WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
Almost every child gets diaper rash, a skin irritation in
the diaper area. The rash may get
infected.
Causes
The rash usually starts when a
wet diaper rubs your child's skin. Urine and stool sitting in
the diaper for a long time also can cause a rash, as can
diarrhea. Hot, humid weather can make the rash worse.
Allergies to soap, fabric softener, lotion, or powder are
another possible cause. These chemicals can irritate the
child's skin and cause diaper rash.
Diaper rash can develop from either cloth or disposable
diapers.
Signs/Symptoms
Your child's diaper area may be
red, raw, spotty-looking, cracked, painful, and
itchy.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
Most rashes improve in 3 days with proper care. Keep
your child's diaper area clean and dry to help the area
heal.
-
Check your child's diaper about once an hour. Wake
the child up one time during the night to change the
diaper until the rash improves. Change the diaper right
away if it is wet or soiled from a bowel
movement.
-
If the child has a bowel movement, use a mild soap
with warm water to clean the diaper area. Gently rinse
the area to remove any soap. Plain warm water and cotton
balls or baby wipes also can be
used.
-
Before closing the diaper, be sure the child's
bottom is completely dry.
-
Leave the child's bottom open to air as much as
possible during naps or after bowel movements. To protect
the bed, put a towel or diaper under the
child.
-
Diaper creams and ointments usually are not needed.
However, an ointment such as zinc oxide can be helpful if
the child's bottom is dry and cracked, or the child has
diarrhea. Zinc oxide is available at drug stores. Make sure
the child's bottom is clean and dry before applying any
ointment.
-
Do not use plastic pants until the rash
improves.
-
Punch small holes in disposable diapers to let air
in. This will help the rash heal
faster.
-
After washing cloth diapers, rinse them twice to get
rid of extra soap. Don't use fabric softeners if they make
your baby's skin red or rashy.
-
If the child's bottom stays bright red and
raw-looking, or has small red dots, there may be an
infection. Your doctor can give you a special ointment to
treat the problem.
Call Your Doctor If...
-
Additional redness, crusting, pus, or large blisters
appear in the diaper area.
-
The rash is not gone in 7 days.
-
You see white spots in your child's mouth. This could
indicate an infection called thrush. Your doctor can give
you medicine to treat the problem.
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