HELP!! My 8 Month Old Baby Has Diaper Rash So Bad I Can See Some Red Skin!!!!

Try a hair dryer! It works wonders. Clean her well, use it for as long as she will let you, on low or no heat. You will see the rash dry up and the red start to go away. As long as it is not yeast, you will see this work, and even if it is yeast, it will still help (the monistat will only help if it is yeast, and you should get your doctor to diagnose that before you try, and chances are that they will give you a better percription if it is yeast.) After you have used the hair dryer, let her go naked for a while. When you have to put a diaper on, make sure she is dried out with the hair dryer and put on a thick coat of Boudreauxs or Desitin, and you can even use a thin coat of A&D under it too. You should see a VAST improvement with the hair dryer. We used it all the time.

One thing, don't listen to your husband and father in law over your pediatrician...the pediatrician knew what he was talking about! Milk, formula, and milk products should be stopped if your baby has this kind of illness. The whole gut needs to rest and get better, or you just extend the problem for as long as you don't. They can handle clear fluids, and it won't hurt them to go without for a day or so while they get better. You will have this happen when they are older too, when they have a stomach bug, once they can keep stuff down, you start with clear things (broth, 7 up, jello) and they may want more, but then you go with the BRATS diet (your pediatrician will tell you this too!) and can add rice, apples, and toast...and your child may not like that, but it is best for them.

It will all be OK.

I hope she feels better soon, and never feel guilty!

M.

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When my dd had a bad rash (it wasn't as bad as you have described, though), my ped. advised the Butt Paste and said if it gets really bad to put pure cornstarch over top of it. I never had to go to that extent since the Paste worked miracles on her. I use nothing else on her.
I am so sorry to hear about your little one being sick...Hope she gets well soon! Prayers being said for both of you <3

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I've never had this problem, thankfully, but my SIL has with our nephew, and she swears by cornstarch. None of the creams were working for her either, and her mom told her to use cornstarch and it cleared up the rash like magic. Another thing, follow the doctor's orders as far as what to feed your daughter and when. The pedialyte will give her the necessary hydration and electrolytes for the short time she will be on it. It's important to go slowly with her diet, clear liquids only right now, because her intestinal tract is clearly irritated and by giving her the formula you may be making it worse, or prolonging the healing process. Don't let daddy make you feel guilty about that, he can call the doctor and ask for himself if he doesn't believe you. Hoping your baby feels better soon!

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Go to Walgreens or Walmart and ask the Pharmasist for PALADINE CREAM it is in a cool cream cup jar and it IS the BEST thing. It go on REALLY smooth and seeps into the skin but protects between changing. My family has used this for years and we will never use any thing else. Destine just kills thier little bottoms because you have to wipe it off and it is SOO damb thick. With Paladine I promise you you and your baby will love it.
My nephew had one of the WORST rashes I have EVER seen do to a yeast infection. I had my sis try it for the first time on him and in 2 days it was completely gone!!!! She just kept on put it on him until the infection was going and the rash never came back. Somtimes if I get sun burn I put it on and it helps me as well.
So go and check it out it cost about $3-$4. Plus it goes a long way.
C. C

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I use to use Desitine along with Caldesin powder. Not sure if I spelled it right but it use to come in a pink bottle with a white top. Then listen to your pediatrician and not the men that will not have to get up and deal with the aftermath of their wisdom. You should have made them deal with her pain and suffering because they think they are Dr.'s. I hope this helps and try to let her go without a diaper so her skin gets some air. Been there and done that with 3 children and one grand. It hurts to see them in pain like that.

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Don't use wipes! The chemicals will burn her skin. Did you try giving her a lukewarm bath without soap or bubbles. Keep her diaper dry, change it as soon as she wets it.

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Bacitracin antibiotic ointment works great. Smear it on a couple times a day. Also, be careful of the Pedialyte. Make sure you purchase the kind WITHOUT high fructose corn syrup, read the label, look for the clear stuff.

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Have you tried letting the rash breath? Let some air hit it so it can begin the process of healing.

Follow the doctors orders and if that doesn't work, then try Dad's suggestions and then get back to the doctor as soon as you can.

Butt paste is the best.

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Mucous-y poo is a sign of dairy intolerance, which can also cause diaper rash even without the contact with the poo. I would change your diet for at least a month, 6 weeks is ideal, and see if she improves. You want to cut out all casein (the milk protein) so check for it in processed foods, as well as no butter, cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.

Try to air it out as much as possible and squirt some breast milk on it since it is antibacterial.

