What to Do About Diaper Rash

M.,

My one son use to have the same problem, what I noticed that worked the best was........letting him go without a diaper for little periods of the day. I just put a bigger shirt on him. I won't lie he did wet on the floor, but the fresh air help that air breathe. This did help the rashes go down to a minimum.

Roseann

My daughter gets them frequently as well. Have you tried monostat cream? It could be a yeast infection. Destin overnight relief cream works really well, too. Good luck!

You may want to have the doctor take a look at her rash. It could be yeast and in that case you may need a prescription cream to take care of it completely. Good luck.

When my kids went thru this the doctor suggested that we stop using wipes. Just use a wet washcloth or a wet paper towel. For really nasty cleanings we would rinse them off with the sprayer in the sink. Also avoid use of most soaps in the tub, the perfumes and chemicals irritate it further. Letting her run around diaper and creme free as much as possible helps too. It could also be a yeast infection in her diaper area, my kids were prone to this too. For that the dr. would prescribe nistatin and clotrimizole. You can also use monistat creme to see if it helps. The most helpful thing for any diaper rash is letting it be clean and dry which means airing out. If you are worried about the dirty accidents maybe letting her run around in panties or training pants when you are home with her.

Good Luck1

M.

You might see if it fit the yeast infection description, you have to use lotrimin to get rid of that. Check this page, http://www.webmd.com/baby/babys-diaper-rash I have it bookmarked for reference.

She could have a yeast infection/thrush. Check for white in her mouth (splotches in cheek or coating on tongue). That could indicate an overgrowth of yeast. Google "thrush diaper rash" under images to see what that kind of rash is supposed to look like and see if it is similar. If it is thrush, you'd need to get a prescription for an anti-fungal cream and, if it's in her mouth, an oral solution. If it is thrush, make sure to keep good hand washing habits when changing her (don't just wipe your hands with a wipe) also try wiping her with just a wet washcloth. That will help if her rash keeps getting irritated from the chemicals in the wipes and will help to really clear away any irritants from her skin. You can also go to the local apothecary and ask for a zinc paste to help her bum heal.

Hi M.. Best to check with your doctor on this one - it could be a type of yeast infection (Candidiasis) that doesn't go away with out medication. Very easy to treat once it's diagnosed, and even easier for her to keep getting it if you don't. You can then go from there on keeping her dry and see if that makes a difference. I would eliminate the powder and stick with the ointments for topical relief - A&D ointment, Butt Paste, etc. with Zinc - they take the sting out.

Good luck!

M.:

have you tried calendula....

P., RLC, IBCLC, CST
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

My son (24 months) suffers from yeast infections which I thought were diaper rashes. You may want to have it checked out with a ped to make sure it's just not diaper rash. She prescribed a steroidal cream that works wonders---cleared up in a matter of hours. By the way, my son also has very very sensitive skin. Sometimes, good ol' fashion wet bath towel instead of baby wipes and vaseline instead of any of the other product. I also agree that A and D ointment works wonders.

Good luck! B.

Aquaphor is like vasaline but way better. My boys all had really sensitive skin and diaper rash a lot - not due to not changing but to their skin type. Aquaphor saved us and continues to this day to be our first choice for their sensitive skin. We put it on their lips in the winter and my youngest gets patches during the winter that won't go away with anything else - he gets it put on his whole body after baths. You can get it at CVS - kind of expensive but worth it in the end and when you see the rash gone after one night you will be convined that nothing could be better.

I had that problem with my son, I started using cortizone,If that doesn't work buttpaste is great to. You might even consider changing the baby wipes she might be irritated buy that. Good luck
D.

Hi, I have 2 kids, a boy 7 and a girl 3. I have learned that the more zinc oxide in the product, the better. Desitin Creamy never worked on my kids but the Desitin Original, with the 10% zinc oxide worked wonders. I wish you loads of luck!!!!

My mom learned this from one of her cousins and it works better than anything else I've tried. Usually the diaper rash is gone within the day. Sometimes it will take two, but rarely. Brown some flour in a skillet and then put it into an airtight container. Use cotton balls to dust it onto the rash. Should clear it right up. Hope this helps!

