HOW TO PREVENT AND CURE DIAPER RASH!

I have two children under the age of two.  I am a stay-at-home mom.  I am writing this guide to offer suggestions to those who face a Diaper Rash dilemma by sharing my personal experiences.

Common Causes of Diaper Rash

• Acidic Foods

My daughter cannot tolerate acidic foods by themselves or in a cooked meal such as tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, or any other form of tomato.  She also cannot tolerate citrus.  Orange juice is a huge cause of diaper rash.  There is also a marinade called MOJO which is very delicious but 100% citrus and this has caused severe diaper rash on my daughter (I also get a rash on my hands and arms when I eat something marinated in it).

• Foods that pass through breast milk

Even when I drink a glass of orange juice or other citrus drink, or eat a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, my daughter gets diaper rash.  Spicy food, Tabasco sauce, or salsa that I have eaten has also caused my daughter to have diaper rash. 

• Change in diet

Regardless if the baby is bottlefed or breastfed, when you start feeding your child solid foods, you may notice your child might start getting diaper rash from the irritants in the foods they are eating.  You may not be able to eliminate all the offending foods.   But keep this in mind and use diaper rash cream at every diaper change.

• Cloth  Diapers

I tried using cloth diapers to help save the environment.  I used them for two hours.  During this time, I changed approximately 10 diapers.  Every time the diaper gets wet, it must be changed immediately.  Unlike disposable, there is no leak guard or protection, even with the diaper cover.   Despite the diaper changes, my daughter had the most severe diaper rash she has ever had.  I am not sure if it was something in the material (although I did wash the cloth diapers before using them in Dreft!) or the fact that the wetness isn't "pulled" away from the skin like with a disposable diaper.   I never used cloth diapers again - except for dusting rags and they make a great all-purpose rag at meal times.   Locally, our garbage is incinerated so I don't worry as much about the disposable diapers as I did when I thought they were left to sit in a garbage pile somewhere. (Some people love cloth diapers, I just did not have a good experience with them!)

• Disposable Tight-Fitting Diapers

I found the Pampers Cruisers work best for my children after they turned about 2 months old.   I prefer Swaddlers by Pampers for newborn babies.  I have also used Pampers Baby dry, but I don't like them as much.  Cruisers has a "stretch" to them that is perfect for the active baby or toddler on the go.  They are pricy.  I signed up for the Pampers website and I get coupons every now and then.  Target has really good deals on Pampers.  Babies R Us and Toys R Us have sales once in a while or a $5 coupon in the paper, but the starting price is so expensive that even with the specials and coupons, Target is cheaper.  A tight-fitting disposable diaper can cause diaper rash.  When I have used diapers other than Pampers Cruisers, I always have to get a size bigger to account for the "stretch" that I get with the Cruisers. 

• Baby Wipes

I always use Pampers Sensitive baby wipes on my newborns.  They are very mild and soft!  After about 2 months, I switch to a cheaper brand.  I've tried Target brand, Huggies, and Toys R Us sensitive brand.  The Toys R Us Sensitve are pretty close to Pampers Sensitive and a couple dollars cheaper.  I do not like Target brand or Huggies wipes.  In general, I like Pampers brand the best.  We also found a cheaper brand by Kirkland (Cosco wholesale club brand).  For about half the price of Pampers, you get more wipes per case and they are terrific!

Prevention & Cures

• Diaper Rash Cream

Every baby health book I have ever read states that diaper rash cream should not be used on a daily basis and should only be applied on an actual diaper rash.  After dealing with my daughter's diaper rash a few times and at the advice of my grandmother whom has given birth to and raised seven children, I apply diaper rash cream to both of my children at EVERY diaper change! 

We buy the one pound tub of Desitin.  I can usually find this at Babies R Us and Toys R  Us.  I think I've seen it at Target also.  It costs about $11.  We buy two tubs at a time because we keep one downstairs and one upstairs.  Each tub lasts about 6 months (for two children in diapers).  I've even started buying these as baby shower gifts!  The small tubes might be neater than sticking your fingers in a huge tub of desitin, but I was going through them so quickly that it just was too costly. 

I have tried Butt paste, Balmex, store brand, and various other diaper rash creams.  Desitin is great for daily use/every diaper change.  Triple Paste is very expensive ($9-13 for a jar depending on where you buy it - Walmart seems to be the cheapest), but does wonders to cure diaper rash! 

If your child has a blistering or bleeding diaper rash, call a doctor immediately!  Your child should be examined and prescribed an appropriate ointment!  Your child may also have a different condition altogether such as a yeast infection which must be properly treated by a physician!

One time my daughter had bad diaper rash when she started eating solid foods.  The diaper rash lasted for about a week.  It looked very red and mildy swollen.  This is before I knew my grandmother's secret of applying diaper rash cream at every diaper change!  This is how I cured my daughter's diaper Rash:
 

1. I changed my daughter's diaper every hour at least
2. When I changed her diaper, I washed her with a soft baby washcloth with mild Johnson & Johnson's baby wash and warm water
3. I let the diaper area air dry for a minute or so and then pat dry
    
4. After the area was dry,  I would generously apply diaper cream (the strongest - Triple Paste) and a little Johnson & Johnson Baby powder (corn starch only) - never talc (which they now say causes asthma)
5. I would seal the diaper and make sure that she wore loose fitting pants or bloomers over the diaper
6. I would give her a bath in warm bath twice a day with mild Johnson & Johnson's baby wash and then make sure she is dry before applying diaper rash cream and a new diaper
    
7. In the morning, I made sure the first thing I did before anything else was to change her diaper and wash her

Some of these suggestions may not be practical  if your child is in day care!  But I would tell the day care teacher about your child's diaper rash dilemma and request that they make an effort to change your child's diaper promptly when it is soiled and apply the Diaper Rash cream and Baby powder every time!

• Change Diapers Often!

Change diapers often!  I changed my newborn baby's diapers every hour at least!  When the children are a little older, they should be changed at least every 2 hours!  If your child passes stool, change the soiled diaper immediately!  The chemicals in urine and feces when sitting in a dirty diaper against the warmth of your baby's skin naturally causes a diaper rash.  Make sure you completely clean the soiled area in every crevice.  Leaving your child's bum dirty can cause irritation! 

If you are away from home a lot with your child(ren), make it a point to schedule diaper checks.  Add it to your calendar as if it is an important meeting.  Diaper rash hurts and can make your baby's life miserable.  It's easy to let time run away from you.  It's easier to prevent Diaper Rash than to cure it!

For every day use, I prefer Desitin.  I don't use the powder unless my child already has Diaper Rash.  Desitin is also great for chafing.  My son has little fat rolls and sometimes his skin turns red around his neck and the creases of his upper thighs.  I put desitin on these areas and it clears the redness.

If your baby's diaper rash doesn't clear up or at least start getting better in a few days, call your pediatrician and talk to the nurse for advice.  The doctor may even want you to bring your baby in for a checkup! 

I hope this guide was helpful.  If this information is not enough, there are additional resources at babycenter.com or in the What to Expect series of books (What to Expect the First Year, ...the Toddler Years, etc.).

Revised commentary:

If the rash appears red, hot to touch, surrounded by little bumps (not blisters) and lasts for seven days without any of the above preventions or cures helping, call your child's pediatrician.  Your child (boy or girl) may have a yeast infection.  A prescription antibiotic cream will be necessary to cure it.  It is applied for 5-7 days, 3 times a day, and in between you can use your normal diaper rash cream.  Our pediatrician recommended A&D ointment, which I have never tried.