We went through this a LOT since my daughter had a ton of food reactions. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

Manda

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Sorry to hear that your baby is going thru this. The physician that I used to work for swore by good ol' Vaseline. When I had my son and he had rotovirus - his poor bottom was so bad it had small open areas and that is when I finally listened to him. I stopped using any wipes; let his bottom air dry whenever possible - and then loaded it up with vaseline. Between using that to form a protective barrier against the stool and letting him lie on a towel without a diaper when he was awake - his bottom cleared up within a matter of a few days. After that - I got rid of all the other creams, pastes etc and always used Vaseline on both of my boys and never had another diaper rash.

Good luck - hope that she is better soon.

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-Keep her diaper OFF as much as possible. Let her lay or play on a machine washable blanket or towels and let her air out often.
-each time she poos, rinse her butt in warm water (I just hold her over the sink and rinse her off if it's not bathtime)
-During the daytime- I use a cloth diaper w/baby safety pins and give her a break from the plastic diapers that don't breathe as well. Just watch closely and change them often
-Try and change her as SOON as she poos
-After she is clean and dry, I use a little baby powder down there
-Never put any diaper rash cream on if she is still damp b/c this will seal in the moisture and make it worse- make sure she is completely dry first
-Dress her in breathable clothing, no polyester- Organic cotton is best

Hope she is feeling better soon!

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This might ne more work for you but we found out it really worked when that happened to my daughter. Every time she had a stooled diaper we would put her under running warm water. We would not use the wipes, we just found that it did not let her skin heal. And we would also use patrolium jelly. We would alternate it with desetin.

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oatmeal baths will help alleviate the irritation as will going without a diaper. I know it isn't easy...but maybe if you can confine her to a small area to go commando it will help the skin. Also, you might want to try coconut oil (sell it in grocery stores) as it inhibits yeast growth and diaper rashes are actually a yeast overgrowth.

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You could try some cornstarch, that's helped my babies in the past. Also, try and let her go without a diaper for a little while every few hours, the air will help dry it out a bit. Only wash her with warm water and a soft washcloth. If it gets worse or is still there in a couple of days, take her back to the doctor and tell him you suspect a yeast infection and ask for an anti-fungal cream to treat it.

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1) When your husband and/or FIL tell you to do something
that disagrees with what your pediatrician says,
don't listen to them.
2) Boudreaux Butt Paste is NOT the same as Desitin and Up and Up.
3) Poor baby. I like that you are holding her and singing to her.
You are a good mommy.
If you can arrange a situation where she is WITHOUT a diaper
for a few hours, this might be helpful.
Maybe you and she could play together on a spread-out sheet/towel/
plastic underneath arrangement on the floor.
And when she poops, you can immediately gather up the towel or sheet so that the poop does not have any opportunity to remain on her skin.
Good luck.

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Use the A&D as another reader suggested since it's thick and spreads more easily then Desitin which I always thought made matters worse with a bad rash. Go pick up a few gDiapers 2-packs at Babies R Us (great if you have a 20% off coupon) or Whole Foods. They are cotton jersey, so they will breathe. They have a water resistant liner. She'll likely be in a size Medium (check the weight range). You will also need a pack of their liners (they only flush if you tear them, I compost the pee-pee ones, toss the doo-doo ones). Another option is to do naked time, which may be tough with diarrhea and a sore bum. Use warm plain water with fine terry wash cloths (baby washcloths). I also highly recommend CJ's Butter which contains coconut oil, a natural antifungal, google it, it's available online. If it stays really red, you may need to use a mix of polysporin, bacitracin, and lotrimin (in the foot section, for yeast).

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The Butt paste works well, much better than A&D, Desitin, or any of the other diaper creams...use a lot of it. Also don't use wipes, only water when needed. If it doesn't clear up in a few days go back to the Dr. and have it looked at...May need a prescription to clear it up. Good Luck.

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what type of formula is she on? Similac has a ready to feed formula called Similac AD, which is anti-diarrhea. We used it for our daughter once at the doctor's suggestion. (we found it at Walgreens)

We also had a bleeding diaper rash incident once due to a terrible daycare lady who didnt change her enough. The doc said to use whatever had the most zinc oxide, which was desitin and keep it slathered on. We also got some Aveeno oatmeal bath for diaper rash and would let her lay on a towel and air dry and just get some air to her poor bottom.

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Hi,
Looks like you've gotten a lot of great suggestions. One thing that I use is aquaphor. It helps soothe other types of irritated skin as well so I always keep it on hand. Good luck and hope your baby is feeling better soon!

Updated

Hi,
Looks like you've gotten a lot of great suggestions. One thing that I use is aquaphor. It helps soothe other types of irritated skin as well so I always keep it on hand. Good luck and hope your baby is feeling better soon!

