know any pediatricians whom I trusted. Luckily though, we had access to the Internet, where I was able to get lots of information about the different types of diaper rash, and the different ways to treat them. Most of the sites I found recommended home therapy first before seeking medical advice. Of course, it is your discretion whether or not to seek your pediatrician’s advice.

Some of the information that we got that was put to good use was:
•    Use cloth diapers and wash them in hot water whenever possible. However since this is not practical and economical for a lot of us, you could opt to use regular water and add a half-cup of white vinegar in your final rinse. As much as possible, hang the diapers out to dry under the sun, which is effective in killing most forms of bacteria and fungi that could make Baby’s rash worse.
•    Avoid the use of plastic diaper covers/pants. Using these will prevent you from knowing whether it is time to change Baby’s diaper; also, these hinder the proper circulation of air, and make the diaper area hotter and sweatier.

Apply the appropriate diaper rash ointment, cream or remedy.

For basic diaper rashes, ointment or cream such as Desitin or Drapolene are quite effective. For those who opt for the natural route, there are lots of ointments available locally. Some of those which I recommend are Indigo Baby’s Moonshine Baby Bottom Spray, GIGA’s diaper balm and Baby Bee’s Little Kean Nappy Rash Cream. If you really want to be economical though, you can also try putting some virgin coconut oil (VCO) in a small spray bottle and spraying it on Baby’s diaper area in between changes. VCO has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and can help clear up diaper rashes safely and effectively! (It is also very useful for insect bites, cuts and scrapes!)

When Therese’s rash was diagnosed to be a fungal infection, we used both the doctor-prescribed anti-fungal medication and the VCO alternately, plus the Gentian violet and vinegar wash on her diaper area. They proved to be effective in speeding up the healing process.

 

Click here to see more treatment tips for diaper rash.

[previous|page|next]

Read on to see more treatment tips for diaper rash.

 

Powder, lotion, and baby oil-free babies heal faster!

When your baby has a diaper rash, it is highly recommended that you stop using any powder (it’s bad for baby’s lungs anyway), lotion or baby oil as these may contain chemicals that could make the rash worse.

Cornstarch is a good alternative to powder, and helps prevent diaper rash too. However, if your baby has a fungal diaper rash, don't use cornstarch as it can make it worse – Candida Albans, the fungus that causes yeast infection and diaper rashes feeds on cornstarch.

Remember, the more natural you go, the better it is for Baby.


Expose the affected area.

As much as possible, allow baby to be diaper-free periodically to help speed up the healing of the rash. This is recommended also to prevent diaper rash from occurring.

If you are uncomfortable with the potential mess (from wee-wee and poo-poo), try using diapers that are slightly large for Baby so that he can have them on loose. Again, avoid using plastic or waterproof pants (diaper covers) as this can aggravate the rash.


Refer the problem to your pediatrician if it does not improve.

As with everything else related to your little one, when in doubt, consult your pediatrician. If Baby’s rash does not clear up within 3-4 days, stop self-medicating and call your doctor for further advice.



Photo from sxc.hu