How to Treat and Prevent Diaper Rash

Diaper rash plagues almost anyone with a child in diapers. While it can be a constant problem, it doesn’t have to be.

Diaper rash usually comes from moisture being left on the baby’s skin. Poop is not only moist but is also the body’s waste product. Leaving this on the baby’s skin will most definitely cause you a diaper rash. Other causes are more difficult to  pinpoint. Have you changed anything recently? Try going back to basics. Wipe with a soft cloth and warm water, change the baby often, etc. Early detection will make a big difference in the severity of the rash. We have had some diaper rash problems, but not in a very long time. We changed Little G’s wipes to sensitive ones, we find the generic brands to be more gentle on his skin. The thicker wipes cause more problems for us. Also we use Seventh Generation diapers, this made a big difference for us.

Possible causes of diaper rash:
Leaving a baby in a poopy diaper
Irritating fabric/disposable diaper
Irritating wipes
Diarrhea
Child or breastfeeding mother on antibiotics
Food allergy

If your baby does have diaper rash how can you treat it?
For normal diaper rash:
1. Do not leave your child in a poopy diaper. As soon as you realize he/she has a messy diaper change it.
2. After cleaning off the mess, let your baby’s skin dry in the air. This is vital to keeping diaper rash at bay. A moist bottom will only get worse. If I’m in a rush I will fan the baby’s bottom with the clean diaper and I have heard of people using a blow dryer. Make sure you are paying attention so that you don’t get peed on while the baby is air drying.
3 After the skin is completely dry, apply a good diaper cream. For your average rash you can use any diaper cream (Desitin, Butt Cream etc.) My favorite is the Lasinoh brand diaper cream. It is a much more emollient than the others.
4. Now you can put on the new diaper.

For severe diaper rash:
Use all of the steps above with a few changes.
1. When you wipe the baby do not wipe. Dab with a wipe, or even spray with water in the tub. Eliminate as much irritation as you can. Make sure you get all of the mess off the baby’s skin.
2. Try to let the baby’s bottom get as much air time as possible. Being dry is key to remedying this.
3. If the skin is broken, pick a more emollient diaper cream like Lasinoh, or Aquaphor, or even Vaseline in a pinch.
4. Change the baby’s diaper often.

If this doesn’t work for you, go to your doctor.

To prevent diaper rash from coming back:
1. Don’t leave your baby in a poopy diaper
2. Continue to air dry before you close up the diaper
3. Use diaper creams as soon as you see pink/red.