Diaper rash can worry parents and annoy children. But it is usually removed with simple home remedies.
Help your child follow dermatologists' advice to prevent and treat diaper rash at home. Article sources [s, s, s, s, s].
Prevention of diaper rash
The best way to prevent nappy rash is to keep your baby's skin as dry and clean as possible and change diapers often so that stool and urine do not irritate the skin.
1. Change diapers often
Remove wet or soiled nappies immediately. Change your baby's soiled or wet diapers as soon as possible and clean the area well.
Change diapers often, ideally every two hours or so and after every bathroom work.
2. Rinse your baby's bottom with warm water as part of each nappy change
Soak your baby's bottom in warm water with your hand or in a tub or water bottle from time to time.
Wet towels, cotton balls, and baby wipes can help clean the skin, but they should be gentle. Do not use wipes with alcohol or perfume.
If you want to use soap, choose a mild, fragrance-free type.
3. Gently wipe the water on the skin with a clean towel or let it air dry
Don't rub your baby's bottom. Exfoliation can further irritate the skin. Let your baby's skin dry completely before putting on another nappy.
Gently pat the leather with a soft cloth as it dries. Rubbing can irritate the leather.
4. Do not over tighten the diaper
Tight diapers prevent airflow into the diaper area, creating a moist environment conducive to diaper rash. Tight nappies can also cause chafing in the waist or thighs.
5. Give your baby more time without a nappy
If possible, leave your baby without a diaper. Exposing the skin to air is a natural and gentle way to dry it out. To avoid messy accidents, try placing your child on a large towel and have some playtime while he is barefoot.
6. Consider using the ointment regularly
If your child has rashes frequently, apply a barrier ointment during each diaper change to prevent skin irritation.
Applying diaper cream or ointment with each nappy change can help some babies with sensitive skin, but not all babies need it.
7. After changing diapers, wash your hands well
Hand washing can prevent the spread of bacteria or yeast to other parts of your child's body, to you, or to other children.
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Prescribed medical treatments for diaper rash
Using medicated ointments that aren't suitable for your baby's diaper rash can do more harm than help. So please check with your doctor before using any of them.
The best treatment for nappy rash is to keep your baby's skin as clean and dry as possible.
If your baby's nappy rash persists despite home treatment, your doctor may prescribe:
- A mild hydrocortisone (steroid) cream.
- Antifungal cream, if your child has a fungal infection.
- Topical or oral antibiotics, if your child has a bacterial infection.
- Cream or ointment with zinc oxide or Vaseline. Apply to the clean, dry area of redness before putting on a clean diaper.
- Baby powder. Keep it away from your child's face. The cornstarch in the powder can cause breathing problems. Put it in your hand and then apply it to the diaper area.
- Skip the steroid creams you find at the drugstore (hydrocortisone) unless your doctor tells you to use one. It can irritate your baby's bottom even more if you don't use it the right way.
- Use steroid creams or ointments only if recommended by your pediatrician or dermatologist - strong steroids or frequent use can lead to additional problems.
Nappy rash usually takes several days to improve, and the rash may return frequently.
If the rash persists despite prescribed treatment, your doctor may recommend that your child see a dermatologist.
Home Remedies for Diaper Rash
In general, nappy rash can be successfully treated at home by following these practices:
1. Keep the nappy area clean and dry
The best way to keep your baby's diaper area clean and dry is to change the diaper immediately after it becomes wet or soiled. Until the rash improves, this may mean getting up during the night to change the nappy.
Check your baby's diapers often, and change them as soon as they get wet or dirty.
2. After gently cleaning and drying the skin, apply a cream, paste or ointment
Some products, such as zinc oxide and petroleum jelly, work well to protect the skin from moisture.
Don't try to rub off this protective film completely when changing the diaper, as this can further irritate the skin. If you want to remove it, try using mineral oil on a cotton ball.
Pat the area dry by gently patting it to clean and dry it instead of rubbing it.
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3. Increased air flow
To help diaper rash heal, do what you can to increase the exposure of the diaper area to air.
Set time periods during the day when your baby does not wear diapers to allow your baby's skin to breathe and dry.
These tips may help you:
- Ventilate your baby's skin by leaving him without a diaper and ointment for short periods of time, perhaps three times a day for 10 minutes at a time, such as during naps.
- Avoid airtight plastic pants and diaper covers.
- Use a diaper larger than usual until the rash clears.
4. Apply an ointment, paste, cream or lotion
Various medications for nappy rash are available without a prescription.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for specific recommendations. Some common over-the-counter products include A+D, Balmex, Desitin, Triple Paste, and Lotrimin.
As a general rule, stick to products designed for children. Avoid items that contain baking soda, boric acid, camphor, phenol, benzocaine, diphenhydramine, or salicylates. These ingredients can be toxic to children.
5. Shower daily
Until the rash clears, bathe your child every day. Use warm water with fragrance-free soap. And wash your hands before and after every diaper change.
6. Pay attention to the size of the diapers
Diapers that are too tight can keep moisture close to the skin. By temporarily increasing the size of the diaper, you can reduce the irritation and dampness of an existing diaper rash.
You may also need to change your baby's nappy at night to keep the extra moisture in place.
7. Consultation with a doctor
If your doctor prescribes a special topical cream, ask him if applying a condom such as Vaseline over the cream can help your child. This may prevent your baby's nappy from sticking to the medicated cream.
However, this is not recommended for all children because petroleum jelly can affect the skin's ability to breathe.
8. Use plain water
When you need to remove stool from your baby's skin, use a gentle cleanser. Try a spray bottle to wash the area well.
9. Use tissues
If you use wet wipes, choose a mild wipe. Try to avoid perfumed and alcoholic wipes. Or use a clean, soft towel.
10. Change the type of diaper if diaper rash recurs often
If you use cloth, try to use disposables. Or try a different type of disposable diaper.
If you are washing cloth nappies, change your detergent. Choose a mild, hypoallergenic cleanser. Or add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
11. Change soiled diapers as soon as possible
The most important tip for treating and preventing nappy rash is to change all soiled diapers, even if they are wet, as soon as possible. This reduces skin moisture that can inflame the rash.
12. Be gentle when cleaning the nappy area
Use water and a soft washcloth or baby wipes that are free of alcohol and perfume. If the rash is severe, use a water bottle to clean the area, as doing so is gentler on the skin.
Then, let the area air dry. Leave your baby without a diaper for as long as possible to allow the skin to dry and heal.
13. Apply zinc oxide diaper cream
This is especially important if the skin remains red between diaper changes. If your baby has a severe nappy rash, layer it on as if you were decorating a cake.
There is no need to remove the cream with every diaper change. It can be removed completely at the end of the day. And don't use powder.
When to call the doctor for diaper rash
Tell your child's doctor if:
- The rash gets worse or does not respond to treatment within 2-3 days.
- Your child has a fever or appears lethargic.
- You see yellow fluid-filled bumps (pustules) and crusty areas. Honey color. This may be a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics.
You notice symptoms of a yeast infection:
- A red, swollen rash with white scales and lesions.
- Small red blisters outside the diaper area.
- Redness in the folds of your child's skin.
- Blisters appearing on the nappy area.
- Fever.
- Severe redness.
- Area swelling.
- Pus or discharge from the diaper area.
- The rash did not go away after treatment or began to get worse.
- Bleeding, oozing, or itchy skin.
- It causes your child pain with every urination or bowel movement.
Your child's doctor can examine the rash and make recommendations as needed for treatment.