Seeking Help on Diaper Rash

Has he been tested for allergies? either food or environmental? some of the things that you mentioned can be associated with allergies... Don't know, but it might be an avenue to look into...

Hi M.-
I have a friend who swears by corn starch. She mixes it into a thick paste and puts its on at bedtime each night until the rash clears. I have been lucky and never needed to try it, but she uses it atleast once a month.

Have you considered a possible food allergy? Sometimes, kids with allergies to milk or wheat exhibit constant rashes. It would explain why they always come back, if he's constantly eating something that's causing a reaction.

Try an Aveeno Bath, dry his body well and put a generous amount of PURE Corn Starch (NOT Johnsons Baby powder with corn starch) on diaper rash. This recommendation from my mom really helped my daughter, all the prescription meds did not. Good Luck! N.

My son who is now ten went through the exact same thing on and off for a couple of years. It started when he was about one, if I remember correctly (I've tried to block that nightmare period of my life from my mind). He's now almost 11. It would happen when he was teething. He would get the diaper rash, so bad that it would bleed. I tried everything. I talked to every mother of every age. I talked to the pediatrician and the pharmacist. Of course, the pediatrician said it had nothing to do with teething, but every time he cut a tooth, he would get the rash.

I was willing to try anything. It got so bad that he would run from me when it was time to change his diaper, because it hurt so much. I started using plain water with some real corn starch mixed in. I didn't use store bought wipes on his butt anymore. I would use soft paper towels/tissues, etc. Whenever I could I would let him go naked from the waste down, especially at nap time. I would take everything out of his crib, except for the sheet and a light receiving blanket, just in case he had an accident (less messy laundry). Having the air get at it and having a good chance to dry out really helped.

I wish I could tell you of some miracle cure, but I never got one. It was just something we had to go through. I have four children. He is my second. The first one never went through this nor did the last two, so it was just something in his system. Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance. All the Best! I truly do feel for you.

Hi M.,

We had a 'recipe' from our pediatrician.

Wash with a soft cloth/rag with water only. Dry the entire area.

Stomahesive powder (CVS: ~$12)
Puff the powder on the rash only. This allows the rash cream to stick to the rash to do its work.

Triple Paste. (CVS: 1# $19.99 - best deal, esp. for diaper rash)
Paste this on the rash/bottom like CUPCAKE FROSTING. I kid you not.

Corn starch baby powder. Puff this onto the triple paste to keep it from sticking to the diaper.

Package him up, he's ready to go.

We put all this into small containers for the diaper bag. Easier to get the tiny package of corn starch more expensive than try to get a small container for it though.

Tried. True. Worked.

Our little one came home from the HOSPITAL with the worst case of diaper rash I've ever seen - and I've worked in 2 day care places. This worked awesome.

Good Luck,
M.

M.,

If you clear it up and then it keeps coming back, I would think it is something your child is eating. Not knowing how old he is and if he is eating food yet, but if you are nursing it could be something you are eating. Things I don't let my kids have until they are done with diapers because of diaper rash reactions include acidic foods like pineapple, fruit juices, tomato sauce, and anything else I notice an ititial reaction to.

As for creams and lotions...I use Mela Gel from Melaleuca, and I've had the best results since switching to that last year.

D.
mother to 5

The only other suggestion I might have is if it is hurting him (burning), I would suggest mixing equal parts desitin withzinc oxide + cornstarch + mylanta. I know it sounds funny but I have a friend that works in the pediatric burn unit in DC and this is what they use when patients have burning! I used it on my daughter. It didn't completely clear the rash but took the burn away to comfort her anyway. SOmetimes you have to add more cornstarch, you want it to be a paste!! Messy but it works! hope this helps!

Has your doctor suggested that he might have food allergies? My son was having terrible eczema until we had him tested by an allergist - allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. Breast feeding at the time - those were all things that I was ingesting. I stopped consuming the three and his skin cleared up, digestion became regular for him. When I stopped breast-feeding we put him on a super broken down formula -- the dr. thinks he has already outgrown most of the allergies.... he's almost 10mos. now.

I just wrote about this last week to someone else, so feel free to look at the response I wrote for that!