You have already gotten the suggestion that this may be a yeast infection. My daughter has had this a couple of times. You don't need a prescription for it. Any over the counter anti-fungal cream will work. We use Clotrimazole(Lotrimin) and yes this is for athlete's foot, but it has worked very well on my daughter and is what our doctor recommended. The first time my daughter had it it had gotten very red and bumpy by the time I figured out it was a yeast infection. I just kept putting more and more diaper rash ointments on it. It was cleared up in 2 days after using the Lotrimin.

Good Luck,
D.

if she is prone to rashes, check w/your ped. and see about getting an Rx for vusion cream. I have used it for DD and it works wonders. Check up on it, though, I believe it is most effective for yeast based rashes.

I always used Desitin--the original recipe, rather than the newer easy-to-wipe-off version. It always worked well for me. I think that part of its success is that some amount of a layer always remains. I would suggest not trying to wipe it all off.

Has she been checked for allergies? Do you notice if there's a pattern to what she eats and the appearance of the rashes? Could you switch to cloth diapers with a diaper service?

Here is some more info that might be helpful...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081400.asp

Try triple paste (avail at Walgreens). It will clear it up in no time. It could be diet related Good luck!

Hi M.,
You daughter could have sensitive skin. Once she gets the diaper rash, she may be reacting to the creams, wipes or diapers. It might be that its never going away. Also, it could be a yeast rash, in which case you may need a prescription ointment.

If you're not using them already, I'd try the following:

wipes: hypoallergenic (no perfumes, no alcohol, super sensitive) or get a bunch of small terrycloth baby washcloths and just use water; use each wipe only once before washing - don't "redunk"; keep a small towel handy for drying

lotions: I swear by the standard A&D -- yellow cream, I've used both the name brand and store brands, you can put tons on, it seems to go cause little to no pain on bad rash too. When the rash gets really bad, I use either the A&D with zinc oxide (white) or the canister of Desitin (thick stuff, not the more lotion like that comes in the Desitin tubes -- the thinner stuff doesn't work as well and actually seemed to sting going on). If bottom is super sensitive, put the yellow stuff on first then the white stuff.

other products: other soaps you use for bathing can also be contributing to the problem. My baby got a series of rashes when I gave him a few bubble baths! I would get a very gentle cleanser, like Dove (bar) or Cetaphil (liquid soap) (again, for the latter, generic is ok too).

If doesn't clear up in another few days or comes back in a week, you may want to either go to the doctor or check at the drug store to see if they have anything OTC for a yeast diaper rash -- the prescription one is not the same active ingredient as for women's yeast infections, so I would not use Monistat or any of the adult ones unless specifically instructed by my pediatrician.

Good luck!
A., SAHM to 3 1/2 and almost 2 year old boys

I had a daughter that had a terrible problem with diaper rash. I had to keep trying different brands of diapers until I found one that she could wear. I also found that cetaphil lotion was the best thing to clean her with when she was so irritated instead of wipes.

The other thing that I was thinking was maybe she has a food allergy if it is something that has just developed. Has she just started on something new or had an over abundance of a particular food?

I am a nurse and I know that is a lot of times the reason for diaper rashes.

Good Luck!!

Bordeaux's Butt Paste works wonders

I have always use Arrow Root and/or cornstarch mixed with a few drops of therapeutic Lavender essential oils - as a powder. Definitely don't want to use powder with talc - talc is a known carcinogen. It acts the same as asbestos and affects the lungs. Talc has also been linked to ovarian cancer. Using powders without talc goes for everyone children and adults.

Here are some links that may help
Baby Wipes and Baby Lotion Dangers
http://antiagingchoices.com/infant_children/baby_wipes_an...

This website will give you the twelve most harmful ingredients in children's products.
http://antiagingchoices.com/infant_children/dirty_dozen_b...

How Toxic chemicals affects the health of our children
http://antiagingchoices.com/infant_children/toxic_chem_ch...

Some diapers have proplyene glycol in them - be sure and check the ingredients - or use cloth diapers.

Hope this helps.

