Newly Potty Trained Allergy to Underwear?

Hi J.,

My daughter is allergic to the elastic (latex) in underwear. we just buy the underwear without it. Kind of like the potty traning pants that have the elastic part all cloth. They make them for all ages. Good luck
J.

Could he be allergic to latex? It's a common ingredient in elastic (in his waistband and around the legs of his undies) and in many bandages.

Have you tried detergent that is dye- and perfume-free?

My daughter can't wear anything until it's been washed in the "free" detergent. New clothes give her terrible hives.

What kind of laundry detergent are you using? It could be an allergic reaction to the chemicals in your detergent. Try using a more natural product or one without any scent.

If he is allergic to the laytex on the bandaids he could be allergic to the elastic on the bands on the waist and legs. It wouldn't be laundry soap related as that would be all over him if you have the same detergent you always have.

I would call your Peditrician and see what they think maybe referring you to an allergist. If you are good at sewing you could figure out a way to cover up the elastic. Or putting aquaphor or something protective around that area when he puts on underwear to protect his skin.

For now, you don't want the experience to be bad for him so maybe put the pullups back on for now until you can research maybe elastic free underwear. They have pullups that are more like underwear and just explain why you are putting them back on him. You just don't want him uncomfortable and hating underwear either.

He may be allergic to the laundry detergent you use. Our family is allergic to Tide, Cheer, Gain and others. I either rinse (in the washer) three times or use Dreft. With the band aids, he's probably allergic to latex. You can buy no latex band aids.

Latex. Try a different brand or a boxer that has a kit waist band.

Definitely sounds like a latex allergy. Get it checked out. It will be something you need to know/watch out for in the future.

I would wash the undies in a Free detergent, like Tide Free or Era Free. Then set your wash machine for a second rince cycle. This happened to my little boy as well. We had the band-aide reaction too. Luckily for us the Tide Free worked and I get band-aids that are latex free. I also recomend putting some mild lotion on him after a bath to make sure his skin is soft and not dry. We had to be so careful what lotion we used. I used Lubriderm sensitive skin formula, the others burned his skin and made him cry. We do not use fabric softener either, unless it is hypo-alergenic. I just use it on the entire family now to save my sanity. Good luck!

Hello Jody,
A common trigger for rashes and eczema/ contact dermatitis for little ones is Laundry detergent. When i was a child i was covered with eczema from head to toe and one of the many things my mother did to help was use all natural unscented baking soda based laundry detergent (Arm & Hammer. To this day i have to completely avoid all scented products. Another piece, is making sure that all of his undies are %100 cotton.
Hope this is of some bit of help.

-S.-

Two things we found wiht our son...
(1) he could have an allergy to the laundry detergent or fabric softener you use on his clothes and now that the underwear is snug against his body...allergy appears.
(2) if he is still waiting to 'feel' the need to pee just before having to go, he could be making little tiny wet spots in his underwear that now heat up while he is active during the day...thus heat/diaper rash even though not in a diaper.
We stopped using fabric softener on our sons clothes and made sure his underwear were COMPLETELY dry during the day and his rash has gone away completely.
Good Luck!

The Hanna Andersson catalog sells cute little boy undies that have all elastic completely covered by cotton, if you are thinking it's a latex allergy. They are spendy, but hold up wash after wash. Good luck!

Can you try a different washing detergent? A lot of kiddos skin is sensitive to the detergent we use to wash our clothes in and it only shows up when the clothing is closest to the body.
He also could be allergic to elastic which would be the thing in band aids.
Or the underwear is too tight?

sounds like he is allergic to the elastic in the unders, and possibly either the adhesive or the latex in the bandaids. i have a slight allergy to certain bandaids - i don't get the full on blisters, but it will get really red and itch like crazy! i will usually buy the fabric bandaids since i seem to have the most issue with the plastic ones. as a last resort, you could try the Nuskin (paint on "bandaid") or even some antibacterial stuff (neosporin) with some gauze and paper tape wrapped around the gauze to keep the area clean. if you have already checked (as I am sure you have) that the unders are not too tight on him, i would figure he might have an allergy to the elastic band in the waist and the leg openings and it might be irritating to his skin. i guess to see if that is what the problem actually is, you could try basting a thin piece of fabric over the elastic waistband so it wouldn't be touching his skin - if you take those unders off at the end of the day and he doesn't have the ring, i guess you would know for sure. sorry i don't have any other ideas! good luck!