How old is your boy? If he is 18 months or older I would highly suggest potty training. It will take A LOT of patience and you will really have to dedicate your ENTIRE life to it for a good 2 weeks or so, but it is worth getting over the rashes for good. This is what my mother did with my little brother when he had diaper rash so bad it went from his belly to his knees!!! She tried everything!...finally just potty training and 100% cotton underwear was the trick!!! Good Luck....I hope it subsides quickly.

Hi M.,

I shop from a company that has a great product call Renew lotion. It really works on excema and rashes. It has Malaysian glycerin in it which softens your skin but still lets it breathe and also is heals wounds, Allantoin which which helps pull moisture deep into your skin forming a protective shield against moisture loss, and T36-C5 Melaleuca oil (tea tree oil) which has soothing and penetrating properties. It also heals and helps soothe away dry, itchy irritation.

If you want more information, I would be happy to speak to you about it.

K.

M.

The best advice I ever received for diaper rash was from a pediatric r.n. Mix mylanta (or any liquid antacid) with creamy desitin(splt?) Because what causes the really bad rash is that the poop is really acidic.

Take a cotton ball and dip it in the mylanta mixture and dab it on his bottom. It is like a miracle within a day it starts to get better. Once it clears up I used aquaphor (a really thick vaseline) and smeared it all over the bottom as a barrier.

Good luck...hope it all works out!

D.

Just remember, issues on the skin always reflect issues that are going on inside the body - the body tries to get rid of the toxins, yeast, etc by pushing it out through the skin. How old is your son? Are you breastfeeding? If you're breastfeeding, change your diet now! Remove everything that can cause yeast overgrowth - too much sugar, white and unsprouted grains, processed foods in general, alcohol. Add in good probiotics - yogurt and kefir that are unsweetened and mixed with your own fruit, sprouted grain bread (I get Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Whole Wheat or Sprouted Sourdough, Berlin Natural Bakery Biblical Sprouted Bread or Ezekiel Bread, all at my local supermarket - just ask them if they have it). Also consider changing to a cultured butter like Organic Valley (their unsalted variety is made from cultured cream) - this will add more probiotics to your diet. All of these diet changes will keep food from fermenting in your stomach and will really help your son. If you're not breastfeeding, add as many of these things to your son's diet as you possibly can. Is he too young for foods? Change his formula - it's obviously not working for him. There are some great recipes for healthy baby formula online - check out the Weston Price Foundation website or a cookbook called "Nourishing Traditions" - your son's body is in distress and needs some drastic changes right away. Good luck!

My son went through a horrible bout of this too..Have you tried the cream Calmoseptine? Its not prescription but you have to ask for it because they usually stock it behind the counter. It worked on the toughest diaper rash for me. If not, how old is your child? Depending on that you could let him/her run around bare-bottomed inside the house to allow some air-flow. Also, try not to bathe your child in heavy soaps..because that could aggravatge eczema. You may also want to try to wash your child after their BM or wet diaper instead of cleaning them with wipes. Hope this helps and know that this too shall pass :)Good Luck!

Definitely let him air out as often as possible with nothing over his diaper area. I bought a few washable incontinence pads at the local medical supply company and let my son hang out on them (they are really handy later during potty training, too!).

My son's rash was not as bad as yours, but he did have impetigo (infected little crusted bumps) on his bottom. No cream/ointment worked. Antibiotics didn't work. What did work for us was an all natural herbal healing salve from my natural food store. You might want to try taking him to a naturopath or a homeopath and see if they have anything to offer. Since traditional medicine hasn't worked, it can't hurt to get a new perspective.

Good luck!

hi M., check your diet or his diet, and try going diaperless for as long as possible. try to figure out when he has a b.m. and after that diaper change, leave his diaps off for as long as possible. my d.d. usually wets when she wakes up from naps, so messes can be avoided. warm water and almond oil only. good luck and ouch!
AND AFTER READING all your responses, i second the bag balm notion. I've been using bag balm for 37 years, and my mother for 40 years before that. it's safe, we used it on skinned knees and cuts as a kid, and i use it on my wrinkles and dry-cracked hands in the winter. i bet you anything it works. i would let him go diaperless for an hour, then rub bag balm all over his bottom and diaper him again. it's available in any drug store in a green, square can with a cow on it. one can lasts 10 years and you can use it on everyone!!!! go for it!

