Diaper Rash Advice

My mother in law advised me to use cornstarch when my youngest gets diaper rash. Not baby powder "with cornstarch" just plain old by itself cornstarch. It really works.
H. T.

My son struggled with diaper rash for quite a while. He even got a yeast infection. We tried creams, oatmeal baths and even a prescription, but could not get it under control. Finally my dr. suggested trying cloth diapers for a while. Well, after using them for one day his rash was almost 100% better. After a week he was back to normal. We tried going back to Pampers after that, but the rash came back. We are now using the Seventh Generation diapers and things are going really well. We have not even had to use a diaper cream once since switching. We still use the cloth diapers when we are hanging around the house just to give his bottom time to "rest."

I don't know what you're using, but I found Desitin to be the only effective diaper rash ointment - the old fishy one. But it WORKS!

Hi S.,

I would really look at what foods you are feeding her, since this is a recent problem. For my daughter, the rice cereal made her VERY constipated. We immediately switched to baby food vegetables and she did much better. Make sure you wait 3 days before each additional food, so it is clear if something does not agree. My daughter got terrible diaper rash from green beans and peas and when she was older, chili. If it seems like she is constipated (poops are too hard), then I would suggest some baby food prunes. In your case, I would probably take her off the solid foods again, for a week, to see if the rash clears up. Then, slowly introduce solids, one at a time to find the culprit. Good luck!

Very simple solution for the horrendous case we had:

Wash with water only;

Dry very thoroughly (we use a hairdryer set to cold);

If using any ointment, dry EXTRA well so you don't trap moisture;

Avoid acidic foods (grapes, tomatoes, citrus, etc.).

Best wishes for a happy bottom!

Bag Balm!!! It worked miracles for our daughter, too!

Good luck!
K.

I am still new at this myself. But I try to leave him out of his diaper for a while everyday. Thankfully he has never had a real bad rash just the mild that you are refering to. And I have noticed that sometimes it is related to the food he eats. Apple Juice is guaranteed to give him a rash. My sister said it did it to ALL 4 of my neices as well. Don't know that that is helpful. Good Luck.
S.
PS I changed wipes because I NEEDED them badly and they were out of his regular Sensitive ones and boy did the rash flare up! And one woman said it may be a yeast infection? ALL diaper rash is a form of yeast infection it is just to what degree - if it is painful and so sore neither of you can stand it definitely go the doc

I unfortunately had a lot of experience with diaper rashes. I went through a wide range of products and "tricks" to eliminate the problem and then keep it in control. First off, it will likely only last until she is about 3 months old or so - it appears yours came on with solid food, so her system is adjusting and as her digestive system matures, this should resolve. In the meantime it's no fun at all. Here is what finally worked for us.
Never use wipes. I used to change her by the laundry sink (put the pad on the washing machine) and I had a bowl and soft washcloths right there. Add a couple of tablespoons of BAKING SODA to lukewarm water in that bowl each time. For just a wet diaper, I would wipe her with the water-baking soda solution. THEN DRY HER WITH A HAIR DRYER SET ON LOW. For poopy diapers, strip her waist down and wash her under running water - you can just cradle her on one arm and put her behind under the warm water. Then onto pad, then blot with the Baking Soda/Water solution. This neutralizes Ph and helps to soothe skin. Again, dry with hair dryer.
In terms of diaper creams...let me tell you, I tried them all it seems. The only one that finally worked for us, and seemed to really heal and prevent the rash was TRIPLE PASTE. It is pricier than the others, for a reason I guess. I swear by it. It's thick and has a high % of Zinc Oxide to heal and protect skin. No foul smell either.
Also, our ped had told us that we can add Baking Soda to her bath also, and we did. It really is a great natural way to soothe and heal her skin.
Hope this helps you!

When my son was getting bad rashes, my Ped. said to use vasaline in place of the other stuff because you have to rub harder to get the regular stuff off, and this can further aggravate a rash.

Three things:

Desitin Clear, that usually clears it right up in 1 to 2 days

Rubbing Vitamin E on it after the bath helps

Aveeno diaper rash cream

Every baby is different, so try new creams to find the one that works the best for your daughter.

