Bad Diaper Rash - Hanford,CA

Hi S. -

My son had a really bad case of diaper rash, poor guy. It was awful, his bottom was raw. I was told to "air" him out - let him run around without a diaper. It was a challenge, but it did work. Good luck!

My daughter is 2 years old and just had the same thing happen. I think it was just something she ate. I was told that cleaning with water (sometimes wipies and irritate) and then applying cornstarch would heal it. It worked! It took a few days, but the cornstarch seems to be working and is very soothing to her bottom.

Some kids can be allergic to cornstarch, so watch for that...but my daughter had no reaction.

Hi S.,
When my son had really bad diarrhea and bad rash but friend told me to get Domboro solution from the drug store. It really helped. I also really like Boudreax's Butt Paste. And maybe try Aveeno baby oatmeal bath.

Good luck!

Okay, let's get right to it! This is totally normal, my son always ends up with some kind of irratation on his little bottom when his tummy gets too upset.

If it has been longer than three days, and there is still diarrhea then call the doctor. Make sure you keep her hydrated, Pedialyte works great and give her things that can calm to the tummy. Crackers, rice, yogurt, mashed potatoes, bananas worked great for my kiddo, and stay away from fruit juices that may increase the diarrhea. Since, your little one is breat/bottle fed offer her feedings as usual and maybe even more.

When the rash got bad for my son, I got a prescription that cleared it up in a day...but, I also let my son go naked and I started using powder with corn startch instead of the creams. There is something about the fresh air that clears it right away.

You can call your doctor and explain the situation to the nurse, they are super helpful with tips and if it is truly terrible and has lasted longer than three days, I would take her in and see if your doctor can recommend a prescription for the butt or to help her tummy.

Good luck.

In addition to the others:

After EACH poop movement, clean her as usual like with any diaper change, THEN wash off her bum with warm water under the faucet. Then, air her out until her skin is completely dry.
This WILL help a great deal.

Also, you could try NOT using diaper wipes, but instead use soft paper towels that you dampen with water. What I do, is I keep a water bottle sprayer right at our diaper area...and when my kids had gotten diarrhea or bad diaper rashes... we would spray water on their bum, wipe with wet-soft paper towels, instead of diaper wipes. This helped, and this is also what the Doctor suggested.

Do not put barrier creams on her bottom while it is still "damp" from diaper wipes or rinsing her. Otherwise, you will just be trapping moisture onto her skin.

If you want to use "soap" to wash her off, do not use those "baby" kinds that have perfume. Just use Dove soap, or Cetaphil. Or, there are "soapless" baby wash types as well. Just look in the baby aisle at the grocery store.

Rinsing off/washing your baby's bottom after EACH poopy movement, will help. BUT...do NOT "scrub" her bottom or use strong agitation....just gently RINSE her off... no need to use a wash cloth either, just use your hands. Or you will irritate/abrade her skin further. You don't want that.

And likewise, take her into the Doctor, since she is a baby...diarrhea can be due to anything.

Try giving her bananas....this is "binding" and may help with the diarrhea.

Good luck,
Susan

I feel so bad for your little daughter! Our 11 month old NEVER had a diaper rash until she got rotavirus (despite the vaccination) and developed diarrhea and severe diaper rash--her little bum was actually bleeding! :(

Here's what our doctor's advice was and it worked like a charm. First you have to stop the diarrhea--we switched our daughter to soy based formula as we were told the lactose in regular formula will just aggravate the problem (I'm not sure what to do if you breastfeed, though!) As long as dehydration isn't a concern you could also encourage her to eat pieces of bread and crackers to help absorb the extra fluid in her digestive system. (If you're worried about dehydration, please see a doctor right away!)

As for treating the actual diaper rash: mix approximately 2 parts Desitin original diaper cream with 1 part Bordeaux Butt Paste, add a generous squirt of some sort of yeast infection cream (like monistat). Gold Bond also makes a zinc oxide powder that I add to the mixture to thicken it up. See if you can't get ahold of a big tongue depressor-type stick to apply--and layer it on as thickly as possible covering all areas of diaper rash and even beyond. Our skin normally has yeast on it and that yeast grows and colonizes in the raw exposed skin and makes diaper rash much worse (that's why you need a generous squirt of the monistat in your diaper cream mixture).