I highly recommend using malox or mylanta- I mix it with A & D and apply every other diaper change. although, I have just poured it on in the middle of the night. its a cooling base and works quickly. If you try treatment and its not better after 3 days call you ped- make sure theres not yeast infection is some cases rectal strep.

Hi! My son got a really nasty diaper rash for a week and we used Boudreaux's Butt Paste. I swear by this stuff! It really cleared things up quick. We also had to let him hang around with no diaper on for a little while each day to dry it up quicker too.

use baking soda and water wipes. could she be allergic to your wipes and not the diaper? you could go as far as having her urine tested to make sure the ph is not off etc.
what is she eatign new foods? could be a food allergy
good luck
J.

M.,

THE BEST remedy is Safflower oil. You find it in the grocery store by the regular vegetable oils. When I had my 1st daughter, the nurse in the hospital told me about it. It works WONDERS on diaper rash. You will notice an improvement overnight. Its all natural and not smelly or purfumey. It was teh best advice I received from someone about my baby girl. Hope it does wonders for you as well.

I am a mother of four. My tried and true advice for diaper rash is head it off. Use desitin or A&D oinment with every change and you will help prevent diaper rash to begin with.
CM

try this...wipe her with warm water when you change her instead of wipes, make sure she is super dry and then spread a thin layer of neosporin. I had to do this with my twin boys because they would get some really bad rashes too. If everything you try isn't working you should probably take her to the pediatrician and get a prescription strength ointment.

dont use powder, try butt paste its a name brand we get ours from target, but they have it everywhere, its a little costly but worth it, we couldnt get rid of hers at first either but then we used this and it worked great almost instantly

Make sure her bottom is dry before putting the cream on. If you wipe it with a diaper wipe and then put the cream on, you are actually locking in the moisture. A hair dryer on low, cold can help with this.

Hey M....try triple paste. The stuff is magic, its expensive ($20 for a large tub) but when our son gets those rashes that look like a curling iron has gotten to his butt, this stuff heals it up in 1 application! It is worth every dime!

with md ok, have you tried lotrimin (fungal cream) and aquafor or vaseline? if the rash is splotchy and raised, it may be a yeast infection, not a diaper rash. use the lotrimin 4 times a day and cover with the aquafor (it's expensive and vaseline works ok, if you don't want to spend the money on it). do this for 7-10 days, it should start clearing up within 24 hours. otherwise, make sure that the cream you are using has 40% zinc oxide in it, less than that really doesn't help on severe cases. also, if the area is opening to sores, try placing about 1/2 cup of baking soda in the bathwater every night. even when the kids don't have rashes on their bottoms, we do this in the winter time. it helps with the dryness. my dd had every kind of rash on her bottom in her first year. i'll try and remember some other tricks that worked. can you describe the rash? it may help me remember what i did. good luck!

oh- look at what the baby is eating, it can affect the rash too. it maybe a food allergy.

talk to your doctor... it could be a yeast infection.

theres a lot of expensive stuff out there but I have raised many on good old fashion corn starch use it with each diaper change

You say you try to keep her dry, but you work full time. So whoever is caring for her when you work is not changing her when she wets. She's not getting diaper rash from dry diapers. C. R

My Parents are old fashion. When my mom watches our son, she immedately takes off the diapers and let him air dry. Yes, it's messy when it comes to cleaning it up. However, it seemed to work. She even wanted me to go back to cloth diapers ( the old fashion way ). Since, my parents watch my son, I let her do it her way, when I'm away working. It does help! You have to keep it up though. When I put the plastic diapers on I have ruined my mothers'work. I love her so much. I had to tell her to relax and the rash will eventally, go away. She bought Dr. Smith's ointment, you can get these at a walgreens or Target. My mom mentioned to me out of the diaper creams I bought, she loves Dr. Smiths Ointment, it doesn't stick to the diaper or it's messy.

Hope this can help!
Married, Mother of an 14 mth old son.

First off, cloth diapers are always best for babies. But when my children got a rash, (which was very seldom and to a very minor degree) I would brown a little flour in a cast iron skillet. Once cooled, I dusted there bottom with it every diaper change. It is important to let the bottom get plenty of air during a rash. Then once the rash dried up, (which was only a few days) I would resume dusting with a medicated powder called Mexsana. I think its still available at Walgreens. That was all I ever used during diaper changes.
Oh I thought I might add that I have eight children ranging from ages 27 through 17. All praises to the Most High!

