Diaper rash or diaper dermatitis is a term that refers to red skin on your baby’s bum covered by a diaper. It is usually caused when your baby’s skin is exposed too long to poop or urine. The moisture from bowel movement or urine irritates your baby’s skin, and sensitive skin breaks down. When this sensitive skin gets rubbed against the diaper, it gets damaged. Furthermore, chemicals from urine & poo further hurt the skin and may cause a rash.
If you are parenting for the first time, you may be freaked to see it. But don’t worry; diaper rash is a common problem for infants and toddlers. In some cases, red patches only appear in the genital area and on your little champ’s bottom, but in some cases, it may affect the stomach and legs as well.
Table of Contents
Age Group for Developing Diaper Rash
From Birth to three years of age
Causes of Diaper Rashes
Irritant Mild Diaper Rash
When babies open their eyes, their skins are not used in soaps, dyes, and fragrances. As a result, their skin may develop a reaction during the first few weeks of their life. Soaps may cause a drying effect, and baby wipes may irritate your baby’s soft skin. Diaper dermatitis, one of the significant causes of diaper rash, is caused by irritants like urine that cause red or inflamed skin. It affects the hips, genitals, upper thighs, and lower abdomen. The condition may vary from mild to severe causing pain and skin peeling off.
Poop Diaper Rash
Poop or stool left on the skin can cause diaper rash as it contains harmful bacteria. This rash is mainly found in the scrotum area, and if the anus remains in prolonged contact with poop, it develops small ulcers.
Diarrhea Diaper Rash
It mostly appears when your child suffers from diarrhea. Enzymes in diarrhea stool digest your baby’s skin as food and cause a rash.
Ammonia Diaper Rash
If you don’t change your baby’s diaper for too long, urine & stool left in the diaper combine and form ammonia. It mostly happens with cloth diapers.
Yeast Diaper Rash
Yeast Diaper rash, also called Candida diaper rash, is a little bit raised, red rash with small red dots or pimples spreading around the main rash. It is primarily found in skin folds around the genitals and between the body & thighs. Breastfeeding moms and antibiotics given to children are the leading causes as they kill good bacteria that stop the growth of Candida. However, it only lasts for three days if adequately treated.
Bacterial Diaper Rash
Though less common than yeast rashes, bacterial diaper rash causes yellow scabs, sores, pimples, or evening draining pus. Mostly the symptoms resemble local skin bacterial infection, termed impetigo. A painful red lump is also formed in severe cases and could be dangerous if not treated properly.
Cradle Cap
Deep red rashes appear in the diaper area.
Cellulitis
Cellulitis is a severe condition when a bacterial infection spreads into your child’s skin. It produces a painful red area spreading out from sores.
Staph Scalded Skin Syndrome
It is also a serious condition caused by Staph bacteria. Primary symptoms include bright red skin, blisters spreading on the skin, and your child’s very ill.
Psoriasis
It appears in the diaper area; the skin is red, but slivery scaly patches on the skin are absent.
Symptoms of Diaper Rash
If you open up your baby’s diaper and see a little bum covered with bright red skin patches, it might be a chance that it is a diaper rash. Diaper rash is usually mild, and you don’t need medical professionals’ help. However, in severe cases, contact your child’s doctor as soon as possible.
- In mild cases, your baby’s skin turns pink and becomes dry. It is not a painful condition. Your child only reacts when pee or poo touches the rash. Your child’s regular eating or sleeping routine is not disturbed.
- In severe cases, skin becomes red, raw, broken/ Blisters, pimples, sores, or red bumps may cover your baby’s skin. The rash is painful to the touch, and the baby appears ill and uncomfortable in daily routine. In addition, it may be a chance that blood will appear in your baby’s poop, and your baby may catch a fever.
Diaper Rash Treatments
Changing diaper frequently: Try to change your baby’s diaper after every 2 hours a day and twice at least at night. It will keep the skin under the diaper and prevent rashes. If your baby has sensitive skin, use diapers specially designed for sensitive skin.
Diaper free time: For some time. Let your baby be free from diapers, just like in your womb. Your baby’s skin will be exposed directly to the air, and it will automatically heal the rash.
Avoiding baby wipes: Use warm water and mild soaps instead of baby wipes and pat the area dry gently instead of rubbing it.
Buying disposable diapers: When your child is suffering from diaper rash, buy disposable diaper liners. It will keep your baby’s bum dry and ensure fast healing. Use cloth diapers on other days, but ensure the poo is appropriately removed.
Natural Remedies to prevent:
a. Bath with Baking Soda: Adding baking soda to bathing water neutralizes the acidity of urine and poop. It also fastens healing during diaper rash. Just add a few tablespoons and see the miracle.
b. Ointments & Creams:
- Wash your baby’s skin and apply Vaseline or petroleum jelly to treat the rash around the anus.
- You can also use witch hazel after diluting it with water in equal parts and use a cotton ball to apply it on the baby’s buttocks. Witch hazel has anti-inflammatory properties that heal diaper rash quickly.
- Aloe Vera. Coconut oil and calendula (plant-based extract) also help in healing diaper rash.
- Apply zinc oxide diaper creams (e.g., Desitin) if your child has severe diaper rash.
When to consult a professional?
You should immediately consult your health care provider if:
- Rash, instead of healing after home remedies, starts growing
- Pain, itching, pimples, blisters, skin peeling, fever, and rash spreading to other than diaper areas