I think you're taking the right approach with the warm water. Our daughter's skin was so raw that we literally could not wipe her--we just put her in the tub and gently poured warm water over her diaper area to clean it off. Adding a little baking soda to the water in the bath will help her skin dry faster once she's out of the water. Apply a super thick layer of diaper cream...repeat, repeat, repeat! Once we got her on the soy formula and this diaper rash mixture on her bum we saw a dramatic improvement in about 24 hours!

Good luck!! Please let me know if this works for you!
-G.

PS. The soy formula was only temporary. We kept her on it for a few days after the diarrhea cleared up then went right back to our regular formula. We knew without a doubt what the cause of the diarrhea was--that it wasn't a result of allergies but a virus.

When my daughter had the same problem someone told me to mix pepto bismol with the diaper rash cream to neutralize the acidity of the urine and diarrhea. It really helped.
C. :-)
www.guardiansleeper.com

Aquaphor is the BEST. It works overnight. It works great for scraps scratches etc. I even use it on my feet.

Hi S.,
My son used to get really bad rashes out of nowhere that would instantly eat at his skin. His doctor suggested to me that I use the A+D ointment mixed with some Mylanta. Mix equal parts, and it takes a long time to mix together. It works awesome. I also use Aquaphor another awesome product! Good luck.

I've found that letting the baby's bottom get as much air as possible is the quickest way to get rid of a rash. I know it's scary to let a baby go bare-bottomed when they have diarrhea, so I ususally would air my babies out right after they had a loaded diaper. Let her go commando for as long as you can stand it, then use A&D ointment on her bottom when you put a diaper back on. If you do this all day, the rash should be gone by the next day.

Good luck!!

It will just take time to clear up. Not to worry. Just keep doing what youre doing. It could be something in the diarrhea that's causing the skin irritation. Give your baby plenty of liquids. I hear Pedialyte or sports drink like Gatorade helps although I never had my daughter try.

Stop using baby wipes, and start using a washcloth with warm water. The chemicals in the wipes are very irritating to babys skin.

try triple paste for her diaper rash. i love that stuff. and it goes on thick and it helps get rid of it quick. when my son gets diaper rashes, we use that and it clears it up within a day or so..

good luck :]

My pediatrician always suggests Lotramin AF (anti-fungal). The same stuff you use for athletes foot.

Often with diarrhea my kids would get yeast rashes. The digestive system is trying to balance everything out. Yeast is naturally occuring here, but can go into overdrive with tummy bugs. If the rash doesn't look immediately better (within a day) with the tradtional stuff it is probably yeast. You will need a prescription; your doc will probably give you Nystatin.

Don't let it go, yeast makes the skin tender, it will literally start peeling away and leave sores which can get infected. Once the ointment clears up the rash you can stop it, however, I have found that it often comes back and needs to be fixed "internally". Yogurt with acidopholus (Mountain high is a good brand that you can find in any grocery store) will help with this.

You can use Neosporin for any sores to help prevent infection. A handy concoction my old ped told me about (before she moved to Germany!) is mixing equal parts original Desitin, Nystatin, liquid Maalox (to cut the burn) and Neosporin. It's awesome stuff!

To help with the diarrhea, try feeding her rice, apples, bananas... Sometimes those virus leave them with diarrhea for several days to a week. (Mom of three speaking here). Also, rinse her bottom after diaper changes and bath her nightly. Try to avoid wipes, they will irritate her bottom more. Good luck!

Lots of vasoline not diaper cream. :)

Diarrhea-make sure she is not allergic to milk products.

Diaper Rash-probably cause by diarrhea, but I had to stop using wipes and only using corn starch or caldesene powder (pink bottle). No liquidy ointments at all.

Good luck!!