Judy C (I don't understand why my From line names me T., one of my daughter's name)

You may want to try feeding her yogurt everyday. I give my kids yo-baby yogurt and they have had no problems with diaper rash.

I had a problem with my son with the diaper rash and tried all the other "white creams" including the butt paste. Nothing worked. So I started to use Vaseline. After I cleaned him up, I put on Vaseline. It is a barrier against wetness and makes cleaning up of his poopy diapers much easier. Hopefully this will work on your little one. Also, make sure your wipes are sensitive ones.

Have you tried Aquaphor? That is what I use, and it really seems to help. It is an expensive one, but worth it.

Our daughter also has very sensitive skin. We went to a dermatologist who recommended using vaseline instead of diaper cream and wipes without alcohol in them. Hope that helps!

I used Vitamin A and D ointment and put a lot of it on the affected area...it's sold in a tube at any drug store. I stayed away from powders and Desitin was too harsh and difficult to wash off. The other thing, have you explored what she might be eating or drinking that might be causing that (undiluted orange juice for example)?

i have a 16 month old little girl who always gets rashes and they take forever to go away i try a&d ointment for a couple days to see how that works and if i doesnt i but lotrumin it is found in the footcare section and is complete safe says my ped i used it for to days and the rash was gone i love that stuff.good luck and i ope you find something that works.

I have tried a old home remedy of browning white flour. You put about a cup to a cup and a half in a fry pan and just brown it. Wait until it is cool and then apply it to a clean bottom. It works.

My bet is that she's allergic to something. Quite often children present rashes in the diaper region in response to something they've eaten. She might also be sensitive to acidic foods-pineapple, oranges, etc.

We used Huggies Diaper Rash Cream (used to be called DRC). It always cleared up the rash for both my son and daughter. But sometimes on my daughter if the rash was in the genital area thru medical advice we used Clotrimazole only in that area. This medicine can only be used externally so be careful to keep away from the gentials. In addition, we only used a small amount. You will need to talk to your doctor before using this product.

If it isn't yeast, I think it could be a food allergy. Try to watch what you are feeding you child and see if there are any connections. I am not exactly sure what you need to do to find out what kind of allergy- but I think the doctor can try to do some tests too (I think). Speak to your doctor about this - sounds like you have tried the creams and change of diaper brands- so ask the doctor next.

may want to consider possible food allergies. What works best for our son is going diaper free most of the day and the butt paste. The air on the butt seems to be the best though. For several hrs a day at least

My daughter had a bad rash for a couple of weeks. It turned out to be a yeast infection on her skin. So no diaper rash cream was solving it bacause it was a yeast. They have a medicine for this but you have to go through you doctor. Mine just called it in without having to see her.

Hope all ends well and soon.

J.

I am guessing your child has a yeast infection. This will not go away using over-the-counter diaper rash remedies. You should call your pediatrician for a prescription for Nystatin. It works on yeast infections. FYI, yeast infections look red, bumpy and painful. It will take care of it. Yeast is very difficult to get rid of which is why you need the ointment. Even then, it may take a week. Good luck.

L. Zuckerman, RN

I take care of my 10 month old grandaughter and desitin clears up a diaper rash really fast. Have you checked with docter to see if your daughter has yeast infection . My daughter had that when she was a baby and docter had us give her yogurt once a week and she never got it again. also my grandaughter at first kept getting a rash and we took her to the docter cause nothing was helping and she was allergic to the baby wipes we where using they recomended we use pamper gentle care ones.

Your daughter may be experiencing yeast instead of a diaper rash. The two can be mistaken for one another. You may want to consult your physician about a cream for yeast. If it is yeast, adding yogurt to her diet may help reduce the frequency of the rash. Another thing is that she may have a sensitive bottom. Once the irritation is gone, you might want to go "old school" and just use regular Vaseline only on her bottom (no powder, no lotion). I hope this helps.

