Dealing with Diaper Rash

You start to change your baby's diaper, and there it is — a patchwork of bright red skin on your baby's bottom. Don't panic. What you're seeing is most likely diaper rash, a common form of inflamed skin (dermatitis).

Dealing with diaper rash

Most infants develop a diaper rash at some time or another; some even arrive home from the hospital with a slight rash. Diaper rash may be more common after solid foods are added to your baby's diet or when your baby is taking antibiotics.

Other factors that can lead to diaper rash include continuously wet or infrequently changed diapers, diarrhea and the use of plastic pants to cover a diaper.

Diaper rashes can occur intermittently, anytime while your child wears diapers, but they're more common in babies during their first 15 months, especially between 8 and 10 months of age.

Diaper rash can alarm parents and annoy babies, but fortunately most cases disappear after a few days with simple home treatments.

A few simple strategies can help decrease the likelihood of diaper rash developing on your baby's skin: 

• Change diapers often. Remove dirty diapers promptly. If your child is in child care, ask staff members to do the same.
• Don't overtighten diapers or use diapers with elastic edges. Both prevent airflow into the diaper region, setting up a moist environment favorable to diaper rashes. Tightfitting diapers can also cause chafing at the waist or thighs.
• Give your baby's bottom a little breathing room. When possible, let your baby go without a diaper. Exposing skin to air is a natural and gentle way to let it dry. To avoid messy accidents, try laying your baby on a large towel and engage in some playtime while he or she is bare-bottomed.
• Wash cloth diapers carefully. Pre-soak heavily soiled cloth diapers and use hot water to wash them. Use a mild detergent and skip the fabric softeners and dryer sheets because they can contain fragrances that may irritate your baby's skin. Double rinse your baby's diapers if your child already has a diaper rash or is prone to developing diaper rash. If you use a diaper service to clean your baby's diapers, make sure it takes these steps as well.
• Try diaper liners and breathable diaper covers. Diaper liners in cloth diapers may help keep your baby's skin drier. Choose breathable diaper covers instead of plastic or rubber pants over cloth diapers because they let air circulate.
• Consider using ointment regularly. If your baby gets rashes often, apply a barrier ointment during each diaper change to prevent skin irritation. Petroleum jelly and zinc oxide are the time-proven ingredients included in many prepared diaper ointments. Using these products on clear skin helps keep it in good condition.
• After changing diapers, wash your hands well. Hand washing can prevent the spread of bacteria or yeast to other parts of your baby's body, to you or to other children.
• Pat your baby dry with a clean towel. Don't scrub your baby's bottom. Scrubbing can further irritate the skin.Rinse your baby's bottom with water as part of each diaper change. You can use a sink, tub or water bottle for this purpose. Moist washcloths and cotton balls also can aid in cleaning the skin. Don't use wipes that contain alcohol or fragrance.

Many parents worry about what kind of diapers to use. When it comes to preventing diaper rash, there's no compelling evidence that cloth diapers are better than disposable diapers or vice versa, though disposables may keep baby's skin slightly drier. Since there's no one best diaper — use whatever works best for you and your baby. If one brand of disposable diaper irritates your baby's skin, try another.

Whether you use cloth diapers, disposables or both kinds, always change your baby as soon as possible after he or she soils the diaper to keep the bottom as clean and dry as possible.

If the diaper rash does not get better in a few days, or gets worse, talk to your doctor. If the baby's skin turns even more red, warm and swollen, and the baby gets a temperature, you should also contact a doctor immediately as the diaper rash may be caused by a bacterial infection that requires medical treatment.

Belly Buttons and Babies carries a fabulous Cream, especially suited to dealing with diaper rash and it's not just for babies! A luxurious blend of organic and herbal oils make up this abody care essential. Perfect on baby's bottom, dry skin patches (on the whole family), perfect on mom's pre and postnatal tummy too and also ideal for sore and cracked nipples from nursing. Dad's can use this cream too - it's great for soothing razor burn! Order yours now!

The Team at Belly Buttons and Babies xo