Calmoseptine!! It is behind the counter at the pharmacy. It works like a charm!! You will usually see a difference within a day!!!

Give her lots of "air" time!! No diaper, no clothes, just keep a waterproof pad under her for accidents. We did this all the time with my son (a few times a day) and he only had 2 diaper rashes as a baby. He still runs around (inside our house only) without clothes for a few minutes daily so his butt gets some air.

triple paste. expensive but worth it. cheapest at Costco.

When I brought my son home this past January, he had diaper rash so badly that I described it to the doc this way "his butt looks like ahi tuna". It was horrible. He cried and cried and then I cried because of it. PLEASE take the advice of the first responder Cat. I copied and pasted it below. It was the only thing that worked for me. Best of luck.

mixa dab of hydrocortisone cream 1% and lotramin AF cream ( the kind you put on your feet) on the tip of your finger and apply it to the rash 3 or 4 times a day

Her diaper rash is more than likely due to something she is eating with the diaper and wipes just exasperating it. I would cut out all solids right now and look at the formula she's drinking. You may want to consider going to a soy base since she's probably having problems with the dairy. Soy can present it's own problems too so be vigilant. Gradually reintroduce solids slowly and see what reactions you get from them. Good Luck!

Follow Dr's orders and just give the pedialyte until the diarrhea stops. Wash gently with water and dry well. I found Burt's bee's ointment was the ONLY rash cream that helped my younger daughter. If you can, try covering an area where she can lay open to air for awhile too, like after a little bath and get some air on the skin. Good luck. I know this can be very frustrating. Been there, done that!

Have you tried letting her go without a diaper for about an hour after each change? The skin really needs to have oxygen to help the healing process. This always worked for us!

You may also want to check for any recalls on the formula you're using. A friend's baby recently had a similar problem (diarrhea and serious diaper rash) and the formula she was using got recalled shortly after it started. When she began to read up on it many parents had experienced the same thing. The particular brand she was using was Similac.

mixa dab of hydrocortisone cream 1% and lotramin AF cream ( the kind you put on your feet) on the tip of your finger and apply it to the rash 3 or 4 times a day. The rash sounds like it is caused by yeast. Before you apple the cream you will need to rince the area with clear water (no soap), pat dry (do not rub), blow dry the area with a blowdrier on low (be careful), and then air dry for 10-15 mins. Apply cream mixture and put diaper on. Make sure not to use adult yeast creams because they are too strong, that is why you need the one for feet. Also make suret to use the pedialyte with sugar. It will help ease her stomach and replace that electrolyte.

If she has diarrhea, it's really hard not to get diaper rash. The only thing that helped my son was PALADINE CREAM!!! It worked like a charm!

Triple Paste is expensive, but it's the only thing that really works when the diarrhea is that bad. Put it on very thick and only wipe off what you really have to.

Also, if you are giving her milk-based formula, the lactose makes the diarrhea much more painful. A day or two of Pedialyte won't affect her development and will really help her get better.

butt paste is the only thing that ever worked for our daughter. hope it helps!

I wouldn't use wipes--just warm water and (maybe) mild soap. Try to keep her "bottomless" as much as possible so her little bum can air out. Could it be a fungal infection? Talk to the ped again if it doesn't improve soon. And NO formula!

well looks like you have a lot of answers but heres another. if u are useing wipes stop use water and a soft rag or rinse out the wipe then use it, it will help. also try to go with out diapers for a while put a blanket around her that way its not to messy but the air will also help to heal it. also if its realy bad dont put rash cream on it sometime the creams make it worse. hope everything gets better fast.

The best thing that I have found for when my daughter had terrible diaper rash was Mustela Baby Vitamen Barrier Cream. It's not cheap, but it worked great. Walmart, Kmart, Walgreens unfortunatley doesn't carry it. You can find it online or sometimes at pregnancy type stores. Von Maur has been known to carry it. Some skin care stores carry it. Of course having to order it isn't ideal at this point, but maybe for future rashes it might be worth investing in a tube of it.

So you've had a ton of responses but just thought I'd offer what worked for us with my kids. This is a formula from my pediatrician and it worked great.

Mucus is super acidic, so any time it sits on her skin it's going to start to burn it. And when babies have a bad diaper rash it really hurts to poop so they only poop a little bit at a time, which makes it seem like they are pooping constantly. Anyway we rotated these 2 treatments at EVERY diaper change for about a day...whether there was poop or not we alternated these at each change.

