A Guide to Treat Diaper Rash in Babies
Diaper rash is a common skin condition (dermatitis ) that makes a baby's skin sore, red, scaly, and tender. Diaper rash is often caused due to wet or infrequently changed diapers, skin sensitivity, and chafing. It is caused usually when the skin is wet and warm.
It usually affects babies, though anyone who wears a diaper regularly can develop the condition.
Diaper rash can annoy a baby and make him more cranky. Baby can feel irritated and disturbed due to itching and sensitivity in the skin.
As a parent myself, I do understand that how much it affects our own mental health when our babies do not feel well, be it a major or any minor issue.
Prevention
The most important way to prevent and treat a rash is to keep your baby’s diaper dry and clean. And make sure the diaper isn’t wrapped too tightly.
Give some diaper-free time to your baby during the day. This may help keep the diaper area dry and moisture-free.
In between, when you change your baby’s diaper, clean the area gently with a soft cloth or a squirt of water from a bottle. You can use wet wipes but gently. Don’t rub the skin too hard, and avoid wipes with alcohol.
Also if your baby’s skin is very sensitive, apply some coconut oil every time you change your baby’s diaper. After applying, let the oil soak in your baby’s skin, and then make him wear a new diaper.
It doesn’t matter what kind of diaper you are using for your little one. Whether you are using disposable or cloth diapers, diaper rash can be caused in both cases.
Because there's no one best diaper, use whatever works for you and your baby. If one brand of disposable diaper irritates your baby's skin, try another. If the laundry soap you use on cloth diapers seems to cause a diaper rash, switch product.
Whether you use cloth diapers, disposables, or both kinds, always change your baby as soon as possible after he or she wets or soils the diaper to keep the bottom as clean and dry as possible.
Remedies
There are so many remedies already available on the internet. Some common ones are:
Use coconut oil
Apply some coconut oil on the infected area and let it soak into your baby’s skin. This remedy may be especially helpful for diaper rash caused by yeast, as coconut oil is a powerful antifungal.
Use breast milk
This liquid gold does more than just nourish your little one’s tummy. Breast milk has many amazing biodynamic properties, as well as natural anti-infective properties, and is full of antibodies. Apply some breast milk over the infected area. This process will take some time but many people have seen the positive results out of it.
Use diaper rash cream
There are already many diaper rash creams available in the market. You can try the one which suits your baby.
Or you can make your own diaper rash cream at home:
Mix 1 small cup of coconut oil
1 cup olive oil
4-5 drops of tea tree essential oil and
4-5 drops of lavender essential oil.
You can store this homemade diaper rash cream in the refrigerator. Before applying the cream to your baby, warm it up by rubbing it between your hands first. Don't apply the cold cream directly.
Now moving on to the remedies which worked for me really well.
A mix of coconut oil and few drops of tea tree oil.
Apply some coconut oil mixed with few drops of tea tree essential oil and apply gently on the infected area, every time you change your diaper.
Give baking soda bath
While giving a bath to your little one, pour 2-3 spoons of baking soda in lukewarm water and let your child sit in for few minutes(8-15 min). Baking soda has cleansing and detoxifying properties that may help to purify the body and boost immunity. Baking soda soothes your baby’s skin and helps in fast recovery.
The secondary stage of diaper rash
Your baby’s rash can also develop into a secondary fungal or yeast infection called candidiasis. It appears bright red and raw.
It can sometimes be found in the creases of the skin with spots of the red rash outside of the diaper area on the abdomen or thighs. These are known as “satellite lesions.”
Check with your doctor for a diagnosis if you notice these symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream if they think your baby has a fungal diaper rash.
If your child becomes difficult to console or seems to be in pain related to their diaper rash, these are also signs to call the doctor.
Hope you find this article beneficial.
Thanks for reading 🙏