Note: My oldest daughter (3) would develop yeast when administered antibiotics. Her doctor would always prescribe a cream with the antibiotic. My youngest daugher (14 months) developed a bleeding rash when powder with cornstarch was used on her bottom. My girlfriend suggested "DYPROTEX". It cleared the rash faster than any other ointments or creams I used.

Have you ever tried corn starch? My son used to get terrible rashes. The Corn starch kept him dry and free from rashes. Good Luck!

My daughter is two and still has a very sensitive bottom if not treated properly. Keeping her dry is very important, but often times it is simply from chafing because she is now so active. I never use baby wipes, just warm water, to clean her up and I use a combination of products to keep her rash free. During the day I use Aquafur to keep her cheeks from rubbing together, and at night I use Desitin to keep her nice and dry. Make sure her bottom is completely dry before applying either product because they can trap any moisture in and make the problem worse.

The Aquafur is kind of like a vasaline (I use the tub at home but the tube for in her diaper bag) but it has better healing powers. And the Desitin is great for longer term but I found it dried her skin out if I used it all day long. Good luck, the rashes will all go away once they are potty trained and no longer in those hot wet diapers.

I swear by bag balm. I have used it on all 4 kids. I remember when my first was an infant and somebody passed this advice on to me. They sent me to the 1 drugstore in the county that sold it (now it's everywhere)! You may able to even find it online now. It's in a little green tin. Don't be alarmed by the product use description. It cleared every rash up my kids came down with within 24 hours.

Hi M.!
I used to use the Bordeauxs Butt Paste and then switched to Burt's Baby Bee Diaper Ointment.....I LOVE IT and it's the ONLY thing that has worked for both of my girls. You can order online OR get it at Woodman's or select Walgreens. I know other stores carry it but it's a hit or miss.
Good Luck!
K. :~)

Arbonne International has a wonderful diaper rash cream for $14 and can only be purchased online. Arbonne suggests using Arbonne Baby Care Herbal Diaper Rash Cream if diaper rash or chafing is present. You may also want to apply the cream at the first sign of redness and apply the cream each time you change the baby’s diaper. As a preventative measure, you may want to apply cream to the diaper area at bedtime when exposure to a wet diaper could be extended. The Diaper Rash Cream is also great for all kinds of challenges – from insect bites to small rashes – this product will help relieve the uncomfortable feeling associated with irritated skin. People of all ages will benefit from its properties.

If you have any questions, write back and if you go to www.arbonne.com to order, you must enter a consultant's ID and I'd appreciate it if you entered mine which is 16179171.

Is your daughter teething? My son gets rashes every time a new tooth starts to poke through. those little whight monsters really do a number on their whole bodies. Apparently it throws off the ph balance, and they can get major diarrehea as well as monster rashes. Just keep slathering cream, especially at night. I've only found Desitin Overnight formula to work. I load it on before the last diaper change, and then use it only as needed throughout the day. The other thing it can be is a yeast infection, which I believe needs to be diagnosed first by a doctor then you'll know what to look for. For those It's relatively easy...Lotromin...the jock itch cream. I know it's weird, but it has worked wonders on my son. Good luck

Like you, I'm 37 year old single working Mom keeping head above water :) Anyway, I swear by the Original Desitin (purple tube only) My daughter has very fair, sensitive skin and I find it's the only thing that works. She must be completely dry before you put it on or it seals in moisture and makes it worse. If that doesn't work (immediately) then it could be fungal -- so in that case, the black tube of Lotrimin AF works. Again, child must be completely dry before putting it on. Good luck!

I would not use any powder. When it gets wet it just forms a paste like substance and makes the affected area even more moist. What you need is to keep a good barrier between the skin and wetness. I absolutely LOVE and swear by Triple Paste. My daughter had rashes that went on for months and that was the ONLY THING that cleared them up. Any time her bottom gets a little red I use that. Otherwise, I use Butt Paste. I would make sure it's not a yeast infection though. (call your doc) They are easy and quick to treat but very painful so you should have her looked at right away. (or they may just diagnose it over the phone.) Good luck!!