The best thing I know of is Bag Balm - they sell it at pet supply stores - Walmart has it in the pet dept - it's actually used for cow utters to keep them from cracking. I thought our ped was crazy when he suggested it, but it worked better then anything-Good Luck!

Hi M.,
So sorry to hear about your sons problems.
I would like to talk to you, give me a call. ###-###-####
C.

My daughter had a yeast infection along the band of the diaper and a little on her butt. We used lotriman cream and it worked. It did take awhile but it worked.

I'm asuming that my son is CONSIDERABLY older than your child(he is 21 yrs old), but he has cerebral palsy and sleeps in a diaper at night. He has had rashes that were so bad that he bled...it looked like he had been scalded. I used Triple Paste when it was at it's worst to prevent any urine from coming in contact with the affected skin. Then once it began to clear up, I use Zeasorb-AF (anti-fungal)Powder. It works like a charm, although there are some pretty strong warnings on the package...I always cover both his and my nose/mouth when using it. I would check with your pediatrician before using it if your son is really young.

Dear M.,

You haven't said how old your son it. If you can try to let him go without a diaper and put on cloth training pants they are extra thick in the crotch area and help contain any messes. My child only had one really bad rash and I didn't use baby wipes they burn terrible. I would either put him right into a tub of luke warm water and clean the area that way or use a wet papertowel and be gentle. I believe in Caldesine powder it is great for rashes and also shea butter which is natural. I would change diapers frequently as not to keep any urine on the skin it will only make the rash worse. Also I would try to give him some water in between bottles it could be possible his urine is to strong and is burning his tender skin. The more hydrated you are the less concentrated the urine is. Maybe it will help. Good luck!!

My dgtr had a really bad diaper rash at one point - It didn't last nearly as long as yours - poor little guy! And mom! I actually let her go without a diaper (she wouldn't allow it to get put on) and put an absorbent cloth in underwear. The only thing that ever worked for her with diaper rash was corn starch. Pure corn starch from the kitchen cabinet - poured on her bottom. It soaked up the moisture. I used Aveeno diaper rash cream (but I would suggest using a more natural one without fragrance if you can find it - vaseline isn't really the greatest to use either). But, I only used the cream when it was really bad - and poured the corn starch over it. That was my magic cure. Hope it helps and that he gets better soon. If not - maybe a wellness doctor may be the answer - it could be his diet also (or yours if he is breastfeeding).

Try Tushies tendercare disposable diapers--no chlorine or added frangrance and I feel works as well as pampers, etc. Also, calendula ointment (pure homeopathic remedy, not the cream with added things in it). I've had great results with Egyptian Magic cream--expensive but you need just a little and really works--check your local health food store or maybe Whole Foods has it.

Maybe it's a food allergy. Try to pinpoint what he's eaten when he's rashy. Good luck!

Hi M.,
My son's pediatrician prescribed Nystatin cream, I would use it 3 times a day and in between diaper changes I would use the triple paste. You can get the Triple Paste at Walgreens or CVS - it's a little pricier than other creams, but well worth it. I hope your baby's rash clears up. Good Luck!
S.

Hi M.,
How old is your son? Has he been tested for food, contact or environmental allergies? I'm not sure if this will help, but I learned that diaper wipes, and diaper creams are actually pretty harsh on a baby's skin. There is a method to the madness. It will create more irritation to convince you you need it! It works initially but leaves their skin all dried out. Many children have sensitivity to it. You can buy one wipe brand called Naturacare. It's an organic cotton wipe with NO chemicals in it. It smells good too. I always find mine at a health food store I got to, Whole Foods. If you can't find that I think Seventh Generation has a pretty good one too. Next, and this might sound a little gross, but I was told/recommended to not wipe after every pee diaper change--again very drying. If it was just a little pee, air it out and let it be. If your baby is getting a bath regularly, and you're wiping the other times, it'll be fine. Lastly, we only ever used Weleda brand diaper cream. It's very gentle, smells great, and it's main ingredient is calendula. It's very healing and soothing. Again, I find that at my health food store. They have oils and lotions and all sorts of stuff for people, moms and babies. Best of luck!!

