S.X. asks from Libertyville, IL on December 18, 2009
4 Year Old Potty Trained W/diaper Rash????
My son has allergies and sensitve skin.
He has gotten some pretty nastey diaper rashes in the past.
He's been potty trained for almost 2 years.
But frequently he complains of his butt itching and begs me to Whipe him (and i don't do more than necessary).
His butt area around his anus gets very red and sometimes there's teeny tiny bit of blood when he whipes... from that skin.
We thought maybe he wasn't doing a clean enough job himself so we do the 'finishing touch'. Now we are considering the desposable whipes but i'm fearful it has to do w/moisture.
last trip to doc said to use triple antibiodic ointment for 10 days 4x a day.
it worked. but then a few days or later it comes back.
i'm thinking it may be our toilet paper but we get charmin.
any ideas? I've used witchhazel on him (as if he had hemmroids but he doesn't), and diaper rash cream and his steroid cream (but you can't do that much)....
??? i feel bad for him and helpless.
doc did mention sometimes you get this thing that doesn't go away but can't remember the name.
1 mom found this helpful
Featured Answers
H.W. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
The symptoms sound like a food allergy; it would be worth doing some research, in my opinion. www.allergykids.com is a good starting point. Hope this helps. Poor little guy.
1 mom found this helpful
L.S. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
Get him some Flushable wet wipes to use when he wipes. He probably is not getting a good wipe w/ the dry toilet paper. Also, coat him with Aqauphor before bed to help with the rash - works wonders. You may need to send him to school w/ a baggie full to use when he has a bowel movement. We did this with my daughter and it worked wonderfully.
More Answers
H.W. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
The symptoms sound like a food allergy; it would be worth doing some research, in my opinion. www.allergykids.com is a good starting point. Hope this helps. Poor little guy.
1 mom found this helpful
J.W. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
My son gets really soft poop and an itchy butt when he drinks apple juice. He used to ask me to scratch his butt and wipe him all the time. It took me a long time to figure it out, but we finally narrowed it down to the apple juice. Maybe there is something your son is eating or drinking that is causing this. Good luck!
J.D. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
Hi S. Try using only white toilet paper. And you may just have too wipe him good with some soap and water and using some good old vaseline(this forms a good moisture barrier).
good luck
J.W. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
While most may think this is far fetched, has he been tested for either a yeast infection or pinworms? Pinworms are common in children, especially those with allergies and if the antibiotic did not clear it up, then it may be the likely culprit. They don't cause harm, just itching. You can put all the ointments, creams, use unscented toilet paper, however it does not resolve the issue at hand. There is an easy test you can do at home called the "scotch tape test". Some signs of pinworms are: skin sensitivity, sugar cravings, allergies, bed-wetting, disturbed sleep, teeth grinding and more.
http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C174133.html
I would also consider giving him a tsp of flax oil daily to help heal his intestinal wall as well as a probiotic since he had the antibiotic ointment, he needs to replace the good bacteria into his gut. To read more on probiotics, I've posted some articles from my family health column:
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...
Good luck.
J. W. MPH
Maternal and Child Health Educator
K.F. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
I would definitely have him use toddler wipes, and if you're concerned about the moisture, just have him pat dry with toilet paper afterward. Using diaper rash ointment when it's bothering him is a good idea too.
J.E. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
S. I am pretty sure I kwow what it is, however take him to the dr to make sur it is not strep. sometimes they can get strep jsut like women can get group b strep etc , if not and you mentioned he has some allergies well it is an allergy to a food he is eating. many kids react differently, some get hives, some vomit, some get exzcema, some do not grow, some have damaged Gi tracs , allergies and intolerances are funny things and can cause many problems. My son too had the red ring around the anus an nothing helped it, we took away all foods and started one a t time when he was little to fine the culprit. He was started on Neocate a million dollar medical food formula that no one can be allergic to and we added a food one at a time. he was even scoped to see if his Gi trac (insides were being damaged) and yes he reacted to almost everything but corn, potatoes, cucumbers, honeydew melon and one brand of peanut butter called tree of life. Yes this is all he can eat with out hurting him, he also lives off of the formula, it is even more hypoallergenic than Nutramagin or Alimentum. A dr has to prescribe it. Does he have any blood or mucus in his stool, has the pedatricitan ever just doena fast and painless blood swab for him? you see the results in the office right there under a slide he takes the swab and puts it on and looks under a light? Do you have an allergist that is up to date and does patch testing? besdie the usual RAST, and SPT tests? Have you seen a GI dr to make sure there is not damage inside or malabsorption issues etc? Please feel free to write me with any questions or concerns and I wish you and your child the best. It is painful I know that from my son. I hope you find some answers or that I helped.
J.
A.A. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
put vaseline on at night every night for awhile. Change TP, make sure it's something that isn't dyed. See if you can find a chlorine and dye free one. Pay attention to what he's eating to rule out a food allergy. And have him tested for pin-worms. They are pretty harmless but cause itchy butt.
E.C. answers from Chicago on December 19, 2009
Yeast infection maybe? My sons have had yeast infections in the form of a skin rash & zinc oxide just made it worse.
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