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Ouch! Diaper rash hurts! The diaper traps and holds the strong chemicals in urine and feces against your baby's skin. The heat and moisture and chemicals create an
inflammation and burning of the skin causing a rash with a lot of pain. There are things you can do to protect your baby's skin.
If your baby has a bad diaper rash apply zinc oxide ointment to the area at each diaper change. This will protect the area from moisture and block the skin from further irritation. Zinc oxide forms a barrier between the baby’s skin and the ammonia in the urine.
Baby wipes can sometimes burn your baby’s skin if they have a diaper rash. Use a wash cloth submersed in plain water to wash your baby. Or, if the feces is stuck to the skin and the rubbing hurts, you might need to give you baby a bath to wash it off.
Children wearing disposable diapers get diaper rash more often than children wearing cotton diapers. Cotton diapers breath more than disposables. The best thing for a severe
diaper rash is air circulation. Letting your child be diaperless for 1 hour several times a day is the best cure. Even better is allowing your child to run in the back yard in the sun with out a diaper; the sun’s rays will speed the recovery. In tropical cultures where children do not wear diapers, diaper rash is not a problem.
Sometimes a diaper rash is caused by a yeast infection if your baby is taking antibiotics. This rash usually is caused by the diarrhea that is common with taking an antibiotic. If the rash will not clear up with conventional treatment, then you might need to get an
anti-fungal cream such as Nystatin. Giving your baby acidophilus supplements can help a yeast infection to go away.
Sometimes a diaper rash can get infected. Watch for redness, swelling and oozing when you change your baby’s diaper. Also look for a fever and loss of appetite. If you notice any of these call your doctor.
Sometimes diaper rash is related to diet. Babies need plenty of water when they have a rash. This will dilute the chemicals in the urine so they will not burn the skin. Your child could be allergic to a food which could be causing the rash. Think about all new foods you have been giving your baby that might upset the digestive system.
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