Sounds like the urine is too strong. try offering more water.

Nanc

hi, the first thing to do is stop using wipes of any kind. use a soft paper towel or cloth - bounty makes soft ones, the package is pink, and just plain clean water. for the real messy ones, i use vaseline or calming diaper area spray by california baby to gently clean it. let dry very well. then triple paste. give your son a bath with baking soda in it, a handful or so, dont use soap, and dont rinse his bottom too much. again, dry very well, then triple paste. thats it. less is more, all those creams and lotions will often make it worse. as will lots of oral medications, and maybe lots of citrus fruits/juices. tomato too. also, if its yeast, you need an antifungal. try lotrimin af, 3x day before the triple paste. nystatin made my baby's rash worse. and neosporin is a no-no too, lots of people are actually allergic and get into a cycle of treating an irritation with it and making it worse and treating, etc. my sister just went through that, it is systemic and caused rashes other places as well, she kept treating, etc, before they figured it out. good luck, D.

M.....we've never had an issue (knock on wood) with our daughter's diaper area. all i can say is that we bathe her (warm baths) using cetaphil gentle cleanser (it doesn't really get soapy but it works really good). and we use the cetaphil lotion all over her body, including butt cheeks. after it's all rubbed in and absorbed we'll use the clear multipurpose desitin around the area. it works really well....and you can be liberal with it. we also just try and change her often...and when she's gone to the bathroom....be it #1 or #2. even still we won't keep her in a diaper for more than 2 hours or so...if we can help it. i'm sure you've tried so many things.....i wish you the best of luck and hope your little one can heal and feel better soon.

Hi M.,

My daughter had a yeast infection as well, and I used garlic oil on it. The best thing to do is to stop using wipes & just use a paper towel w/warm water, let the area totally dry, then apply a little garlic oil(it's a natural antibiotic) on the area and then put the diaper back on. It takes a day or two to see some improvement but as long as your diligent it should work. I also used a salve that I made that always helps on the diaper rash, among many other things.

The garlic oil is very easy to make, just take a cup of olive oil, cut up 5 or 6 cloves of garlic and heat over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, let sit til cool, strain & bottle it up.

You can check out my salve here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&am...

I do give free shipping to Mamasource members.

Good luck!

R.

I am sure you have tried these, but just in case you haven't:

Auquaphor - I felt it helped when the rash was the worse

Change diaper hourly

leave diaper off whenever possible, put child on a water proof mat

do not use any types of creams or lotions on baby's skin

Good Luck and I do hope it gets better!

K.

Hi M.,
Have you been to the health food store and bought Weleda Baby cream-Calendula cream or ointment. I found it got rid of any rash that my babies got at that era. I still use it today on any cuts or open wounds too. Also, need to check diets. A lack of trace minerals and lack of enzymes in the diet causes lots of these problems. Good Luck and if you want info on diet or enzymes email me or call me ###-###-####.
M.

Auquaphor is the best for a true diaper rash. It was developed for burns so it protects the skin yet allows it to breathe. If it is eczema it may be a food allergy. Consider testing or limitting the diet until you can get rid of the rash. Then add stuff back to see the reaction.

D. V

M.,
I am a Mom of two kids that are now 14 and 10. But when they were infants and right up to the age of 4 I used triple antibiotic ointment on the rash first then put Balmex on top. It seemsed to work wonders. The reason I did this was because the first application was an antibiotic ointment and the Balmex had zinc in it. It worked as a shield so the the other ointment can do its job in treating it and kept it from wiping away in the diaper. I hope this helps. Good Luck and let me know. C. N

Sounds like it's time to investigate food allergies! My friend's daughter had this same problem and even once she was potty trained, the rash didn't go away. Turns out she's allergic to dairy, eggs, almonds, strawberries, and wheat. As soon as she stopped eating the allergens (no small feat!), her skin cleared up and stayed clear. Now they know if she's been given something she's allergic to because instantly her bottom flares up along with other patches of skin. Good luck, it can be a long road but many kids outgrow their food allergies by age 5.

