Effective Strategies for Dealing with Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is a really annoying baby problem. It can get out of control easily, and can make your baby miserable. Luckily, it can be controlled with a little effort on your part. Following are some remedies that worked well with my children.

Some babies are just more prone to diaper rash than others, and if yours is prone, you'll really have to keep on top of the problem. The most important thing you can do is change your baby's diaper regularly. Diaper rash is caused by the skin being constantly exposed to wetness, so changing frequently can prevent the problem. Most of the diaper rash ointments on the market are designed simply to protect your baby's skin from wetness, so they are great at preventing diaper rash. If your baby is diaper rash prone, you might want to use an ointment at every changing as a preventative measure.

But, what if your baby already has a raging case of diaper rash? As I said, most of the products labeled as diaper rash ointments are best at preventing diaper rash, not healing it. There are a few concoctions that can help cure a bad case of diaper rash.

The first is Maalox - yes Maalox. Put some liquid Maalox on a cotton ball and apply to baby's sore bottom. Let it dry a bit before diapering. For obvious reasons, don't buy the mint flavor, and don't use this bottle of Maalox for anything but treating diaper rash.

A second helpful treatment for diaper rash is an oatmeal bath. There are some good oatmeal bath products on the market, even some designed especially for baby. These work wonders on diaper rash. Usually one or two baths is all it takes.

Finally, I had great luck when I mixed diaper rash ointment with a little bit of hydrocortisone cream. About 3 parts diaper rash ointment to one part hydrocortisone. One caution here- check with your doctor before you try this one, since hydrocortisone cream is normally not recommended for use on children under the age of two years.

If these remedies don't work, check with your pediatrician. There may be some prescription products for extreme cases. But, the most important measure to take for diaper rash seems to be persistence. Keeping on top of the problem is your best bet for keeping the rash at bay.

Diaper Rash

A common, yet frustrating baby skin problem is diaper rash. Diaper rash is a skin irritation typically caused by irritants or excessive moisture in the diaper area. Diaper rash is especially common when baby starts eating solid foods, is teething, or is taking antibiotics.
A mild case of diaper rash involves a simple, red rash, while more serious cases can actually include blistering, bleeding and open sores. There are several steps you can take to avoid diaper rash or to treat a mild case:

~ Change baby frequently -- it is important to keep baby dry and clean. Cloth diapers need to be changed more frequently than disposables. Remove soiled diapers immediately.
~ Avoid using diaper wipes, especially those with heavy perfumes and alcohol. Instead, use lukewarm water and a washcloth to cleanse the diaper area. Pat dry or allow to air dry completely before putting another diaper on.
~ If using cloth diapers, wash in a mild detergent - again, without perfume or bleach. If using disposables, try changing brands for persistent rashes.
~ Apply a thin layer of diaper rash ointment or petroleum jelly on baby's dry bottom during diaper changes and after bath. If baby is particularly sensitive and prone to diaper rash, you may want to get into the habit of doing this at all diaper changes to prevent further outbreaks.
~ Allow baby to go diaperless whenever possible. The fresh air will keep baby's bottom dry and if he's recovering from a case of diaper rash, it will feel wonderful to his tender skin. Just a few minutes of fresh air can make a difference.
~ If the rash does not clear up within a few days, if there is bleeding, blisters or open sores, or the rash is primarily in the folds of baby's skin, contact your pediatrician. The rash may actually be a yeast infection, or may be serious enough to require preion medication to aid the healing process.
Few babies are fortunate enough to avoid this pesky condition altogether during their diaper days. However, by keeping baby's bottom clean, dry, and away from known irritants, you can lessen the chances and severity of an outbreak.

9 Great Tips to Cure Diaper Rash

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!

Homemade Diaper Ointment

Your baby's skin is very soft, sensitive, and delicate. Their sensitive skin can be prone to rashes from chemicals in soaps, lotions, or baby wipes. A very common rash that most babies will get is diaper rash. Using a diaper ointment can prevent or soothe the irritation caused from a rash. Choosing the best diaper ointment to stop the rash is very important because creams with harsh chemicals could make the rash worse and cause more discomfort to your baby. Natural baby products are the best to use on your baby because the ingredients are completely organic; they don't have any chemicals or synthetic ingredients, and won't harm your baby or their skin.

You can make your own natural ointment at home and control the ingredients you want to use. If you don't have time to make your own ointment, you can always buy natural products that are guaranteed to be organic and chemical free. It can be a fun project to make homemade diaper rash cream, but if you don't have the time or can't find the ingredients you should always lean towards purchasing an organic baby product.

Most recipes from homemade diaper rash cream include some common ingredients such as almond oil, emu oil and kukui nut oil. Other ingredients you can use are: tea tree oil, water, jojoba oil, shea butter, avocado oil, or other types of oils depending on the recipe you want to follow. Making the ointment can be as easy as just combining the ingredients, while other recipes require that you heat the ingredients in a double boiler to combine. Some recipes are more time consuming and require that the ingredients sit in a sunny window for at least a week so that the ingredients can infuse together properly.

Using emu oil in homemade recipes is very common because of the healing powers the oil contains. It is used to cure anything from skin rashes to wrinkles to body pains. It is a moisturizing agent that is great for diaper rash and can be used for any type of dry skin. Emu oil is also used to treat acne, bruises, cuts, arthritis or other joint pain, scars, and wrinkles just to name a few.

Now that you know what is used in homemade ointments, you can look for these ingredients in natural products you want to buy for your baby if you don't have the time or ingredients to make your own ointments. Buying natural products for you and your baby is the best alternative to making homemade remedies.