I have a 4 month old daughter and she had diaper rashes too. here is what I did. I cleaned her after every poop and then wash her bottoms well with soap and patted it dry with a towel. Then I tied a thin cloth to her bottom, applied A+D diaper cream and let her play. Ofcourse she urinates but that is okay. This worked well. Eventually there is no diaper rash at all now. After the existing diaper rash heals just wash her butt and pat it dry, feel it with your hands and it should not be wet. Put the fresh diaper. Only solution to avoid diaper rash. Let me know if this worked for you. Good luck.

Hi S.!
I know I'm a little late on advice...but here you go anyways. I don't use "creams" unless I absoulty have too. You can call me old fashioned but I've had the best luck with babypower with CORNSTARCH, just like the hospitals use. The creams hold moisture in...you don't want moisture. Don't use wipes for every diaper change, this is what my sister-in-laws pedi suggested. They live in a super humid climate. We also let our little guy have "Naked" time after his bath. He loves it, and it allows him to dry out.
I use kirkland diapers...they've seem to work best for us.
Good Luck!

I am a consultant with Arbonne International. We carry a full line of Pure, Safe and Beneficial Baby Care Products (Arbonne Baby Care), including a zinc-based diaper-rash ointment. You can go to my webpage at www.nursekerry.myarbonne.com for more information. Good Luck!

It's possible that she might have a yeast infection on her bottom...this can happen sometimes because it's humid and sticky in her diaper. You may need to go to her pediatrician to get it checked if it doesn't clear up. The doc can give you medicine to help.

You may want to try changing her diaper a bit more frequently until the rash clears up.

I agree with other posts...some diaper free time in the sun might be good, although if you're in the Seattle area, it may be awhile before we see the sun! Good luck.

Great ideas from all the moms! I did have a nasty situation with my son when he was about 2. He ended up with rotavirus and had diarrhea for 3 weeks straight! It hurt him so badly to change his diaper that I would sit and cry with him. I could not use my all time favorite rash ointment from Arbonne because the zinc would burn the open areas on his bottom. Even though I despise it, I bought vaseline and used it on his bottom until the skin healed enough to use the ABC rash ointment. It healed the rash within two diaper changes. You can read more about the products at www.arbonne.com they're all natural and botanically based.

Do you use lotion or powder? My mother and mother-in-law both advised against the powder because it can cause the skin to break down. I always used lotion on my children and it kept their bottoms protected and moisturized. Best of luck!

Also, if you happen to have any sunshine, it is good to let it dry out in the sun. Lay her on a blanket and let it get some warm vitamin D. It needs to dry up, so don't keep her covered all the time. Zinc paste can work wonders also.

I use ButtPaste as well on my son. Another option is to use BagBalm. It's in a green tin can (that is square). It has a cow on the front. Another thought too is that maybe she is having an allergic reaction to one or some of the foods that you are feeding her. Sometimes when my son is tender on the bottom after a changing of the diaper I give him a little shower down then bath....but since she is 7 mos old....maybe just give her a little bath to make sure you get all of the poop off and it maybe soothing for her too. I feel so bad when little ones have a rash.

My doctor recently told me that someone did a study and determined that in any diaper rash that lasts longer than 5 days, there is at least a little bit of yeast. If her bottom is really red and develops some pimply spots around her bottom, it could be a yeast infection. My doctor suggested I treat my daughter with yeast infection cream by rubbing it on her bottom three times a day. It took care of the diaper rash.

S.: I would advise you to have your doctor check you child's rash. you may want to stay away from high acid foods:tomatoes, oranges, etc. If you are giving her juice full strength you may want to try and dilute it with 1/4 juice and 3/4 water; my granddaughter has the same problem and a OTC medication for yeast helped. The rash is likely caused by the frequent stools which causes a yeast type infection:ask your doctor about Rx medicationfor the rash.Good luck!
Gina

The rash might represent an allergy to whatever food you are introducing. Also, it may be a yeast infection. You may want to try Monistat...it works on babies too.

I use A&D onitment the wal mart brand and my lil man has not had an rash yet. I use it with each change.

S.,

Try giving her some diaper free "air time" between changes-esp. after poopy ones. My daughter had quite a few boughts with diaper rash and whenever I let her go free, that seemed to help emensly. Wounds (and diaper rash) don't always heal so well when they are closed up and moist all the time. You might have a few messes now and again, but a healthy happy bum is worth it.