Hi M.,

My son went through a similar stage at 3 months. I work for a Radiation Oncology department and we deal with skin irritation due to the radiation therapy. I used Aquaphor Healing Ointment on my son's skin for his diaper rash, which is what we give out patients. This seem to work for us. For the eczema, I used a product from Johnson & Johnson. It looks like a little deodorant it's light Green and very small. They sell it a Target and Babies R Us. This soothe the itching of the eczema and then finally cleared it up. I used both of the products everyday several times a day and within a week saw a drastic difference.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.

D.

try to get your baby out of disposable diapers. it's clear the creams aren't working and are only treating the symptoms and not the root problem.
1. if YOU are ready for it, start potty training. (no matter the age of your child, they can learn - even just a few months old. but YOU have to be ready for it). more likely than not he will start pooping in the potty pretty quickly, and that alone will address most causes of rash.
2. put your son in cloth. underwear if you're ready to potty train, cloth diapers (wool cover if you can get your hands on one) if you're not. the skin needs to breathe.
3. let your son walk around naked as much as possible. the skin needs to breathe
4. change your son's diaper frequently. as in, every hour. never let him go more than 2 hours. if you're not sure how often he poops/pees, let him be without a diaper for 2 or 3 days and write down every time he goes. YES it will be messy, but you (and he) will know exactly when he goes and he'll never sit in his own mess.
5. wipe with only water on a washcloth. no soaps or wipes (it stings you to wash an open wound with soap or other astringent, right?) other than at bathtime. I'm assuming you bathe him daily.
6. cornstarch.

from personal experience we almost always had diaper rash when we used disposable diapers for several days in a row (and creams did very very little to help). we started potty training him late at 11months, but we haven't seen ANY rash since then, even when he's in disposables.

As an infant my son had terrible diaper rash and thrush. After trying many remedies here is what worked for him: My pediatrician told me to buy a powder call Domboro solution(sp.?) I found at Duane Reade. I mixed w/water and wet a paper towel, Viva brand and put in his diaper 3 times a day for 20 minutes. I also finally gave my son Diflucin for the yeast infection. Finally Triple Paste (you can find at most pharmacy's). The combo finally did the trick after many weeks of very bad, similar to what you described diaper rash. I still use the triple paste whenever his tush gets red and by morning he is all better.

Check with your pediatrician about the above suggestions. Good Luck,

W.

Have you tried switching to cloth diapers or at the very least eco friendly chlorine free diapers? We use cloth and every time we've traveled and used disposables our daughter would get a rash. It seemed to be better with Seventh Generation diapers.

M., this has been a constant issue for my daughter, too. For a long while we were treating it like a yeast infection, but it turned out not really to be that most of the time. For whatever that's worth. The only thing that has really worked for us is prescription strength hydrocortisone cream (0.2%), applied three times a day, and then a super-duper diaper cream. Triple Paste is good. The best deal for that I've found is actually online at www.anyotc.com. It's much cheaper through that site than at CVS.
Good luck! We can't wait to potty train and get all this behind us (no pun intended...).
-A.

Hi! When my daughter had a bad rash, my friend gave me this cream that her sons doctor gave her. Its called NYSTATIN AND TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE CREAM. She got a small tube cause i think it was a sample, but it worked. Maybe you can speak to your doctor about it. Good Luck!

I used a prescription cream for my son, from his pediatrician. Also, my friend's son had the same problem and it turned out he was allergic to certain diapers. You may need to switch brands, or maybe even go to cloth. My friend had luck with organic, chlorine free diapers that she got at Whole Foods.
Good luck.

Hi M. --
it's been a while --and we are now, finally, out of diapers --my twins will be four in December -so there is an end to diaper rash to look forward to!
We went thru all that you said --some of the things that worked were Nystatin ointment (prescribed by the dr and applied very frequently --with aquaphor or Triple Paste on top) Another presribed ointment that started with a K -can't think of name -again underneath something else -either many layers of aquaphor or triple paste on top. At one point, my daughter took an oral anti yeast medication -I want to say it was diflucan but I am not 100% --it was extreme -exactly as you describe -it might clear for a day or two and then back to the drawing board --even bleeding areas. It was so upsetting and frustrating. Try to change diapers VERY frequently and even let your child sit around on a disposable pad in between changes for as long as you can.
One friend recommended putting tea bags on the rash but I didn't try it -she swore by it --obviously, not hot tea bags but very strong -had been soaking all day in a mug or bowl by the changing table. My kids were diagnosed by a pediatric dermatologist with excema and given 2.5% cortisone ointment which definitely helped -but it was not a fix.
Good luck!!
M.

