TIPS ON HOW TO TREAT AND PREVENT DIAPER RASH

·        Constantly check your child to see if the diaper or nappy is wet or soiled. Change wet or soiled nappies immediately. Clean your baby’s skin preferably by washing the skin with lukewarm water, rinse the skin thoroughly and gently pat her dry with a towel, pat the skin and don’t rub as rubbing it can cause irritations. Avoid wet wipes that have alcohol in them. Check the diaper shortly after your baby falls asleep and replace it if it's wet. Babies often urinate right after falling asleep

·        Allow diaper area to dry before reapplying diaper. Let your baby’s bottom air for as long as possible every day. You can leave baby lying on an open nappy or a towel (naked from the waist down) even while he’s sleeping. Never use a blow dryer to dry a baby's bottom, because the heat may burn babies' tender skin. You can also try fastening his nappy loosely, to allow air to circulate freely. Avoid wearing your baby plastic pants

·        Use an appropriate protective cream after each diaper change. Apply a barrier cream (for example, local Shea butter ‘’Ori’’, zinc and castor oil, Vaseline jelly) with every change. Talcum-based powders aren’t recommended for nappy rash, because accidentally breathing in a puff of talcum powder can cause breathing difficulties in babies.

                  

·        There’s conflicting evidence about whether cloth or disposable nappies are better at preventing diaper rash. The most important thing is to change a wet or dirty diaper straight away. Wash, rinse and dry cloth nappies thoroughly before using them again.

·        When your child starts eating solid foods, introduce one item at a time. Waiting a few days between each introduction will make it easier to determine whether sensitivity to the food causes a diaper rash. If it does, you can eliminate that food for the time being.

·        When your child does need to take an antibiotic, ask the doctor about giving her a probiotic as well. Probiotics encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, which may reduce your child's chances of getting a diaper rash.

·        If the diaper rash does not get better in a couple of days, or if it spreads onto the tummy, get advice and treatment from your doctor. 

 

WHAT IS DIAPER RASH AND FACTS ABOUT DIAPER RASH

A diaper rash is an area of inflamed skin found in the diaper area in infants and young children. Diapers, whether reusable or disposable, create a hot moist environment that traps diaper contents (e.g., urine and feces) against the skin, which causes irritation and can promote infection.

WHAT DIAPER RASH LOOKS LIKE

If your baby has nappy rash, you'll know it. Her skin will look red and inflamed where it's been in close contact with her nappy. The rash will probably affect her genitals, the outer skin on the folds of her thighs, and her bottom. The affected areas can appear either dry or moist and may sometimes look shiny or pimply.

Diaper rash can be mild – a few prickly red spots in a small area – or extensive, with tender red bumps that spread to your child's tummy and thighs.

Most cases are of short duration, lasting only three or four days. But sometimes a rash will persist, an indication that a secondary skin condition or infection has developed.

If a basic nappy rash isn't treated, it can develop into something more serious, including: a bacterial or fungal infection, such as thrush or candida. Thrush begins as tiny red spots which multiply and mass into a solid red blotch.

CAUSES OF DIAPER RASH

Diaper rash is very common in babies and is a kind of contact dermatitis, so it is NOT necessarily a sign of parental neglect.  

Here are the most likely culprits:

Wetness: A child left in a dirty diaper for too long is more likely to develop diaper rash, Even the most absorbent diaper leaves some moisture on your child's skin. And when your child's urine mixes with bacteria from his stool, it breaks down and forms ammonia, which can be very harsh.

Chemical sensitivity:  Your child's diaper rash may be the result of his diaper rubbing against his skin, especially if he's particularly sensitive to chemicals like the fragrances in a disposable diaper or the detergents used to wash a cloth diaper. It could also be that the wipe, a lotion or powder you're using at diaper time doesn't agree with your child's skin.

New food:  It's common for children to get diaper rash when they start eating solid foods or are introduced to a new food. Any new food changes the composition of the stool. (The acids in certain foods can be especially troublesome for some kids.) A new food might increase the frequency of your child's bowel movements as well. If you're breastfeeding, your child's skin could even be reacting to something you're eating.

Infection:  The diaper area is warm and moist — just the way bacteria and yeast like it. So it's easy for a bacterial or yeast infection to flourish there and cause a rash, especially in the cracks and folds of your child's skin.

Antibiotics:  Children on antibiotics (or whose breastfeeding mothers are on antibiotics) sometimes get yeast infections because these drugs reduce the number of healthy bacteria that help keep yeast in check as well as the harmful bacteria they're meant to destroy.