Hi J.,
Well it sounds like he might be allergic to either the elastic in the underwear or the laundry soap. It could be affecting him more with his underwear more than his other clothing because undies are more close-fitting. Other than those two things, I won't know what else it could be. Sorry I'm not much help. Hope everything turns out good......J.

Something I learned with my oldest is not to use fabric softener. Our little guy does just fine with it on everything, except his undies. If he has problems with band-aids, you can try latex-free band-aids. I think there might be latex in elastic, but I could be totally off on that. I haven't researched that anytime recently. If that's the case, though, it would explain the rash around his waist and legs. I wouldn't suggest going back to pull-ups. You might have to start all over. In the meantime, you could try Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream, in the baby aisle, or Vanicream, at the pharmacy to help with the rash. Do you have training undies? I don't think they have elastic. At least that way you're not back in diaper material. GL! I hope he feels better soon!

This happened to my oldest. I think it just took his booty a little while to get used to the undies, and the air flow. I just lotioned him.

I think you have a pretty good case for latex allergies. I would definitely give your pediatrician a call and find out about having him tested. Repeated exposures to allergens can make them worse, so the sooner the better. In the mean time, maybe get a few pair of boxers with a waistband that is encased with fabric so the elastic isn't in contact with his skin and see if it makes a difference. As for the bandaids, the paper tape will work great, as well as non-latex bandaids. We use both of these products for kids at the hospital where I work.

He might not be allergic to the underwear itself, but to your detergent or chemicals in the underwear from manufacturing. Try washing them in vinegar to remove any residue and then wash them in Dreft. My daughter has really sensitive skin and gets a rash if I wash her clothes in anything else- even eco-friendly detergents bother her. Good luck and congratulations on successful potty training. We are working on that ourselves!

Latex. I have a latex allergy and have the same reaction to bandaids and some undies. If that is what he has you will have to be careful bc it can get worse and quickly. I don't mean to scare you just giving info. I started with bandaids and then it was gloves I wore at work. Now I can't be in the same room with balloons. In the hospital I have to have a latex-free room (most hospitals are totally latex free...just watch dr gloves). And one more thing... avacados are in the same family as latex so keep an eye on that.

This is a more common allergy, but easy to avoid.

Good luck

latex allergy?? maybe you need underwear where the elastic casing is enclosed in the fabric, and then boxes to remove any more exposure than necessary?

J.,

It sounds to me like it could be an allergy to latex (elastic) in the underwear. I would take him to the doctor so that the doctor can see. The doctor might need to refer you to an allergist for testing. There is clothing made especially for people with latex allergies that contains no latex. Best of luck. J.

I agree with those that responded latex or rubber allergy. I have the same problems with underwear and have done all the allergy testing that exists in the world and know how to reomve and add things to find the cause. Since its not happening over his entire undie-covered area, just were the elastic is, its a pretty safe bet. And the PPs are right...latex allergies can get worse fast. There is a blood test to test for latex allergy, or just remove all latex. Mine is just a sensitivity and by cutting out latex on my unders and latex gloves, condoms and such, I don't have any problems breathing (like gym mats, balloons, eraser) in various places. My mom has a student who has a SEVERE latex allergy and you wouldn't believe how many things contain latex. Hopefully by nipping it in the bud now you can avoid any serious issues. Good luck!

Sounds like an allergy to latex. They use it in elastic (leg and waist), and band-aids. Try putting him back in the pull-ups until the rash clears up. Then back in the underwear. Check him frequently, and if it starts up again in those places, you may have your answer.
Did you just change detergents?