J.

Hi S.! Have you ever heard of RENEW lotion? It's natural and really works great on all kinds of skin problems, including diaper rash. Give me a call at ###-###-####
J.

Hi S.,
My youngest had a really hard time with diaper rash. It would get so bad that she would walk around like a Sumo wrestler. The only thing that worked for us was Bag Balm. Yes... that is the stuff they use on cow udders. It is like vaseline with an antiseptic in it. My grandmother was the one that told me to use it... Apparently her 64 years of child & grand child rearing have paid off!!
Thanks,
MB

I too had a son that had terrible diaper rashes (ear infections and strep from a too friendly neighbor and was allergic to the medicines). First thing the doctor said, was get him out of the diaper as often as possible to let it dry out. Ya, Oregon sure, so I used a hair dryer and a cornstarch paste. Baby wipes were not available at the time my son was young so I would take him to the bath tub and use warm water and baking soda, all natural items, it also wouldn't hurt to put a tsp of vinegar in the water, it will raise his ph level, again all natural items you have in the house.
Also, keep an eye out on what he is eating, most doctors recommend you keep a baby on one item for a week to see if they have any reactions, of course starting with green veggies and moving to lighter ones later. Adding the fruits when they are through with the veggie group. I think the fruits tend to be the culprits, apples, pears, grapes, so when you start them if a rash appears shortly there after you can eliminate said item and it should take care of the rash.
Good luck.

Bag Balm! That is ALL we could use on our daughter. She had the worse diaper rashes that would end up bleeding and it was terrible...we tried all sorts of diaper rash creams over the counter AND what the dr would prescribe... then one of my moms friends suggested bag balm. It clears up the rash pretty quickly and makes it so no wetness will get between the diaper and the bagbalm so no more diaper rashs! We never bought another diaper rash cream and we only needed one can of bag balm the whole time she was in diapers! :) Definantly give it a try. Your daughter will appreciate it :)

The thing that worked best for us was regular ol' Vaseline (not the scented or squeezable kind, just the tub of it). It creates a better moisture barrier than diaper creams and wipes off way easier (which is needed when they are raw). When our little girl would get chronic rashes, it's the only thing that would help. On really bad days, I would layer the Vaseline and then the diaper cream.

Also, you might want to try different, natural creams. I'm assuming you're talking about Boudreaux's Butt Paste. That was way too harsh for our little girl and it usually hurt her bottom more than it helped. Also, our little girl got the worst rashes on her vulva so the grittiness in the butte paste was just too much for her.

Here's a great (and eye-opening) site about cosmetics and baby products:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Fspecia...
It's pretty scary that many of the items we thought were "natural" have ingredients that have been linked to cancer and/or fertility problems. It's especially concerning with girls, as many of the products have a greater chance of being absorbed internally.

Also, you might want to notice if some foods bother her more than others. The one that caused the most problems with us (and our daughter's little "boy friend") was bananas. We had to limit the amount she could have and then she was fine. :-)

I have had the same issue with my son since starting solid foods and also use buttpaste (which I think helps more then other diaper rash ointments). The other thing that I've been doing is to let him "air out" a little before putting the buttpaste and new diaper on. This seems to help. Other then that, I too, could use some new thoughts!

Weleda makes a couple products that contain Calendula and calendula oil. It is very soothing to the skin. I have used products that have it for redness on my face. Anyway, I have found the calendula oil is great for soothing the skin after wiping. I also use they calendula cream to create a barrier. Also, lots of bathing them. The water helps. You can get the stuff online or in places like New Seasons.

I always used Bag Balm. It's in a green can, you can get it at Walgreens. It has a vaseline consistancy, but it has some medicine in it. I applied it with a q-tip, and then rubbed a light coating on it when he wasn't broken out in a rash, and then more when he was (which was only when he was on antibiotics for ear infections). A little goes a long way with it. I wasted my money on other rash creams, and this worked the best. My son had really sensitive skin (thin red head skin), and broke out when he pooped somtimes, but if I used the Bag Balm for preventative, he rarely broke out.

Good Luck!

