Anyone Else Have This Skin Issue with Your Child?

Try Calendula ointment. You find it at Better Health or Whole Foods. It heals really nicely and fast. Give bath time a break meanwhile.

I believe its called "aquafor" or something like that and it is like vaseline, it worked for my daughter when she would get terribly chapped under her nose as a toddler.
Have you tried "A&D ointment", to protect it while it can heal.

S. . I take care of 2 boys and when they have had really bad diaper rashes and spots like that, their Dr. has told their mother to use....I can't think of the name right off hand but it is the cream for athlete's foot (b/c athlete's foot is caused by a fungus) ...a smalll amount of that then diaper cream over top of it...I then always put cornstartch on them also...in that area the cornstartch might not be possible..

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS REALLY WEIRD, I THOUGHT SO TOO AT FIRST BUT IT REALLY DOES WORK.....

Her husband had a dry rashy spot on his forhead last fall and they used the anti-fungal cream on that a it disappeared...

B...I'm a mom of 3 grown children a caregiver to 3 little one's a grammy to 1 and another on his way next month

Hi S.,

I didn't see that you mentioned Neosporin. I use Neosporin for alot of different issues. For example, burns, I get very dry and cracked red skin behind my ears at this time of year and they hurt, so I put Neosporin (with pain relief) and it works wonders. Give it a try, I think you may find that this works. It may take a couple of days but I think you will notice a difference. My son had the same thing except for around his private area and we used Neosporin with pain relief and in a cople of days it is was almost gone. Hope this helps and good luck.

I am a stay at home mom for my wonderful and caring 9 yr. old son. I couldn't imagine life without him. I have been married for 12 yrs. to the love of my life.

Take Care
S.

Hi S. -

Wow, I think we went through what you're going through now a few weeks ago. Our 16 month old developed a little crack in his skin, like a paper cut or something, in that little area of skin between his butt cheeks at the top of the butt split (I think the phrase "butt crack" is so gross). We later realized that we were spreading him too far apart when he wiped him up (he had a stomach bug or something - baaaaaaaad poops). Like your little cherub, he would cry when we put him in the bath and if we manipulated him too much during diaper changes.

What we ended up doing is applying a little (Target brand) Desitin to the area with each diaper change. It didn't seem to bother him and the crack healed in a few days.

Have you noticed his skin being drier than normal after a bath or during the day? My kid has eczema that seems to be a bother on his cheeks, elbows, and shins. With the weather being colder and drier now, we've switched to a heavier lotion, like pure shea butter (found at health food stores) or Aquaphor. That, coupled with a cold mist humidifier used in his room at night, seems to have helped.

Hydrocortison probably won't help because it's from dry skin. While my children don't have this issue, I sometimes do. Use Aveeno (or Wal-mart brand Aveeno). It doesn't irritate and helps tons with the dry skin. It also doesn't sting with applied to cracks like you're talking about. My son has psoriasis and has dry, cracking skin all over his body sometimes. This lotion helps A TON.

HI S., Sounds like you're working hard to do everything you know to do. Michelle is right about vasoline and hydrocortisone not helping and we could talk about why another time. Have you or your son ever had thrush? Do you have yeast infections? If so lets talk about what you can do for that.

warmly, M.

Hello S.,

My guess is that he has an irritation because that is an area that can often stay damp. It can literally cause your skin to crack and it is really uncomfortable. After thoroughly drying my children, after a bath, or a diaper change,especially those areas that don't really have a chance to breathe, I use a lotion called Renew on my children. Renew is only available through a members club, and I don't think there is anything else like it on the market. I would not use steroid creams as they will likely just make it worse. Try to find the best lotion you can or contact me and I'll tell you where you can get the lotion I use. (It even worked on my children's eczema. We don't have to use steroid creams anymore.)
I hope your little guy feels better soon. He must be so uncomfy.

I get that - mine is excema and I use a prescription steroid cream when it gets really bad, other times just make sure it is really well hydrated.

S.,
I would not put vaseline or hydrocortisone on this. If it is infected in anyway, both of those could make it worse. Sometimes people get yeast infections in that area. I hate to have you go to the doctor, but would they charge you just to consult on the phone?
I am not sure what you should put on it, since there is no way to tell exactly what it is. Sorry. I feel for the little guy! (and for the mom!)
Just avoid the vaseline and hydrocortisone until you get a better idea what is causing it. Good luck!

A little fissure (small crack in the skin) is what it sounds like. Like the others, I think an OTC antibiotic ointment would help, like neosporin, or the generic brand is fine. Because of where it is, it can get germs quickly. If the area around it is also red, or itchy, it could be fungal and an OTC anti-fungal might help. AFter it clears up, it it looks reddish frequently, you may want to protect it with a good diaper cream, one that doesn't rub off easily. One of my kids had that more than once, it is pretty common.

Since Hydrocortisone is a steroid, it would not be my first choice. A & D ointmint and Neosporin is a better choice, yet the most healthy would probably be a calendula cream.

You said that he has been potty training, Is he still wearing a diaper at night? If he is it could be the diaper. We just found out that my daughter is allergic to Huggies brand diapers, and they are the only night time diaper I can find. She had an infected diaper rash, which sounds similar to what you are describing, and had to go on oral antibiotics and 2 creams. He may have an infected rash, and I would go to the dr. I would also try switching the night time diaper or pull up you are using, if you are using one.

My son (3 years old) has severe eczema and he gets it really bad on his bottom, right around the crack and between the legs. He also gets it on his face and on the backs of his knees and elbows. His ped told me that if the area gets cracked (mostly from him itching it) to put a capful of bleach in his bath so it doesn't get infected. Then twice each day (only when he's having flare-ups) we put hydrocortizone on it, then layer it with Vaseline or something like it (sometimes I use A&D ointment and you really can't use too much of that). Obviously I have no way of knowing if that is what your son has but it could be! This time of year is terrible for that too. Good luck!

S.,

I wouldn't use the hydrocortizon cream as that is a drying agent (good for poison ivy) that will only dry the area further. Using Desitin or A&E ointment would probably be better. It also sounds like it could be eczema, which my son has all over. We went to the doctor and got an ointment which helped take care of it but I believe that in such a small area the diaper cream would also work.

S.

I'm wondering if it could be yeast. It wouldn't hurt to use a little monistat or generic vaginal yeast ointment on it and see if it helps.

Arbonne ABC Baby Care Cream twice a day. Its awesome! Arbonne.com- Feel free to use my id# 15995508 when ordering.

I would use Aquaphor ointment and/or neosporin. Aquaphor is a miracle worker!

Hello S., Sometimes children are born with a cyst in that area. That would explain the crack in the skin. My younger brother had this also, when he went through puberty it got so bad that it was always bleeding and had to be removed, his was just under the tail bone. I don't know if this is what your son has, but a visit to the doctor is in order. Good luck.