Diaper Rash - on Going

Hi D.,

My youngest child was actually allergic to the DIAPERS! We had to hunt and keep trying different diapers before we found one that did not contain fragrance and fibers that did not make her break out.

Also - try buying some bag balm, it is a great thing to coat the bottom with, and creates a good barrier.

It could also have something to do with the wipes. When my Granddaughter was little all we could use on her were good old fashioned wash cloths.

N.

I used swine cream and mylanta after a friend suggested it to me. You mix the two together to make a paste. I would alternate the cream with triple paste at each diaper change. The kind of diapers and wipes you are using could be the problem. I don't know anything about food allergies. My kids have never had that problem. Good luck.

One thing that my Dr. suggested was to use Hydrogen peroxide before the diaper rash cream. He even said it sounds kind of crazy, but that you have to neutralize the acid before you put on the cream. Otherwise, you are just trapping the acid onto the skin with the cream and it can actually make it worse. I kept cotton balls and peroxide right on my changing table for months. It worked wonders for us! Even when my daughter was 2 months old and went through a LONG spell of diarrhea. I also noticed that my daughter was more likely to develop the rash if I did not dilute her apple juice with water. I think it was just too acidic for her. Good Luck!

try using soft paper towels and water for a while and see if that helps. She may be allergic to the wipes or the wipes are irritating her more while she has a rash. It will also save you money as you can buy the select a size bounty paper towels which are very soft and just the right size if you fold them in half and have a bowl of water close by when you change her. We used this method at home all the time and only used baby wipes when we were out and kept them in the diaper bag. They didn't get very many rashes after we figured out which diapers worked best. All 3 kids were allergic to Huggies. We used luvs.

My son ends up with a rash when he has had to much milk protien. I know you said you have tried all of the creams and the one I would suggest is no longer on the market, but if you can get your hands on dypertex, it will clear it up very quickly. Aside from that, using a wet wipe (the scent free kind, I like the store brand) with each diaper change and powder. I know all kinds of people say not to use powder, but I have seen a huge improvement in the outbreaks since I started using it with each diaper change. If your daughter has any respiratory problems, I would not do it, but if not, she is old enough that it shouldn't be any problem. When my son has even a hint of reddness, I start with aquaphor and a zinc based cream (whichever is on sale, doesn't really make a difference). I alternate them with each diaper change and continue with the powder. Hope that helps!

Hi D.,

My sister had this exact same problem with her son. The doc also said it was something he ate, but like your daughter, he ate the same things all of the time. Finally, she figured out that he was allergic to his diapers. She used Pampers Ultra, and apparently, there is a chemical in the diaper that caused the reaction. At that time, my sister had heard that approximately 30% of all kids were allergic to that type of diaper. Once she switched to Huggies, he cleared up and had no more problems. You can always give it a try. Good luck! J.

My daughter (now 29)was allergic to baby wipes. I figured it out on my own. I just went 'old fashioned' and used wash cloths to wipe her at diaper time. I packed wash cloths in the diaper bag when we went out. Once, in the church nursery, I'd told them to only use the wash cloths. They used a baby wipe, and by the time I picked her up (no more than 90 minutes later) she was cracked and bleeding. But then, my grandson had the problem and they went from Pampers to Huggies and that solved his problem. This, when he was 5 months old and had used Pampers since birth without a problem. I'd try these changes before getting worked up over a food allergy.

If you haven't used Butt Paste, try it, it's the best thing I've used in my 30 years of dealing with babies!! Yes it is available almost everywhere now.

Like some of the other moms who are responding, my son was allergic to the diapers. Pampers made him break out in a terrible diaper rash, with cracking and bleeding of his skin. He can only wear Huggies. I hope you figure it out...I know how hard it is to see your baby be in so much discomfort.

We went through something similar with our daughter. Found that she had a sensitivity to the proteins in whole milk. We figured this out when we tried soy milk (we used Silk brand, unsweetened with some extra vitamin D and stuff). Rash went away almost right away and stools firmed up within 24 hours. Also, the diaper rash ointments at the stores didn't ever work for her. This will sound nuts, but a friend's mother told me to try using "corona ointment". It's actually used for horses, but when my ped checed it out, it was all safe to use on my daughter. It's the stuff with the red cap (there are a few choices.) It has lanolin and other ingredients that heal, protect, and soothe. The stuff worked like a miracle! Hard to find in the St. Louis area, but I've heard that it can be found at West county feed and supply, 17050 Manchester rd. THIS IS OUT BY 109 IN EUREKA. ###-###-####. I think there's a Fenton store too. We always ordered online through KV Vet supply (www.kvvet.com). I know, sounds nuts, but the stuff is AMAZING! Healed my daughter's rash witin a few days when nothing else did. Good luck!