Hi there,
Make sure it is not a yeast infection. My daughter had a yeast infection (on her butt cheeks) and I had to use the cream adults use internally on her skin. It did go away. But of course this is not from having diarhea. It was because she was on an antibiotic for an ear infection.
I was in a situation where I was watching my husbands nephew a few days a week. I treated him as I treated my own daughter but, yet I was blamed for all of his diaper rashes. I would change his diapers often, but for some reason, he always had a diaper rash. (he was also on antibiotics for 6 months straight for ear infections) I finally had to tell the parents (my SIL and BIL) that if they feel that I am neglecting their son, then they need to find another person to watch him. It was a tough thing for me to go through, but I got through it and he is in day care now. The families relationship is still intact.
Anyway, I feel for you. My daughter actually has a bad one right now and I am using Boudreau's butt paste in a yellow box. It seem to help quite a bit.
Good luck!

Make sure the area is very dry and use plain old corn starch. You can also giv eher corn starch baths.

I agree with Megan. Try Triple Paste. I worked for years in a pediatricians office and used to give samples to our patients and all of them had the best results with that.. We also used it on my Grandaughter with excellent results.
Good luck!

S.,

I have 3 little girls and although they rarely get diaper rashes, it is from either heavy pee diapers or diarrhea..their little tushies and cookies (that's what we call it) are so sensitive, that we really need to keep them clean. I have only ever used Balmex OINTMENT, NOT the cream. It is sort of like vaseline and really coats and protects them. They don't sell it everywhere...Babies R Us for sure, but Target doesn't.

About the diarreah...has she had a change in her diet? Formula? My daughter recently had her 15 month shots on top of an ear infection. Unfortunately, loose stools are one of the side effects of both the shots and ear meds. I tell you, Balmex OINTMENT does the trick!

Good luck! All the best, S.

The diaper rash is from the diarrhea for sure. Is she eating any new foods that might cause it or is she possibly sick? Make sure you aren't wiping when you change her just gently pat her bum because the wiping makes it worse. The best stuff I've found for diaper rash is the original A+D Ointment, it works great. They also make a really nice oatmeal bath that will help soothe her.

Good luck

Hi S.,

My friend swears by corn starch and I personally swear by Aquaphor, it's the best stuff EVER!

Aside from the formula, try a bland diet right now with your daughter. Don't give her more baths. If the diarrhea continues, call your Pedi and have her checked out.

Good luck!

-Char

Hi S....Ive been through the diarrhea induced rash and its horrible! They are so uncomfortable. I usually skip the diaper cream and go straight to the vasaline or petroleum jelly. Cake it on THICK! It will act as a protectant from the acidity of the diarrhea. Also I would use a bigger diaper so there was a little more air flow and I would put very loose fitted clothes on my boys. At night we would use the cream...but we would put it on very thick...you couldnt see skin through it. Hope shes feeling better!!

You might want to try to feed your daughter more fiber - it's worth a try.... As far as diaper rashes. Once they come, it sure is tough to get rid of. After a bath let her bottom air dry. I have had a lot of luck with Balmex ointment, but when my son doesn't have a rash, I use vasaline every time I change his diaper. Cheep and works great to prevent rash.

What worked for my baby was Zinc Oxide, which is the main ingredient in diaper rash creams, but without all the extra stuff we don't really need. I found it behind the pharmacy counter at Target (you don't need a prescription for it). It costs less than $2 bucks, so it's worth the try. Good luck!

My neighbor is a pediatric nurse and gave me THE BEST diaper rash cream solution. Mix Aquaphor (Eucerin) with a little cornstarch- make a paste- and put on baby's bottom. You may need to do it a few times, but the diaper rash will go away. It is the only diaper rash ointment that has worked for me!

my son gets horrible diaper rash and diarrhea whenever he's cutting teeth. so, for the rash we give him an oatmeal bath by aveeno. they carry it at CVS or walgreen's. even when my son won't sit in the bath because he's too sore, a quick dip helps tremendously. we also use original a & d, the zinc seemed to irritate his skin or we use the aveeno diaper rash cream because it has the oatmeal in it as well. i hope she feels better.