First of all, good for you on raising three little ones by yourself, I think it is amazing! Your daughter could be dealing with yeast, which creates a rash that has small, red bumps, if this is the case, take her into to the doctor, they have perscription creams to clear it up. If it is just rashy all over, my pediatrician suggested liquid mylanta or milk of magnesia mixed into your diaper cream, any topical anti-fungal, like lotrimin. And use a blow-dryer on a cool setting to get her really dry between changes. My boys get terrible rashes, I'm thinking about changing over to cloth diapers, I can't afford to buy the new, fancy cloth diapers, so I am going to try to make my own- there are some free patterns online if this interests you-
Good luck! hang in there!

Here are a few things I learned from my experience (told to me by my mother) and from my oldest daughter who would actually get blisters.
1.) If she's drinking juice, water it down half and half and cut back to only one or two cups a day.

2.) No bubble bath or soapy water in the bath. Get her in and out of the bath so she doesn't sit in soapy water.

3.) Rinse her thoroughly with water...no soap.

4.) Make sure that you catch poopie diapers immediately...my daughter had loose stools and would often get blisters if she sat in it for more than a few minutes. It was hard for me to catch them all the time because my nose really does not work and I had to put my nose in her diaper to smell or just constantly look down in her diaper.

5.) When she starts wearing panties use allergen free detergents. She might continue to have problems as she gets older.

6.) Not too much citrus in her diet.

I kept powder on her my oldest little bottom and that helped. Every night especially because she would be wet for longer periods. Every night regardless of a rash or not. It helped prevent them.

Try Beaudreax's Butt Paste....I think I spelled that right. You can get it at Walmart. It is good for tough rashes. I also liked Johnson's diaper rash creme and Walgreens brand was good too. I tried Aquaphor but it didn't work for my little one well, but others have raved about it.

Try creme every diaper change as a preventive measure and a barrier against wetness and dirty diapers.

Good luck!!! It will get better when she potty trains. I would start trying at about 18 months if you think she's mature enough. I started at that age, but had to put it off until two.

The rash might be a fungal infection.That's why the creams and powders won't work. You can use gyne lotrimin for it. You can buy it over the counter, It's the same medicine that womem use for yeast infections. You just put it on the rash and it usually takes a couple days to go away, but it won't come back.

The dr. can prescribe something strong enough to help her. It doesn't sound like over ther counter remedies are working. Also, if she gets the rash only after a couple of weeks, try to figure if she has eaten something to acidic for her. A different juice or fruit or vegetable by someone elses house. A friend, family member, etc. Good luck mommy.

Hi,

My son had the same type of problem. I ended up getting Nystatin cream for it from the Dr. Could be a yeast infection. Ask your Dr. HTH.

S.

My youngest seemed to have this problem for a while when he was real little best thing the Dr told us to try was Lotramin (sp?) it should be in your local wal-mart pharmacy area as a foot fungus cream it really knocked out the rash well for us, then after that I always smeared him pretty well w/ petroleum jelly to hold out the moisture.

Hi M.-
I know you've tried a variety of diaper creams, but I've found that Resinol works wonders, especially overnight. You have to request it at your pharmacy, but don't need a prescription. It's got a topical analgesic int it, that I think helps to ease some of the discomfort. I usually lube up their bottom pretty heavily, throw on a little powder and hope for the best. You also may want to cut down on fruit and/or juices for a little while. They can be acidic and irritate delicate bottoms as well. Good luck!!!
Natascha S

my daughter is 9 months and the same things was happening. The Dr. told us to use vaseline with every diaper change. If works as a barrier between the wet or poopy diapers and their skin. So far it works for us.....good luck

M.,

My daughter had severe diaper rash when she was only 2 or 3 weeks old. Some of the problem was yeast. When everything would clear up and I would go back to using wipes she would break out again. So I started making my own wipes with Shaklee's Basic H2. I also wanted a diaper rash cream that was safe to use on my child so I purchased Arbonne's Herbal Diaper Rash Cream. Ever since I started doing these things she has not had a rash since.

Have you tried Triple Paste, sometimes it's behind the counter. I had this problem with my first child, the triple paste worked well along with powder to keep it dry. You might want to also keep an eye on if it get worse with different foods she eats. I noticed on my daughter the acidy foods made it worse. Also make sure it's not a yeast or fungal infection.