Could your daughter be allergic to the diapers...I know my daughter can only wear huggies and she can only use the sensative pamper wipes...not sure why, but she would break out if there was any change with that. I hope you find out what it is soon and I wish your daughter a speedy recovery in this.

I know you will get a lot of advice about this but I just wanted to tell you about Resinol-a skin cream. My doctor suggested this to me when my son had a reaction to a diaper--it was bad. The Resinol is thicker than ANY diaper cream including butt paste, which we have used. Resinol is actually a skin cream and is not in the diaper area. I know in Lawrence it is only available at HYVEE. Some Walmart stores carry it and any pharmacy can order it! It has helped us through 2 boys and SAVED my sister--her son had bleeding rashes often and had a hard time figuring out why. She went to the doctor a number of times and tried a few prescription creams before Resinol and Resinol is the only thind that worked for her too. Good luck in fixing this I know it is miserable for both mom and little one!

Hi D.,

I suggest you take the child to a Dermatologist. here is omething going on i nthe diaper area that is NOT "normal" diaper rash. Also, the following data may provide some help:

Home care

Good diaper hygiene prevents or clears up many simple cases of diaper rash. Many rashes can be treated as follows:

* Change diapers frequently.
* Keep the area dry and clean. Check the diaper often, every hour if the baby has a rash and change the diaper as soon as it is wet or soiled. Check at least once during the night. Good air circulation is also important for healthy skin. Babies should have some time without wearing a diaper. A cotton pad can protect the bed while the baby is diaper free.
* Frequent and vigorous washing with soap can strip the baby's tender skin of natural protective barriers. Wash gently but thoroughly, including the skin folds. Plain water may be the best cleaning agent when there is a rash. Using warm water in a spray bottle (or give a quick bath) and then lightly pat the skin dry to avoid irritation.
* Instead of cleaning the baby's bottom with a moist wipe or washcloth, hold the diaper area over the sink and let warm water wash over the inflamed skin. Then dry the area using a blow-dryer set on cool. Washing with plain water and drying with air is soothing to sore skin; it speeds healing by decreasing friction on the area. Some wipes contain alcohol or chemicals that can be irritating and only make diaper rash worse.
* Parents can sit the baby in a basin or tub of lukewarm water for several minutes with each diaper change. This helps clean and may also be comforting. Or they can pour warm water from a pitcher or use a squirt bottle. They should not use soap unless there is sticky stool, then a mild liquid soap in a basin of warm water is effective; wash gently and rinse well. Baby oil on a cotton ball can also remove stool from small areas.
* Leave diaper off for a while.
* Do not use airtight rubber pants over the diaper area. Some cloth-like disposable diapers promote better air circulation than plastic-type diapers. If disposable diapers are used, it helps to punch holes in them to let in air.
* Petroleum jelly provides a protective coating, even on sore, redden skin, and is easy to clean. Parents should not use talcum powder because of the risk of pneumonia. However, cornstarch reduces friction and may prevent future rashes.

Parental concerns

Diapering. There are two choices, cloth or disposable. Parents need to decide what works best for their baby and lifestyle.

In the event of suspected yeast, a tablespoon of cider vinegar in a cup of warm water can serve as a diaper area wash. This is diluted enough that it should not burn, but acidifies the skin pH enough to hamper the yeast growth.

Barrier ointments can be valuable to treat rashes. Those that contain zinc oxide are especially effective. These creams and ointments protect already irritated skin. Cornstarch powder is soothing to rashes that are moist, such as impetigo.
[Author Info: Aliene S. Linwood RN, DPA, FACHE, Thomson Gale, Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health, 2006] Retrieved from: http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/diaper-rash-2/5

:-)

mkk

2 of my 4 children struggled with this. It takes a rigid way of handling things to keep it handled.

To start with, you want to buy a hair dryer that has a cold setting. You should rinse her off with warm water and NO soap with every single diaper change, even just slightly wet diapers. Then you dry her with the cold setting. You never want to wipe her skin or use wet ones or soap down there.