Hi S.,

I've read the other responses -- lots of good ideas! If the diahrea lasts longer than a few days call your pediatrician, you don't want her to become dehydrated and you need to figure out the cause if it's lasting that long. Another product that worked well on the rash for my kids is Bag Balm (I've seen it at Walgreens, you can probably get it at most grocery stores). It's original use was to relieve rash and skin cracking on cow's teats (ok, there's a certain yuck factor) but it is approved for human use and works great on diaper rash. Good luck.

Diaper rashes are caused by the bacteria from the diarrhea/poop on the skin. It is true that you should change a baby as soon as she poops, but sometimes, the rash is inevitable. I found the best diaper rash ointment the other day. It's called Triple Paste. You can buy it at Target or Wal-Mart. It's very expensive, ($7 for 2 oz. and $17.99 for a "tub")but worth every penny! If that's too expensive, try Balmex, it works really well too. I hope her belly and booty feel better soon! :)

I have found that the Caldecene powder works great for diaper rashes. It also speeds up the healing process.

Hi S.! You might want to take a look at what she's eating that may be causing her diarrhea. She may be allergic to something. Talk with your pediatrician about a blood allergy test if necessary. I believe in finding the cause and treating it and not just treating the symptom. In the meantime, make sure she gets enough fluids so she doesn't get dehydrated, try to change her diaper as often as possible and keep her dry. Eliminate any perfume soaps or detergents with perfume and/or dyes that can be irritating to the skin. Use hypoallergenic wipes and make sure she's dry before putting on diaper. Try the original Desitin (not the creamy Desitin)...I swear by this and love it! Good luck and hope this helped. I hope your baby feels better soon! -B.

You may want to check with your Dr. sometimes, the rashes can also be a fungus. When my son had what I thought was a bad rash, my Dr. recommended a cortison cream and an anti fungal.. you can also check with a pharmasist.. I also found if you can keep away from soaps, cleaners, wipes, etc.. get a spray bottle that does a gentle spray and just use water and kleenex to clean her bottom.. good luck

My ped. suggested that when you give her a bath, to sprinkle a handful of baking soda in the tub and let her just sit in the water/baking soda for a while and that will help dry out her rash.
Also-if the rash is yeasty, I have even had GREAT results with putting some organic plain yogurt directly on the rash. Gross I know, but it works!!
Oh, also I have a stash of cloth diapers (BUM GENIUS-totally GREAT cloth diapers) and when my DD is rashy, I put her in cloth for a few days and that seems to help also.

E.

Try stopping using the cream and start using baby powder. I have found that cream makes diaper rash worse. The powder seems to dry the rash better.

J.

The best thing I have found over the years for BAD diaper rash is Bordeaux's Butt Paste. You can buy it at any drug store, even Wal-Mart & Target, it is with the baby products. A lot if times when my sons have a diaper rash, after the butt paste, I also put powder on before a clean diaper. Good luck.

HI S.,

You've gotten a lot of good suggestions. I hope they help! Here's mine.

I agree with the Aquaphor - my daughter (16 months) just had diarrhea and the rash she had was the worst I've ever seen. The Aquaphor cleared it up in a day or so.

As for the diarrhea, I found that pedialyte didn't work - my daughter wouldn't drink it and it's all chemicals and artificial colors and flavors. A friend suggested Kern's Nectar - watered down - like one or two ounces to 5 ounces of water - and add a dash of salt to replace the electrolytes.

Not sure if it's OK for a 9 month old - I don't remember when our pediatrician gave us the OK on juice - or if you're OK with juice. But it worked for us.

Hope it goes well and her little bottom clears up soon!
Best,
L.

PS: Sorry, I forgot to mention this yesterday, but it's good to add some probiotics to her diet - I just got Metagenics Ultra Flora Plus DF (dairy free) - it's a powder so you can just add some to her bottle, or sprinkle a little over her food. It replaces the good flora (good bacteria) that she's been losing and will help re-balance and heal her intestines. Give it to her while she's sick and every day for about a week or so after to help her heal.
Good luck!