Try getting a little squirt bottle and filling it with water and some baking soda. Then when you are cleaning up a dirty bottom, spray a little of the solution first as it helps neutralize the acidity from the BM. The acidity is what causes a rash.
Also, you can check out www.hazelaid.com which has a great zinc oxide ointment with hazelwood extract in it which also helps to neutralize acidity. It works really well on diaper rash as well as other skin problems like eczema (it has really helped with my daughter's eczema).
Good luck!

ok I thought My mom was crazy until I tried it...but i was using the buttpaste too...she came over and said it's not going to work because it doesn't stay on well enough.

So my mom went out and bought the good old-fashioned Desatin (I still used the butt-paste on the outside not bad areas) and then we set it in with a corn-startch based baby powder) two days later...my mom was right....the Desatin when set in with a power stayed on longer and worked. So you might want to give that a try. The best price for Destin I've found is at Target. Also make sure to get the baby powder that is Talc free.

Hope that helps.

If you're up for it, you could try Gdiapers. They have a flushableble, plastic free insert. We never have diaper rash now that we use them. They're a little on the spendy side, but you can get a starter kit to see how you like them. Check out Gdiapers.com or you can buy them at Fred Myer, Whole Foods and New Seasons. Good for the earth and baby's bottom:) Plus, if you like them, you can play around with cloth diapers as inserts to save some expense.

I use a little bit of baby powder with each diaper too.

The very best thing for diaper rash is air. Take her diapers off for an hour or so every day (after you know she has just gone). I did this along with what you have already been doing, and my son hasn't had a diper rash in 2 years.

Personally I did not find Butt Paste helpful for diaper rash at all, and my kids are pretty sensitive. Their diaper rashes, if not cleared up right away, would get to the bleeding point in less than a day. I swear by Aquafor for all my kids skin irritations and dryness. I mark one tub for "Butt" the other for "Face" because we use it so much. :-) It really coats and protects the skin from irritating poo, and helps it to heal, I have found. I also smear it on their cheeks when dry, and on the chin/around the mouth where drooling dries out the skin. It can be found at the drugstore or grocery.

If you are trying to clear up a really bad rash, then I've found that discontinuing use of wipes in favor of a very soft washcloth, or even putting an absorbent cloth under the butt during changes and gently spraying or pouring warm water (the peri bottle you got at the hospital works great if you still have it!) then gently dabbing dry, will help from further irritating the rash. I've even dabbed with witchhazel (also possibly left over from your post-birth care?) before smearing with cream. As the rash improves you can just rinse out a wipe to make it less irritating, then eventually when the skin is healed go back to using them.

Hi :o)

I would recommend calling your doctor and explaining what the diaper rash looks like and get their opinion.
My son got a diaper rash that just would not go away. I tried different diaper rash cremes, washing, air drying, etc. Anyways, I called the doctor concerned because he started getting circle spots that looked like a thin layer of skin had rubbed off. I explained to the doctor what it looked like and everything I tried to clear up the matter. She suspected a yeast infection on the skin and had me come in the next day. Sure enough that is what it was. She prescribed Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream (comes in a tube). This cleared it up in just days. Now each time he poops I wash his butt in the sink (we dedicate one side of the sink for him only - dishes not allowed :oP). After washing I apply vaseline to prevent moisture/poop from affecting his skin. He has not had a diaper rash since this one time 3 months ago.

Oh, one more thing...my doctor recommended against applying the baby body wash directly to the skin because baby's skin is sensitive. So, I use a tupperwear container, put some baby body wash in it and mix in water. I use this soapy water to wash his bottom. Then rinse off with plain water ofcourse.

Good Luck!

I highly recommend Desitin. My daughter gets horrible diaper rashes and she is 18 months. Desitin seems to be the only thing that works well. You might also check with your pediatrician about eczema. After trying unseccessfully to clear a diaper rash when she was younger, we started looking in to the option of eczema. The dr. gave us a prescription of some cream and it works wonders! Good luck!

Hi, S.! What I always did after a poop change or when the baby`s bottom got a little red, was to wipe the bottom, then wash the bottom in the sink with a little antibacterial soap. (only have to take the bottom clothes off and pull the t-shirt up to prevent getting it wet) I would lather, rinse, lather, rinse well. Then dry well. THEN use maybe a little A&D ointment. It worked so well for me, my son never got a rash !! And now I do this for the 9-month old niece I take care of. I hope this works for you.
C.