Once she is completely dry, then apply the yeast medicine and then put the thickest cream you can over that. I really like the original desitin, not the creamy one that wipes off too easy.

Do you water down any orange juice or tomato products? You might want to stay away from any food that are acidic.

I had a doctor tell me once that fish and steamed green vegetables are the safest things that can be ate when going on an allergy elimination diet. The idea is to eat only the fish and the steamed veggies for a couple of weeks. Then the other foods can be added back in just one item at a time. I am not sure if a child this young would be able to deal with that kind of limited diet.

Suzi

to find a food alergy my doctor told me to go back to the beginning. Milk for a couple of days see if anything changes then start adding food one at a time. Problem with that is it turned out to be milk that he was alergic to.

Have you tried changing diaper brands or even just letting her run around without one on?

Hi D.,
I feel your pain. Ask her doctor to refer you to a dermetologist so they can find out exactly what she is alergic to because they can narrow it down. Also I would recommend that you use vaseline whenever you change her some of those creams can react and cause the skin to peel. This should help to keep her dry and may reduce any rash.

My youngest daughter had terrible diaper rashes for a while, on and off, just like your daughter. We finally figured out that she was allergic to all huggies products. I'm not sure what is different about the huggies diapers/pull ups than others, but we switched to Luvs diapers. When she got older, we tried Pull Ups, but she broke out, so we switched to a generic brand of pull up pants. Have you tried switching diaper brands?

there are a lot of great suggestions. I would stop using wipes if you use them. They contain things that should be outlawed and are in some countries. Intake of fluids should be considered as well as laundry detergent, bleach, dryer softners and diapers if you change brands.
Make a daily chart on all the items she eats and drinks daily. Use one brand of laundry and diapers, shampoo, soap anything that can touch her skin in that area.

We were told to use athlete's foot cream to clear up the rash. It worked well for our daughter. Once it cleared up I just always put the generic A&D ointment on her at every diaper change.

I had the same situation and was also told that it was something she was eating. Like with you, my child wasn't eating anything she hadn't been eating before. However, my doc prescribed: 30 Gm #NYSTATIN/HYDROC/CHLOESTY CR (quoted directly from the prescription bottle). Within 3 days the rash was completely gone. It's a combination of various diaper rash creams that you can only get by prescription. Maybe if you ask for it specifically, your doctor will prescribe it for your daughter. By the way, we never changed my daughters diet and she's never gotten a rash like that again.

You have so many great ideas given already so you have a big job trying which ones to experiment with but I wanted to just add that I also had children bothered by the Luv's band diapers so check out the diapers and maybe she's allergic to your brand, or the wipes like has been mentioned. I know I had one child with terrible diaper rash and I cut out the juice, kept him dry at night either by changing in the night or less to drink before he went to bed, and I put vaseline on after each diaper change and that seals it so they stay drier but you can also put it on over any medication the doctor would give you to seal it too. The doctor suggested this. It will help. I don't know if it will clear it up but it will seal medication in and also try it alone....it may work. I think even with the yeast infection that dry is the main thing. Hard to do with a diaper though. I hope you find the cure soon as I know how hard it is to see your little one hurting.

Good Morning D., Believe it or not this Works Like a charm! We had the same type of rash with Zane and he also has exsema. He would bleed and just scream when we tried to clean him off. It got to where we just put him in the tub and used shower nossle to wash him off.
His nurse told us to use like a T spoon or so of Maalox in a small bowl then add enough A & D Oitment to make a paste. It is really hard to mix so keep at it. Put this on your little angel and it Really Really Does Work very quickly.
You will see a big difference even in the first day!!

Give it a whirl you will be amazed also I hope
God Blessings on you and your family
K. Nana of 5
PS I use a small fruit cup with a lid to keep it handy

Really, try the elimination diets. If you can, work with an allergist, but they can be really hard to get an appointment with. But try to eliminate milk, wheat, and citrus fruits (including strawberries) to see if that helps. Then slowly reintroduce them, one at a time, to see if she get a diaper rash again.

As far as diaper rash creams go... My son got some very rough diaper rash a while ago, and here is what worked... a mixture of Johnson's baby lotion, petroleum jelly, and vitamin E cream. Mix it with a hand blender and apply liberally. It really works well.