Hi, i have a little tip that has helped me in the past. I have a 9 mo old as well (: I used the Laniosh (i know i completely spelled that wrong) wipes. You can get them in the breastfeeding section of Target, they are in a purple packeage, and they are advertised as wipes for breastfed babies. The wipes leave a nice protective barrier on baby and i beleive they have helped her from developing rashes in the past ( i would use them as soon as i saw something starting).
I have heard moms say to leave them with no diaper in the sunshine of a wondow....however with diahrrea and a busy baby i do not see that as being possible!
One time my dr gave me some really good cream for her called Vusion- i still have some samples he gave me, you are more then welcome to one. It is just a barrier cream. Of course i would suggest that you call your dr just to make sure that it is ok to apply to your baby. It worked really good!

wash with water, air dry. then, apply a thick layer of Aquaphor ointment. It's a bit pricey, but I guarantee you it will make it better within a diaper change. Good luck.

ps- diaper rashes are due to irritation- if baby has diarrhea, you are probably wiping often and the wipes are irritating. then, this irritation comes into contact with poo (aka-bacteria) making it even more inflamed. wash, add soap, air dry, protect with ointment. no, vaseline does not work the same. aquaphor has healing properties to it. hth---

hi,
we had that happen and the diaper rash was due to a fungus. it looked really bad and freaked us out. the doc said to use antifungal cream, like Lotrim or whatever its called. On their dry bottoms, put a thin layer of the antifungal cream then the diaper rash cream. it really helped. and let their bottoms air out now and then...I know that's hard if they have diareaha. Also the doc had us back off formula (we wern't able to breast feed) for a couple of days. but you probably want to bring baby to the doc anyways if they have bad diareaha.
good luck

It could be a fungal infection. Like yeast. If it doesn't get better check with the doc.

A friend of mines daughter had really bad diaper rash and nothing was working so her mother in law told her to coat her butt in vaseline and then powder her with cornstarch. And IT WORKED! She said overnight! And theres no talc so that shouldn't be a problem.... I only have boys so not so sure about those rules.... Anyway I hope it helps soon. Plus its cheap so it wont break the bank! =) Good luck I hope it heals soon. One more idea my oldest son had horrible bleeding diaper rash and the only thing i knew of then was original desitin it took 3 or 4 days for it to make a big enough difference and a week to heal completely once the diarrea stopped but overall it helped. I hope she feels better soon!!

Hi S.,
I don't know if you're giving your daughter apple juice or not, but it gives my baby diarrhea and bad rashes.
As for treatment I use something called ASAP, it is a silver gel, and it works awesome!
Good luck,
S. G.

Baking soda baths will take away the redness and there's something you can get at Whole Foods called Un-Petroleum jelly to put on her bottom. Who wants to put petroleum on their baby's skin?! :)
With the diarrhea, it could be an allergy or food sensitivity. Try different foods one at a time and wait a couple days to see what she may be sensitive to.
Good luck!

I know this is going to sound crazy, but my pediatrician told me to do it and it worked for us. If it seems like the rash is "burning" her try using liquid Mylanta on her bottom. Yes the stuff we would swallow if we had heartburn really works to take the burn out of diaper rash. Shake it well and use a cotton ball to blot it on her bottom and then let it dry and maybe do another coat and allow that to dry before putting the diaper back on. Good luck.
Nystatin is also a prescription you can ask the doctor for that would work as well.

try knocking out anything acidy that she eats or drinks. also letting her skin air out is great too! (i know its hard when she is poopin up a storm). i use desitine or a and d with my daughter. i prefer a and d durring the day and desitine at night. with the a and d durring the day you can see if its getting worse or better and using the desitine at night really lather it on because it lasts longer and makes a better barier. if this last more then like 4 days it could be a yeast infection and you should have her dr look at it. good luck!