Attributes such as laundry detergent, diaper wipes and soap may irritate the skin around your baby’s diaper area, while acidic foods can make their urine and stool particularly unpleasant for infants.
Diaper rash can typically be treated at home without needing medical intervention, provided you follow some simple guidelines. Follow these suggestions.
Frequent Diaper Changes
Regular diaper changes and avoiding prolonged contact between wet or soiled skin and baby’s diaper are the best way to prevent most diaper rashes in children. Some common causes include moisture from leaving a wet or soiled diaper on too long, tight fitting diapers chafing against tight fitting skin barriers, chemical breakdown within urine/feces over time causing irritation, yeast infections or bacteria buildup on diapered babies’ bottoms, tight fitting tight fitting diapers that press on skin barrier functions causing tight fitting tight fitting tight fits tighten against sensitive areas on skin barrier function as well as yeast infections causing yeast infection on baby’s bottom.
When changing a baby’s diaper, be sure to clean their skin gently with water or an alcohol and fragrance-free wipe, in conjunction with a soft cloth. For optimal results when choosing an alcohol- and fragrance-free wipe like Huggies Calm Wipes to protect the skin against friction and dryness, and for severe rashes you could even try using a squirt bottle filled with water to gently clean without further irritating it.
Yeast infections often develop in a diaper’s warm, moist environment and are more prevalent among breast-fed babies or those recently taking antibiotics. Other causes for yeast infections may include changes to diet or solid food introduction, side effects from certain medications and chronic skin conditions like psoriasis requiring medical intervention if present; alternatively if your baby has diaper rash symptoms you could try Lotrimin anti-yeast cream to see if that helps treat them first.
Clean the Diaper Area Gently
Cleansing the diaper area is one of the key components to both preventing and treating diaper rash. To effectively do so, soiled areas must be addressed as soon as they appear; at least four times daily is best. Wetness, friction between skin and diaper and irritants from poop and urine are the major sources of irritation around diaper area; using damp washcloth or wipes (try not to choose those containing alcohol or fragrance) at every diaper change will help stop these conditions from developing and may help alleviate existing rashes as well.
Expose skin as much as possible, and avoid cloth diapers which restrict oxygen flow to their skin, leading to worsened diaper rashes. For mild diaper rash cases, try leaving off diaper and placing towel around them while napping or playing; this will allow it to dry more quickly, and may help significantly. If a bright red and sharp-bordered rash appears on your child, this could indicate yeast infection; most pharmacies carry antifungal cream that works without prescription to address this situation.
If your child’s rash is more severe, consider applying a protective diaper rash ointment or cream to their skin. Zinc oxide and petroleum jelly-containing solutions tend to have thicker consistency than baby powder and won’t need to be completely removed at each diaper change.
Apply a Barrier Cream or Ointment
Apply a thick diaper rash cream (such as petroleum jelly, zinc oxide and some branded formulas) liberally at each diaper change to create an effective barrier against moisture and irritants that may contribute to diaper rash and allow skin healing. Look for products without added fragrance that contain thick formulas for maximum skin protection – avoid baby powder as this could add further friction.
Do not use diaper wipes with scent or alcohol-based fragrance, instead opting for alcohol- and fragrance-free wipes that don’t rub against their bottom area or vigorous scrubbing techniques; rather use a soft washcloth saturated in warm water containing gentle soap for this task, before rinsing well and drying thoroughly afterwards.
If your child develops a persistent diaper rash that does not resolve within three days, consult a healthcare provider immediately. It could be a yeast infection or something more serious like contact dermatitis or an allergic reaction from their diaper itself.
Yeast infections are caused by an overgrowth of yeast-like bacteria found in the digestive tract, with symptoms typically appearing as diaper rash in skin folds (especially around the groin) accompanied by red spots with white scales or blisters or pus-filled lesions that often break open into open sores that bleed or spread to other parts of the body. For most, antifungal medications like Clotrimazole or Metronidazole work wonders to cure yeast infections.
Antifungal Treatment
Yeast diaper rashes are caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans yeast in warm and moist areas like those covered by diapers, such as folds of skin. These rashes can become itchy, red, and painful for your baby; however they are noncontagious and can be prevented with antifungal medication in a home treatment plan.
If your child’s skin looks as though someone ran fingernails across it or they have blisters, scabs, a severe rash covering large parts of their body (not just diaper area), foul-smelling drainage, new symptoms or drainage that smells foul then contact a physician immediately – they may need to adjust his/her prescription or recommend that they visit a dermatologist.
If your baby has mild diaper rash, two times per day hydrocortisone cream (a steroid) may help soothe his or her irritated skin. Also consider applying zinc oxide or petrolatum diaper rash ointment four times each day during diaper changes as this acts as a barrier that keeps harmful chemicals away from touching their delicate skin.
Always ensure you use water and a soft washcloth when cleaning the genital area after every diaper change, rather than disposable wipes which contain alcohol and fragrances that can irritate skin. Pat the area dry instead of rubbing; make sure diaper fits loosely to promote airflow; avoid powders containing talc or corn starch which reduce friction or moisture as these substances could be inhaled and cause lung irritation in baby.
