Diaper rashes do grow in warm, moist places and can be found on baby’s diaper while at home. These rashes are in the form of red splotches on one’s baby’s bottom or red scales in the genital area.
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Diaper rash is due to:
• irritation by stool and urine
• new foods or products
• a too-tight diaper
• sensitive skin
• antibiotics are taken by the baby or their nursing mother
Keep reading for easily accessible remedies that can help.
1. Keep it clean and dry
The most important way to prevent and treat a rash is to be able to keep one’s baby’s diaper dry as well as clean. Lay the baby down on a towel whenever they are not wearing a diaper. It is good to keep them free of the diaper during the day. One must make sure that the diaper is not wrapped too tightly.
When one changes one baby’s diaper, one needs to clean up the diaper area gently with a soft cloth or a squirt of water from a bottle. Wipes are indeed acceptable and are gentle enough. One must not rub the skin too hard, and it is better to avoid wipes with alcohol.
One must make use of a mild soap when one is giving their baby a bath. Be sure to pat and avoiding scrubbing the area dry.
2. Diaper-changing tips
When one’s baby has a diaper rash, one must be alert about diaper changing. It is good to change the diaper often, ideally as soon as it gets soiled.
Rinse the cloth diapers two to three times in order to remove all soap after one has been cleaned them. Superabsorbent disposable diapers can also help keep one’s baby’s skin dry.
3. Creams and jellies
One can make use of pastes or barrier creams that do contain zinc to soothe the skin and also prevent contact with feces and other irritants. Examples of these products include:
• Triple Paste
• A+D
• Balmex
• Desitin
One needs to apply generously and also cover with petroleum jelly so the product does not stick to the diaper.
Jellies such as Vaseline are ideal as they are inexpensive and normally contain fewer dyes or perfumes. On the other hand, jellies can stick to cloth diapers and can be hard to wash off. They are not as effective as creams.
4. Treatments to avoid
It is better to avoid making use of highly fragranced products, including fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Hypoallergenic and fragrance-free are much, in fact, less irritating.
One must make use of breathable clothes. Rubber pants or tight plastic do cover over a diaper that can promote a moist, hot environment.
One should avoid making use of baby powder on one’s baby.
5. Consulting pediatrician
Diaper rashes can look painful and irritating but often they do not bother the baby. The exception is when of course the rash does become infected. Signs when that the rash is infected and pediatrician needs to be consulted:
• blisters on the diaper area
• fever
• pus or discharge that drains from the diaper area
• redness
• swelling of the area
• the rash will not go away after treatment or does start to worsen
6. Make homemade diaper wipes:
Avoid using regular diaper wipes on an inflamed bottom. It is better
to use slightly damp (SOFT) paper towels
7. Stay at home.
Stay at home when the baby has a rash. Car seats, heat, and tight clothing can aggravate the condition.
8. Prevent bedtime blues.
When diaper rash is at its worst, overnight is the toughest time to keep the baby comfortable. One needs to go in for overnight diaper rash protection.
9. Air out the skin by letting one’s baby spend a little time each day without a diaper.
10. After a bowel movement, clean up the baby’s bottom thoroughly and pat it dry before putting a diaper on.
11. Spread a thick layer of ointment that contains zinc oxide or petroleum jelly, or even using one recommended by one’s baby’s doctor, to prevent urine from reaching the irritated skin.
12. Keeping in view the changes in the diet of the baby or even the environment around him or her that could cause a rash.
13. One needs to call the health care provider in case the rash does not clear up after a few days, or if blisters or pus-filled bumps tend to appear.
14. Change the baby’s diapers as soon as possible once it is wet or soiled.
15. Clean the baby’s bottom thoroughly after each bowel movement and let it dry up, and be careful not to rub the skin too much or even too harshly.