S.,
When our oldest son was an infant none of the diaper creams worked. We finally used Bag Balm and it was perfect.

Good luck.

I have two trains of thought. The first is change butt paste. If you are using something like Desitin or other try using Earth Mama Angel Baby Butt Balm, or Country Baby butt balm, both are available at New Seasons/Whole Foods. And back off on the solid foods to see if it is a reaction to something she is eating.

If you are in disposable diapers try to change her more frequently or keep her out of them for a couple hours.

S.

As has probably been said a lot, a rash that doesn't respond to diaper rash creams could be a yeast infection. I think they are often red and raised a bit.

Hi S.. My son had the same problem when he started eating solids. Even though I changed him often and used the butte paste as well, he still had the rash. I started using just warm wet wash cloths and no wipes. Even the "natural" wipes with no fragrance or anything in them didn't work. A couple days with the wash cloths worked wonders. And keep with the butte paste.

My daughter had the diaper rash from hell and was only in clothe diapers. I had tried everything and then found out the very creams were contributing to the problem. She inherited one of my own problems "contact dermatitis." Finally my doctor told me she needed to air out more. It was summer. As long as she was outside in my back yard she was diaper less. Yes, bare butt naked. If she was in her bed I laid diapers down but let her "air out" In her car seat I had diaper wraps to velcro on as soon as we left the car. I also changed to 1% hydrocortisone cream. She is 12 now and still sensitive to perfumed lotions and creams. Recently on a hot sunny day I had put sunblock on her and she broke out in bumps from the cream. Back to the drawing board and break out the hydrocortisone. I hope this helps out.

Balg Balm has worked the best in my home as well as my daycare center. Good luck

Seven kids and still learning. When my daughter had her rash and it was a really bad one. Doc adv was good ole destin and a&d ointment on top of that. Really slather it on. the destin had the zinc oxide in it and the a&d provided a water tight seal. Change often. They said to water down the wipes or use just plain water for cleaning as the wipes could irrate more than help. If you choose to use vaseline instead just use the plain one because the others may contain fragrances which may irrate her more. Good luck

Try Bag Balm or Vasaline. They create a better barier on the diaper area. This has worked on all three of my kids I don't use diaper ointment.

She might be alergic to something she is eatting now. Or it could be some kind of a yeast inffection. My son had a rash for about 3 weeks and it wasn't getting better. His dr. said it was a yeast inffection and we got a stronger cream and it cleared up. If not you might need to try a stronger diaper cream.

Good luck!

I used to work in a Pediatrics office, and the GI doctor always gave out the following "prescription" for diaper rash. To give credit, I think he called it "Dr. Abdullah's Butt Paste."

Mix equal amounts of:
Monistat
Desitin and
Neosporin

Apply to the rash at each diaper change. Generic equivalents are fine for the ingredients. :-) Good luck!

After you get her cleaned up and put the butpaste on try corn starch on the diaper to keep it dry. Old fashioned (very) but it works if you are using cloth diapers. And if your daughter is having diaper rash try using cloth diapers (get diaper service -its wonderful) and don't use those diaper wipes. Clean cloth with nothing but warm warm water.

W.

I like the Wedela that is mentioned above but now I exclusively use a large dollop of Aquafor. My daughter has extremely sensitive skin, including excematic rashes, and now we slather it over her whole body after bath and before bed (pjs prevent it from getting everywhere). We never even had to use the hydrocortisone that the doctor prescribed to clear up the rash on her back. It's been a great all-in-one for us.

I have a 7 month old and have been practicing elimination communication. She is ready to go into training pants as soon as they come in the mail. I highly recommend ECing...keeps her clean and dry. Because my DD has large fat rolls, she still sometimes develops a bit of a rash in the groin. We use Burt's Bees diaper ointment. I also found that cotton diapers are the best and that she would often react to disposables.

Best wishes

You have had some great suggestions...I though I would throw this out there just in case...but have you changed the type of diapers you use recently because if you have done a brand change she might be getting a rash from that.

