Diaper Rash Treatments
Our one year old just got over a raging case of diaper rash. We’re not really sure what caused it, but we think it might be his new-found love for mandarin oranges. Regardless of the cause, however, our pediatrician once suggested an interesting treatment…
First of all, use a soft wash cloth and a hair dryer to clean and dry their bottom. It’s much less irritating and a far more humane way to clean that sore little butt. Next, to sooth the rash area, begin with a skim milk compress. He wasn’t sure exactly how or why it works, but it does! Just soak a washcloth in cold skim milk and then press it against the affected area. The baby might fuss a bit, but take heart! It’s only because the milk-soaked cloth is cold. After the compress, put on a thick layer of Desitin ointment (NOT the creamy kind). The layer should be as thick as humanly possible. This acts as a barrier to moisture and irritants. Keeping the diaper area as clean and dry as possible will help fend off (or heal) diaper rash. In a few days his little toushy should be as good as new.
If you have any other diaper rash treatments and/or speculation as to what causes diaper rash in the first place, please post a comment.
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Leaving the diaper off as much as possible helps as well. Hard to do, but worth it if you can. I like Balmex diaper rash cream.
Good luck.
Comment by vw bug — Feb 25th 2006 @ 8:17 amMy son also got diaper rash from too much citrus. For him it was Clementines that did it. Now that he’s 2, we don’t have to be as careful.
I concur–lots of airtime is good. Just letting the little guy hang out on the changing table al fresca for a few minutes helps the rash. We used to drape a cloth diaper lightly over his you-know-what to avoid getting sprayed and then just play with him and sing to him so his butt got some air.
Comment by claire — Feb 26th 2006 @ 2:08 pmA 15-month old girl had fresh pineapple and a day or so later had a more watery poop which greatly irritated her bottom. With each successive poop, despite being well cleaned and treated with Desitin, the diaper area became bright red and painful when being cleaned with “sensitive” style wipes. Wet paper towels were then used instead.
Please give more details regarding milk compresses such as: Why skim milk? How long should the compress be applied, how often, and in what manner? This little one can be pretty squirmy and has outgrown the changing table, although it’s still being used.
How about baking soda baths?
Comment by Lee — Jul 9th 2009 @ 9:37 pm