A friend of mine has a son that has chronic diaper rash. Everytime he pees, they have to change his diaper or the rash flares up. The docs think it is eczema, and it getting wet it irritating it. The poor little guy scratches all the time and is uncomfy. She has tried Pampers and Huggies diapers, with no luck. We are thinking cloth will make it worse because instead of absorbing the wetness away from the skin, they will just absorb the wetness next to the skin. She has 3 creams that the doc has her putting on him, but it doesn't sound like it's helping much. He is 9 months old. Is there such thing as an organic disposable diaper? She is thinking maybe there is something in the diapers that is making it flare up. Any advice?
My 2 children had the same problem and we tried several different brands and found that LUVS were great! If we switched to a different brand it would flare up again, so we stuck with LUVS all the time!
My son has very sensitive skin and we use Luvs diapers which work great. I also use "Triple Paste" on him when he has a rash and it relieves the rash very quickly. I would get a referral from the pediatrician to see a dermatologist.
My son used to get diaper rash all the time when we used Pampers and Huggies. Luv's worked best for him and they are a little cheaper as well. Also, a good slathering of the Aquafor/Maalox mixture worked really well.
If I saw it right, Pampers has a new line of diapers for sensitive skin, but I'm not completely positive about that.
Cloth diapers would actually be best. We would use them if they weren't so expensive. You would think that they don't really absorb moisture away from the skin, but from what friends have told me, that's not true.
If you don't want to go with cloth, the only thing I can suggest is to use petroleum jelly on his skin at every diaper change. Changing as soon as a diaper is wet or soiled is also best.
God bless,
A.
Hi D.!
I, personally would recommend using cloth diapers. They are the best for sensitive skin. No chemicals and they do not keep the baby wet. My first 2 children did not have very sensitive skin and we used Huggies Supreme. My 3rd son couldn't use any disposable diapers. The organic disposable are better than huggies or pampers, but they are still not as good for sensitive skin as cloth. As for the cost of cloth, there is the initial cost, but then they are free. You don't have to keep purchasing them. They actually are so much cheaper than disposables (in the long run!!) even with just one child, but if they get used for a 2nd child, well that's just icing on the cake.
For the diaper rash treatment, if what the dr. is recommending doesn't do the job, I recommend Burt's Bee's Diaper Rash creme. Not only has this been much better for my son than triple paste or Budreau's butt paste, or any other brand, it is natural and therefore gentler on baby's already sensitive skin. I found out about this actually from my mother-in-law who lived with and took care of her mother. Her mother was diabetic and bed/wheelchair bound and obviously wore adult diapers. Add to that the diabetes. They tried EVERYTHING for diaper rash and sores with her. She said the only thing that worked was the Burt's Bees.
I, personally do not like using petroleum-based products. They are bad for baby and the environment.
The last thing is, have baby go diaper-free as much as possible. Natural air will help heal the area the best! On the occasion when my son has had bad flare-ups (even with cloth, remember I said HIS skin was super sensitive!) we just take his diaper off (and wipe him of course) and let him run around without anything. Unfortunately, there will be messes, so if you can be outside, all the better.
Good luck!!!
We have not used them, but I know they exist . . . check out Seventh Generation brand.
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/Diapers
Also, I assume the doctor's cream recommendation may be the same, but as a pediatric nurse, we find good success with Aquaphor and/or Triple Paste. Apply liberally and with each change! Aquaphor is great at both preventing and treating rash, Triple Paste for treating.
D.
I hear your frustration. I don't have a lot of experience with organic diapers as I have been fortunate that the cheap ones work with my two. However, I wanted to share with you and your friend about a cream that might work. It is called Grandma El's Diaper Rash Remedy and Prevention Cream. Do you know if your friend has heard/used it? I sell it for BabyCrazy and we have had some great responses. You can find it at www.iambabycrazy.com/adecker and the product number is GE1000 or just look under the catagory of "Around the Tub". Please let me know if I can offer any more help. Tell your friend good luck.
Thanks!
G-Diapers available at local whole food markets, or on the internet have a disposable liner made of wood pulp (no plastic), that can be composted, flushed down the toilet, or thrown away. It also has diaper breathable diaper covers and liners. Though probably not cheap. I have not tried them yet. The starter kit is supposed to be $26.99, for 10 flushables and two covers.