Hi D.,
There is a lot of good advice here! I skimmed it to see if anyone mentioned the packets of "good bateria" that you can get at the pharmacy. I can't remember the name but they keep them in the fridge and we used if for our daughter. It is like the stuff in yougurt and is supposed to help with diaper rash and yeast infections. You just pour it into your bottle or sippy cup, etc and mix. The pharmacist should be able to tell you more. When my daughter got her rashes, we used this and the wet paper towels instead of wipes and baby powder to help clear her up. My MIL swears by burnt four but I never did try it. We would even let her run around without a diaper on to try and get some air to her privates but this was always dangerous if you know what I mean. Sometimes if she was being quiet I could convince her to lie down on some towels with her diaper off for some "diaper free" time. I empathize with you. Try the packets though. They really work.

Sounds like you'll need to start an elimination diet to find the source of the food sensitivity. Your doc can give you more info on how to do this effectively, but basically you have to eliminate the food ENTIRELY for several days...or maybe it's even a week or more? I know some of the "biggest offenders" foodwise are milk, milk proteins, wheat and gluten. Maybe do some looking into a gluten-free, casein-free diet...other offenders can include fruits like strawberries.

Poor little girl, and poor mama for having to watch her be in pain and feel helpless! I really hope you're able to get to the bottom of this (no pun intended) soon and get your daughter some relief. Good luck and God bless!

D.,
I feel so sorry for your little one! 36 years ago, my son developed a diaper rash that went to his nipple line, tried so many things, Dr. even told me I was not keeping him clean. (Pediatrician was the problem). At age of 10 days, she had me giving him rice cereal and green beans baby food. At two or three months she told me to go to whole milk instead of formula (I was unable to breast feed, my son was a SIDS survivor, I caught him not breathing and rescuscitated him twice before getting to the ER at age of 5 days). The NICU at LaBonner in Memphis, told me he was a "crib death" after all the testing that was done.
Back to the DIAPER RASH, it started when he went on whole milk. I gave him baths everytime a diaper change, used Dreft to wash cloth diapers, even had him not wear diapers unless holding him. Skin was cracking and bleeding, very rough. I never left him wet, changed diapers at any sign of moisture or soil. Used disposables as well, plus I used all sorts of skin treatments, zinc oxide (Desitin) seemed to give most relief.
After a month or more, we changed to CARNATION EVAPORATED MILK, the rash cleared within days. Later, if we ran out and substituted whole milk, the rash was back in one day. Needless to say, we kept him on Carnation Evaporated until he weaned himself off bottle at 10 months.
Years later, he was ALLERGIC to so many things, foods, animals, pollens, molds, grasses, trees, weeds, etc., was on Allergy shots for years, over counter and prescription allergy meds. His skin was rough.
At age 32, he started on Reliv Nutrition and allergies and immune system greatly improved, got off the meds and sinus headaches went away.
Your baby's rash could be the "internal" source instead of external. Nutrition or dietary change could be your answer! Good Luck!
M., RN

My youngest did this we figured out that she was always cutting a new tooth. Check to see if she is and try not to use wipes they usually sting when they are broke out like that use a soft washcloth with water. Good Luck I know how painfull it is for the both of you.

My daughter had a rash a few times that wouldn't clear up. Some days it was better but then it would get worse. I took her to the doctor and he prescribed "Bactroban Cream". It's awesome and the rash went away in a couple of days. It's very expensive cream since my insurance company doesn't pay much, so I treat it like liquid gold!!

I hope your daughter's rash clears up soon.

Oh, poor little thing! And sorry for you too.

I'll put in another vote for Super Duper Diaper Doo. My sis, a family practice doc, used to use Butt Paste, but likes the Diaper Doo even better. It'll cut the burn and still insulate from moisture as well as Vaseline. Problem is, you sometimes have to get it behind the pharmacy counter and it can be hard to find.

Also, I found that the diapers with perfumes in them made my girl rashy much more than our Bum Genius cloth or unscented diaps from Costco.

Hope it clears up soon!!

Have they diagnosed her for a yeast infection? If not, try Monisast. I have been buying Super Duper Diaper Doo for my grandsons and the pain is almost immediately relieved though it won't clear a fungal infection, I swear by it otherwise! Good Luck

take some regaular white flour and stir and brown it in a skillet by itself. Just until it is a medium brown color. It will be really hot so let it cool down before you use it of course. then just put it in a dispenser or sprinkle it with your hand, just like you would with baby powder. It should clear it up within a couple diaper changes. you should notice a definite improvement with one application. When someone told me about this i was skeptical but i swear it works! I tried everything before i tried this..diaper rash cream, baby powder, vaseline..i just wish i wouldve tried this first! Hope it helps! Oh also i was told by my pedi to put 1 teabag in his diaper at each diaper change because the tea will soak up the acid in her urine, which will make her hurt less and irritate her skin less.