Hi M.,

My son was also getting diaper rashes due to yeast infections and he was put on an antibiotic (and we also used an OTC antifungal) and soaked him in warm water WITHOUT soap 4-5 times daily and allowed plenty of no-diaper-time until it healed. Then we switched to Triple Paste and since then (other than his occasional teething diaper-rash) he has been free of that horrible persistent blistering rash. I know you mentioned you've tried different creams, but have you stuck with Triple Paste for a couple days?
I was really upset by the rash but the soaking, tushy time and triple paste really cured it.
I hope this is helpful...and I pray that this gets resolved for your son. it's so sad what they go through.

good luck!

My sons issues with rashes did not arise until he was about 8 months old. I had been using all of same products from day 1 so I did not suspect any of them at first (I should have known better due to my own experiences with Lanolin). It took almost 3 months to get his rashes to clear up completely. A few treatments for Yeast, many different diaper rash creams, and different diapers and wipes. Turns out, after process of elimination he cannot use anything with Aloe in it! He had the rash mostly on his legs and belly right where the diaper is closest to the skin and some smaller patches in the diaper area, and occasionally on his chest, arms, and face. Turns out his wipes (Pampers Sensitive), diapers Pampers Baby Dry and Cruisers (all Pampers contain Aloe), and sunblock all contained Aloe...even some of the lotions and ointments had Aloe in them. My sons doctor actually had me call pampers to find out if they had changed anything with the diapers because he had a few patients with similar circumstances all occurring about the same time. It wasn't until we were going over the ingredients of the diapers that it actually dawned on me that it may be the Aloe. After switching his wipes to Pampers Swipers (the only wipes I could find at the time without Aloe), Huggies Diapers, and strictly Aveeno Baby sunblock (no more Water Babies), he does not have the rash anymore! I use CeraVe lotion for his eczema and Johnson and Johnson Moisture stick when he gets a patch on his face. If he shows any sign of a rash in the diaper area I use the Aveeno diaper rash cream and it is usually gone after 2 applications. Also, I still wash him with Aveeno Baby products and rinse him off before filling the tub for some playtime, this way he is not sitting in the soap...I only bathe him every 2 - 3 days depending on what he has gotten into! Too much is very rough on their skin. It took a while to figure all of this out! Hope this helps!
Chrissy

My son had the exact same thing. It started when he began to teeth. The only thing that worked was bordeaux butt paste. They sell it at CVS, Shoprite, A & P and Babies R Us. After the rash goes away you have to apply it after every diaper change to keep it from coming back. I tried prescripton diaper rash cream and the Dr. also said to use Malox and Neosporin together. It didn't work for my son though. My sister also used Udder Cream on her twins(you can order it online) and it worked great too. Another thing that makes my son's rash come back is LUVS diapers. My Dr. said Balmex and those types of lotions can make the rash worse.

My son is now 2 and if I see any sign of diaper rash I put Butt Paste on and it keeps it away.

I hope this helps!

If he has a true yeast infection, then this might help. Apply the ointment every couple of hours. I don't know if he has it in his mouth or not(you would see something like curdled milk always), but if he does apply in there every 2-3 hours. Also if you are breastfeeding apply it on your boobs prior to feeding. I don't know what medicine you have, just make sure that you are allowed to put this in the mouth! The key with the yeast is that it grows back so quickly that when you apply the medicine in the morning, it will start growing back w/in hours. I had the same problem for months with it in the mouth. I tried this consistent routine and that is what finally cleared it up. You must give it 2 weeks of vigilant applications! Don't just think that since you do not see it, it went away.

When my daughter had a diaper rash that blistered, the doctor's office recommended mixing Triple Paste diaper cream with Lotrimin AF (anti-fungal). It cleared up the rash very quickly. If your son has a yeast infection, this might help. If it is food allergies, as others have suggested, the rash will probably return. Then maybe you should consult with a pediatric dermatologist or allergist. Good luck.