I just read through the responses you've received because my son is prone to frequent and awful rashes also--I was hoping I'd find some new helpful tips. One thing that seems to be helping lately has been using a hairdryer when I change him. I know it sounds strange, but in our climate it's very difficult to let him run around outside in the "sun" and let him dry out. So, I decided to try drying him off with a little warm air. At first, he resisted it a little (it was new and different), but now he actually loves it. He always fights getting changed, but as soon as I turn on the dryer he just lies there totally relaxed! (Sometimes it backfires on me, though, because he gets so relaxed that he pee's all over the place.) After drying, I'll apply corn starch if his rash is fairly well controlled or some kind of ointment if he's starting to get red again. I also discovered that his rashes get much worse if I let him eat grapes--I think they must change the pH of his poop and cause it to be more irritating to his skin.

I would use A.D. ointment then put corn starch in her diaper. It will absorbe the poop, believe me it works great. Sometimes the white creames actually makes the rash's worse. A.D. ointment is the best!
L. H.

My daughter has sensitive skin and has bad diaper rash often. But never has it been yeast. I have tried it all. A&D, destin,buttpaste,aquaphor, cornstarch, every remedy on the market. I even started cutting up my aloe plant to use it. Anyhow, This is what works for us. Hydrocortisone and Vaseline. Just the OTC kind for which you can buy the generic brand for really inexpensive. I tried it out of the blue after a 3 week battle with a diaper rash and by the next morning, it was gone. Now every time we start to see a rash develop, just a little dab and it is the fix. I also just coat her bottom with vaseline with every diaper change to help create a barrier. I asked the DR about it and she said it is one of the best remedies for it. The only kind of diaper rash that it will not remedy is yeast. In fact, if you use Hydrocortisone on a yeast infection, it will get worse.
It might be worth a try....it worked wonders for us. I now buy the Hydrocortisone cream at Costco in the 4 pack.
Good luck!
Oh, one more thing.....don't use baby wipes when she is rashy because they also make it worse. Buy some inexpensive baby washclothes, the super soft kind and just just them with water. It sucks to have to wash them all, but something in wipes actually stings my daughter. I even use the sensitive wipes that list no alcohol, etc...
A.

I found with my daughter that the only way to clear up her diaper rash was to leave her without a diaper for a little while after each diaper change to allow the area to air dry. It worked really well, but means that you have to clean up a few extra messes. Good luck!

Sometimes they have a slight food sensitivity and it will make their poop more asidic. You may want to try to identify a food that is giving her more frequent rashes.

You might try switching your diaper rash medicine. I tried a couple different ones with my kids and found that Balmex was the best for me....it works like a charm!!! Other than that just keep making sure she's not sitting in wet or poopy diapers!! Good luck

If the rash is just around the anus and a like a red ring, it is an allergy to something she's eating. You might want to go back and elimate foods to see what it is... I use Desitin on my son every night before bed. He hasn't had many diaper rashes in his life, but perhaps I'm just lucky!

S.,
All three of my boys struggled with diaper rash. We could not afford cloth diapers (supposedly better). If the diaper ointment does not help after a week or so of putting it on with every diaper change, then she may have a yeast infection. But before jumping to conclusion and calling your doctor, try first to switch diaper ointment. For some unclear reason, kids "prefer" certain kinds. If Desitin doesn't work, try A&D for a week. With my second son, I used to "air" his bottom (clean him and leave on a blanket with just a shirt on, but we lived then in much warmer climate:),
A.

good old petroleum jelly slather it on - there is a walgreens version with shea butter.... and feed her yogurt... not yoplait - stoneyfield farm organic whole milk.

Hi S.!
I JUST dealt w/ the most horrible diaper rash w/ my daughter. The lady that watches my daughter used to be a pediactric ER nurse & (I know this sounds really weird)she recommends dabbing liquid Malox on her bottom. It dried out my daughter's rash in about a day & a 1/2!! It really works!

Hope it does for you too! I know how AWFUL a painful diaper rash is!!

J.

When you can, just let her run around with nothing on her butt-no creme, diaper or anything. I also would try 'hosing her off' at times in the tub/sink hose etc vs rubbing/wiping with traditional wipes.
hope these help