Diaper rash varies from baby to baby, but here are some basic steps you could take. Please see a health professional if it looks really bad, with bleeding or anything really red, or something which just is not going away no matter what you do. Use your common sense and motherly intuition.
1. Allow baby to "air out" for as long as possible. Keep him in crib or bed fora while, or let him sleep with no diaper on, just diapers and bed pad underneath him and blanket over him for the night (weather permitting).
2. Lay baby on side or stomach to reduce pressure on buttocks.
3. Get outside in the sunshine and let his diaper area soak up a little sun (weather permitting).
4. Stop all lotions, creams, baby wipes, soaps, powders, detergents, or additives which you think could be making baby sore. Since so many things of this nature can cause a rash, it is all the more reason to keep what you put on baby in the way of chemicals to a minimum. It makes diagnosing a whole lot easier if you have less an array of variables to begin with!
5. Do use some soothing ointment. Old Desitin is one of the great ones. It usually clears up any minor rash by next morning. For those of you who may not like the cod liver oil in Desitin (though I believe that is precisely what is healing the skin) you might try a calendula cream or other gentle, herbal preparation.
6. Change a baby much more often during the course of a rash.
7. A white vinegar rinse (1/4 to 1/2 cup) in the rinse load, plus a little cider vinegar (1/4 cup) in the tub is supposed to help.
8. Change to wool or cloth diaper covers which are the most breathable, or go without any covers for awhile. Fitted Velcro diapers without covers on would work well in this situation. Baby will need to be monitored.
9. Keep happy and positive, and please see a health professional if all else fails!
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