My son had a diaper rash that didn't respond to any type of cream. A co-worker told me to try Bag Balm. It is in a green tin and it heals while it protects from wetness. It is actually made for chapped cow teats, but it works fast and protects baby's bottom from poo too...I always keep a tin on hand. It healed my son's diaper rash with in a couple of days. He had raw spots on his bottom.

D., Have you tried switching diaper brands? My older son was allergic to something in the Luvs brand.

M.

Just in case this is the issue: My daughter had diaper rash when she was given apple juice with the pulp in it - th cloudy apple juice. She had no problem with clear apple juice. Good luck...

It sounds a lot like what my oldest got when she was about 2....our pediatrician advised monostat, then top it with desitin original (not the creamy kind, but the old fashioned goopy kind that's hard to wipe off). Use both at every diaper change, and continue until it's all gone. After wiping, try to leave the diaper off for a few minutes o rjust as long as possible to let the area dry before applying new ointment. I went through 2 tubes of each, but it did finally go away. Best of luck, this can be so frustrating as a mom!

My only suggestion is to try vagisil or another yeast infection cream. You can also try lotroim (not sure of spelling) it is a cream used on athlete's feet. Both of those items my doctor tol me about for different types of diaper rash that I have delt with. If you Dr. Thinks allergy I would have her tested for allergies buy I am sure you thought of that already. Does your daughter eat alot? Or a lot of Fruit? To much fruit can make the stool soft. Also if your daughter is over eating it can cause her to got #2 to much getting her bottom soar.

My kids peditrician gave me 'bum balm' on thier very first appointment. There are alot of doctors that have never heard of it, and there is only one pharmacy that I know of here that will fill it since its a compound. Its actually for athletes foot is what I was told, but no matter how bad thier diaper rash is, its gone within 24 hours id say 95% of the time. I wish all docs knew about it, I think its the best out there and I never put anything different on my kids. Maybe some over the counter athletes foot medicine or could call your doc and see if they can give ya a prescription if they have heard of it. Good luck

When my daughter had both a yeast infection and diaper rash, coupled with slight diarrhea, the Dr. said to let her soak in the bath with Baking Soda.
I was shocked as to how well this worked the first night!
Within days, both the rash and infection were gone...of course we alternated ointment...one for the yeast, one for the rash.
Make sure she's drinking plenty of water and cut back on juice if she's drinking a lot.
Milk allergies may be playing a role here. They don't always show up immediately after starting babies on regular milk. With some, it takes a while for the allergy to completely develop.
Also, sugar is a nasty little contributor to yeast infections, so I would suggest cutting back on that if she's eating a lot.
My daughter also built immunity to what ever diaper rash cream we were using. If there was one we found to work, after a while, she would scream like it burned when we put it on her...usually didn't get a reaction like that. Moved on to another brand and the same cycle would start. Baking soda in the bath has proven to be a life saver!
My sister told me something else that works well...Apply both A&D ointment and Neosporin. That helps when the rash is cracked and bleeding.
I'm sorry to hear of her trouble :( Let us know what happens!
Hope this helps!
lb

Hi D.,
My daughter used to get bad diaper rash to the point where it would get open sores and bleed too. I found out that juice was just making her bowel movements so acidic that it would hurt her butt. I started diluting her juice with water to at least 1/2 strength and she did better. Also, when the diaper rash gets that bad, the typical diaper rash creams will hurt when applied because of the ingredients in them. There is one out there that does not do that though. It's Dr Smith's Diaper Ointment. I was able to apply this and my daughter would not scream and it usually worked overnight to clear up her rash for the most part (unless she pooped more). I think I found this at our local pharmacy. I remember that our Dr also recommended using petroleum jelly as a barrier when the rash got bad too so it wouldnt get worse if they do go poop more.
Not sure if your daughter might have the same issue with juice or not, but hope some of this helps.

Has your Dr checked for staph infection. My niece had this problem several months ago and finally got her on antibiotics. It is worth a try!