Post contains affiliate links.
Diaper rash is inevitable but it doesn't have to last long. There are plenty of things you can do as the parent because no one wants their poor kiddo to suffer needlessly.
Obviously in some cases seeking medical attention is necessary right away but there are things that can be done to prevent needing medical attention and/or prescription medications.
Diaper Rash can be caused by many things. The trick to treating them is figuring out what your child's rash needs. Skin break down tends to happen due to increased stool (poo), sitting in a wet diaper a little too long, and/or an allergic reaction.
Take a look at the rash to identify what's needed. Diaper rashes are typically allergic, fungal, or bacterial in nature. When your child has an allergic reaction to either a medication, lotion, or a diaper material this leaves their skin vulnerable. The skin breaks down more easily and becomes irritated. Pictures provided by Healthychildren.org.
The first thing in an allergic reaction is to attempt to relieve pain, calm the area, and removing the allergen. In this case over the counter (OTC) steroid hydrocortisone works great.
A nice layer of this covered by a barrier cream (like Aquaphor or Butt Paste) to keep the medication in place and your child's skin protected from irritants. Some Allergic reactions require systemic (oral/IV) steroids and leave broken skin vulnerable to other infections.
If the Rash looks pimply in nature, meaning reddened raised area with white tops, this is normally a tell tail sign its fungal. Fungal infections, caused by things like yeast, happen easily in diapers because it is a dark area that collect moisture. The important part is to keep the medication on while protecting the skin. OTC anti fungals
are a good place to start, once applied liberally cover with a barrier cream as suggested above. Keeping your child dry with any rash is important but especially in a fungal rash. Attempt to change babies diaper more often just to be safe.
Finally is the bacterial diaper rash which is caused just like a fungal rash but the opportunistic infection comes from bacteria. Just like a fungal rash typically being yeast, the cause of most bacterial skin infections is staph.
In the early stages of a this rash utilize an OTC antibiotic cream on any open areas and aim to cover with barrier cream just like above. Some times staph is fickle and a prescription antibiotic cream is needed.
Diaper rash is inevitable but some parents don't experience how bad they can actually get. There are so many causes and normally little babies with tough starts in life are more susceptible to these opportunistic skin infections. Prevention is key, a dry diaper along with clean and moisturized skin helps. In the case of a really tough stubborn rash a nurse passed on this little trick. 1 tube of Zinc Oxide, 1 tube of A&D Ointment, 1 tube of Lotrimin, and 1/4 cup of Mylanta.
This potion was used on this nurse's child who suffered a really bad case of diarrhea due to antibiotics. This cream was mixed up into a jar and applied at each diaper change. Homemade wash clothes with just Johnson’s and water to clean the skin, then pat dry and apply the cream. Wipes can be especially drying when dealing with rashes so see what works best for your kiddo. Certain other autoimmune disorders and skin conditions can create diaper rashes that cause confusion at first because they do not respond to typical treatments. In this case other systemic (entire body) medications might be needed to control the flare up of the rash. Ezcema, gastrointestinal diseases, psorisis, along with other illnesses can come with diaper rash and only by treating the illness itself will improve the rash. Supportive care like a medicated cream and gentle wash clothes, as described above, can help manage a diaper rash while learning to manage an acute or chronic illness.
留言