Baby Diaper Rash

Golden Rule of Thumb

A golden rule of thumb: a dry baby is a happy baby. Damp diaper encourages infections, therefore, the cleaner a diaper stays, the better it for our baby’s skin.
 

Choosing Baby’s Diaper

There are two kinds of baby diapers: the conventional cloth diapers and the disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are more cost-effective as they can be washed and reused, but cleaning them can be time consuming. Disposable diapers make life much easier but they are more costly. Your choice will depend on the level of confidence and ease you want as well as the cost factor. The best solution probably is to have a bit of both – cloth diapers at home during the day and disposable diapers for outings and during sleep.
 

Diaper Rash Symptoms

Skin irritation is normally caused by changes in the pH level, which tends to rise when the genital area becomes damp. If urine is left too long in a nappy or on the skin, it is broken down to ammonia by bacteria from your baby’s stool. The ammonia irritates the burns the skin, causing nappy rash.

Mild nappy rash appear as small red dots on your baby’s bottom or in the folds of the skin in the baby’s nappy area. This is often due to the baby not being dried thoroughly after baths or when a soiled nappy is left on for too long. Other causes include sensitivity to certain disposable diapers, laundry detergent or bath soaps.

The redness can progress to red spots, raised red patches, wrinkles, cracks, blisters and even ulcers. The skin may feel hot to touch.
 

Diaper Rash Preventions and Cares

1. Keep your baby’s bottom as dry as possible as a prevention of nappy rash.
2. Build up a barrier by using barrier or nappy creams to protect the skin from wetness.
3. Air his bottom – babies love nappy-free moments when their movements are unrestricted.
4. Change your baby’s diaper as soon as it gets soiled or wet.
5. Try another brand of disposable diapers and change to a milder laundry detergent or bath soap.
6. Use a nappy rash cream/ointment at the first sign of soreness on your baby’s skin.

Notify the doctors if you notice any of the following signs on your baby’s diaper or when you change your baby’s diaper:
1. Persistent pinkish staining on her diapers.
2. When your baby appears to experience pain when passing urine.
3. Your baby consistently passes hard or very dry stools.
4. Frank blood in the urine, stools or spotting on the diapers.

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