Hi,
My almost two-year-old has had a problem with a constant diaper rash since he started eating solid foods. It goes away when I put him in disposable diapers, but comes back every time I put him in cloth again. I've tried to make sure I get all the germs/bacteria/any other uck out of the diapers, and my baby doesn't get a rash when he wears them. We're in the process of potty training right now, and he's been wearing underwear or cloth diapers during the day a lot, without any problem until I put him in a cloth diaper overnight. The next morning he woke up looking like someone had burned his bottom, and later it changed to open sores, the same thing that happened before.
I really hate having to buy disposable diapers or pull-ups, when I have so many good cloth diapers I could be using, but nothing I've tried has worked. I've used different creams to form a barrier against the wet to see if that helps, Fuzzi Bunz diapers to see if the fleece lining would keep him drier at night and help prevent the rash, but the only thing that keeps him from getting diaper rash is disposable diapers. I've tried again every few months, all with the same result. Has this happened to anyone else before, or does anyone have any suggestions of what to try?
Thanks!
I don't have any suggestions to prevent the diaper rash but to heal the diaper rash I would soak your son's bottom in the bath with baking soda. My daughter had a diaper rash for the first 6 months of her life and the only thing that got rid of it was the baking soda bath. I would then use Desitin (I also tried every cream...) Good luck!!!
This may be totally off the wall, but many years ago when my son was in diapers we had a similar issue. It turned out that we were not getting all the soap out of the cloth diapers. Try putting clean diapers through the wash without soap and add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. If it works then you have an easy solution to the problem!
Why not just use the disposables if they work for him? You've got another baby who will be able to use the cloth diapers eventually, so they won't go to waste.
Hi A.,
a diaper rash that looks like a burn (especially if there are any little red dots around the edges) may be a yeast rash.
This could be related to your son's gut being out of balance. If he will eat yoghurt then finding a good yoghurt with live cultures to eat every day for a while may help bring back balance. I personally like Stoneyfield Farms.
Kefir is a yoghurt like drink that can also be found with live cultures. Then there are various straight supplemnts. I prefer the food options.
When my son was younger he had recurring yeast problems and would often develop a yeast diaper rash very rapidly. We found treating with Clotrimazole (an over the counter antifungal cream) to be effective though best if applied every diaper change until clear then two to four times a day (and especially at night) for an additional three to five days. Of course you may wish to speak with your sons doctor before treating.
Cloth diapers are wonderful, and we used them extensively. They will hold moisture near the skin however and yeast likes moisture (plus warmth and dark and high sugar environments). You may need to check and change the diaper a little more often at night if you do not want to move away from cloth. At least until the yeast is back in balance (if that is what it is). This is particularly true if you son poops at night at all. This may be the main transmission route.
Just remember, yeast is a normal organism of the body and everybody should have yeast cultures in their gut and on their skin. It is only when it is out of balance and out of control that it causes problems.
I hope this helps
K.
Disposables leave the skin super dry. If his urine is a little concentrated it can get acidic and cause irritation. Try getting him to drink more water and use vasaline to keep the urin off his skin
good luck
Hi A.,
What i have been doing is a disposable at night with desitin if needed. Then during the day cloth. That seems to work. It sounds like it could be something he is eating rather than diaper rash? I know wheat and dairy tend to be culprits. try cutting those out and see what happens, they often grow out of those kid of allergies too...so maybe it is temporary. good luck :)
