This is a sponsored guest post.
Whether you’re a tried-and-true cloth diaper parent, on the side of disposable diapies, or feeling out your options, there’s one thing you have in common with everyone else: Your baby will end up with diaper rash.
Don’t beat yourself up too much when this happens. If you know you’re trying your best, the blame game never helps. The key is to figure out what’s going on that’s causing the rash, then learn how to prevent it and take action.
We guarantee you aren’t the first parent of a child with diaper rash, and you won’t be the last. Even when every infant in the world was in a cloth diaper, rashes were a part of life.
But when diaper rash is a consistent battle, and your baby is struggling because of the redness on their behind, you want it to go away. That means you’re a great parent!
With a little trial and error and a lot of patience, you can get rid of your baby’s diaper rash once and for all. It’s likely caused by one or two of a handful of factors, and they’re all right here in this article.
Problem 1: You’re Skipping Diaper Changes
Let’s face it: Disposable diapers are expensive, and cloth diapers are a lot of work. You want to get the most bang for your buck, so to speak, so unless that diaper is leaking or poopy,
Baby can stay in it, right?
Eh, not so fast.
How long would you like to sit in a puddle of urine? Not long? Yeah, exactly.
Your baby can’t complain or move themselves, but that doesn’t mean they’re happy and comfortable. And the longer they sit in urine, which consists of ammonia and acid, the more their sensitive skin becomes irritated.
Because diapers reduce air circulation, this dark environment invites bacteria into it, where the dampness causes these germs to thrive. The result is a painful, red, inflamed opening in your baby’s soft, sensitive skin.
Changing your baby’s diapers should be scheduled, like their feeding times. Monitor the diaper and change it at least every two to three hours or more, and if there’s poop, don’t wait. Change it immediately.
Problem 2: Chemicals Are Irritating the Skin
Even adults can have sensitive skin that reacts to particular chemical irritants. Babies who naturally haven’t been exposed to much yet automatically have more sensitivity.
So, if you’re using baby wipes or soaps with fragrances, new disposable diapers, or detergents and fabric softeners your baby hasn’t touched before, it could be irritating them. Never add a new chemical into your infant’s life without giving yourself time to monitor their
reaction.
For example, if you plan on using a new laundry detergent because it’s cheaper, wash one cloth diaper or outfit in it first. When you put that clothing item on the baby, see how they respond to it. They may break out in a rash immediately or slowly become irritated over the
next 24 hours. If that happens, you’ll know what likely caused the problem, and you won’t have to wonder which outfits you washed in that detergent.
Stick with free and clear, natural detergents without alcohol, fragrances, and additives. Use water, coconut oil, and other soft liquids to clean your baby’s soft skin.
Problem 3: The Diapers Are Too Small
Babies grow fast, and sometimes, they outgrow an entire box of diapers before you can use them! Yes, it’s money down the drain, but trying to force your child to wear a diaper that’s too small or tight can irritate their skin. You’ll notice this because you’ll see chafe marks or rashes that look like “chub rub.”
When you see red marks on their thighs or back, and these marks don’t go away within a few minutes, the diaper isn’t the right fit. Move up a size in diapers, or try another brand that might fit your baby’s unique body size better.
Problems 4 & 5: Medications and Yeast
Diaper rash happens when bacteria get into the skin. This can be external or internal, like when your baby is on antibiotics.
Because antibiotics work by upsetting the balance of gut bacteria, the same medicine that’s “fixing” your baby’s health (or yours, if you’re breastfeeding) can also hurt them. The imbalance in bacteria leads to too much yeast, which eventually turns into diaper rash.
If you must take antibiotics while breastfeeding or give your child this medicine, take or give them with a probiotic or fermented food. This balances the bacteria upset and reduces the yeast growth.
Yeast rashes are a fungus, so they must be treated with an antifungal response. These rashes are usually dark red with a raised border. They look more like scales, bumps, or pimples, and frequently occur between folds of skin.
If your baby has a yeast rash, the area needs to be kept as dry as you can. Use an OTC or prescription antifungal cream. If you do use cloth diapers, you’ll need to sanitize with bleach to avoid reinfecting your baby.
Problem 6: It’s Like a Heat Wave
When the temperatures are getting to you, they’re probably getting to your little one, too. You’ll know it when you see the heat rash on their baby bums.
Humidity, high temps, and lack of air movement outside means the same stuff is going on in their diaper. This results in a rash that manifests in red pimples or blisters, and it can show up anywhere there’s a sweat gland or enclosed area.
To prevent this, keep your baby cool by using tepid water over the rash. Let it air dry, and avoid using a diaper whenever you can until the rash goes away.
Problem 7: Your Baby Has Skin Irritations
Sometimes, we’re simply born with sensitive skin. It shows up over time (or immediately) in forms like dermatitis, eczema, or chronic diaper rash.
If your baby has sensitive skin prone to irritation, you’ll need to change their diapers more frequently. What you use to bathe them, your choice of diaper brand and laundry detergents will play a crucial role in their health until they grow out of the sensitivity or learn to manage it themselves.
Use diaper cream regularly, as this provides a barrier between the moisture and your baby’s skin. There are a variety of creams on the market, but oil-based salves are safe and effective enough for daily preventative use. If your little one is in the midst of a breakout, you’ll need a
cream with zinc oxide.
You may need to switch to cloth diapers and wipes if you can’t find a disposable diaper that doesn’t irritate them. Make sure you dry your baby thoroughly after baths and before putting a new diaper on them, and let them go diaper-free every day for a while.
Problem 8: Diet Changes
As your baby gets older, you’ll begin introducing them to new foods. Each item, no matter how bland or simple, changes the pH of their gut. This is particularly true when those foods are more acidic, like oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, and other common fruits and vegetables.
The acid becomes part of the poop, and when it comes out of your baby, it can cause red, irritated rings around their anus.
The problem is that this can happen with any food, whether it’s a bland banana or an acidic lemon. It all depends on your baby’s gut and how it reacts to the adjusted pH levels.
To avoid this problem, never introduce multiple new foods at once. Try to give them something they’ve never had before, and give them that same thing for three or four days before you add anything more to their diet. Also you should give them organic food which is healthy and improves their immune system. There are some trusted online websites and you may get organic toddler food delivery at your home as well
If they become gassy or fussy or end up with diaper rash and an irritated booty, you’ll know what likely caused it, and you’ll be able to remove that food from their diet for a while. One thing to be aware of if you’re breastfeeding is that your acidic and spicy foods don’t change your breast milk’s pH, so feel free to eat those tacos!
Remember, Your Child, Like Billions of Others, Will Grow Out of Diapers
While your little one’s diaper-wearing timeline is unique to them, eventually, barring extreme circumstances, they’ll grow out of them.
In the meantime, you’re living in a world of technical marvels, yet, diapers have been a “thing” since the earliest civilizations. Ancient diapers were made from any material a mom and dad could get their hands on, be it plants or animal skin. Imagine the rash from an accidental poison ivy diaper!
Even when society got a little more “polite,” babies and toddlers were dressed in tight cloths and long gowns, with no diapers at all. When company would pay a call to visit the new family addition, they ran the risk of holding Baby when they had to pee or poo. By the 1800s,cloth was used to prevent these accidents, and eventually, safety pins kept the cloth in place, unless it didn’t, and then, ouch.
The disposable diaper didn’t come on the scene until 1942, and it wasn’t available for mass production and public sale until 1948.
All this is an important backdrop to remind you that your baby’s diaper rash doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. In fact, if you care enough to read this article and get to the root of the problem, you’re doing just fine.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
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