1) Soak some gauze pads in milk (the sugar in milk instantly cools burns). Apply neosporin or bacitracin ointment to any open areas. Then lay a couple of the milk pads in her fresh diaper and put it on. *** Do this method only for a diaper change that's not going to be during a nap or bedtime - you'll leave the milk pads on for 10-15 minutes.

2) Load her up with Desitin or other cream that has 40% zinc. Be sure she is fully creamed up before a nap or bedtime.

I know this might this sound crazy but i would try monastat or lamisol some kind of yeast cream that will soothe the burn

I swear by bag balm. I have used it on all 4 kids. I remember when my first was an infant and somebody passed this advice on to me. They sent me to the 1 drugstore in the county that sold it (now it's everywhere)! You may able to even find it online now. It's in a little green tin. Don't be alarmed by the product use description. It cleared every rash up my kids came down with within 24 hours.

When that happened to my son it was the wipes we were using they were Target Brand and he was allergic to them so we changed to pampers sensitive and the rash and skin being red and falling off stopped. It could also be the diapers u use too so try and change those to pampers too at the same time so that the rash goes away sooner. When u change them u will notice the difference right away and the crying should stop. Trust me it is not the diarrhea that is doing it.

I didn't read any other answers but use Bag Balm. Found at Walgreens, Target, etc. Oh, behind pharmacy counter at Target. It is the best stuff. So much better than Desitin and other "diaper rash" creams. Good luck! I hope baby feels better soon. :)

This may sound strange, but I have used a baking soda compound with a little water on my daughter's behind when it was like that. It did work and I used Desitin too. The dairy products do make it worse. She has some kind of virus is what my doctor said and until it runs its course, that will happen. I used pedialyte (which is great for hydration), I did find that bananas were okay (not sure why) and anything bland that you think she could have. Just like us, sometimes our systems get out of whack. I always go back to the bland diet. It does work. The other thing you can for her bottom if she will let you is I used to put my youngest in the kitchen sink (it is deep) with water and baking soda in it and let her play. It seemed calming and it helped her little bottom too!!

God Bless! It is so sad when they hurt so!

First if u r using wipes, stop using them. They sting her little bottom! Use water on a wash cloth. Next let some air to her bottom. Is she having a poop that stays against her skin for a while? Try to change her as soon as she poops. Also try Balmex healing ointment and coat her bottom. Its clear. U can get it at babys r us or meijer. Good luck momma. U r doing a great job!

Don't use wipes until the rash goes away. Use a wet paper towel or something with plain water. If you let her air dry a little while before putting a new diaper on it may help too. Do use diaper cream every time but different people will tell you their favorites. I've used Desatin, Balmex and A&D ointment and all work somewhat but none are a perfect cure.

Go to the doctor, it's best to be sure!!

All the creams are irritating her more! I'd just use a warm water towel not wipes to clean her while her skin is irritated. Have her without a diaper to dry her skin as much as possible, and obviously if she is in a diaper, change her as soon as practical. Water is the best medicine so a bath should help, and dry her bottom well. I wouldn't spend more on all the creams etc. Maybe corn starch.

It's possible she has a yeast infection, in which case the diaper ointments aren't going to work. Ask your pediatrician if he ruled out the yeast infection...if not, maybe he'll prescribe and anti-fungal ointment. Also, if your baby is eating solids, keep her away from acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes for a while and see if it helps. My daughter had a severe reoccurring diaper rash that turned into yeast infections -- I finally stopped giving her canned mandarin oranges and it never came back.

I had a similar post just the other day. After a trip to the doctor it turns out he has jock itch. He has had non stop diarrhea also. For the longest time it looked like a bad diaper rash, then white spots appeared. So I would go to another doctor and find out. We got jock itch cream and now my son is on the mend. He has to be on it for two weeks, but all is good.

My daughters got this bad rash when they were teething. Their pediatrician said rather than using diaper cream to use Crisco - and lots of it. Like a couple of inches thick of the stuff. And don't use baby wipes to clean them, because that irritates the diaper rash. I used very soft paper towels wetted with water. That seemed to work for us.

Hi Sebha,

Keep up the good work! Having a protective coating (thick) of diaper cream or petroleum jelly (Vaseline) will help prevent irritation from the diarrhea. Make sure that you change diapers frequently. Also, be sure to bathe her at least once a day. I would switch to using wet paper towels (instead of wipes, which can further irritate already irritated skin). And if you can give your daughter some diaper-free time (maybe put her down on an old sheet?), that might help her heal.

Good luck and hope your baby feels better soon!
R.

OK, here is the scoop on diaper rash ... MYLANTA, put Original Liquid Mylanta with a cotton ball on the rash then cover with diaper cream so the mylanta stays in contact with the rash and does not soak into the diaper. I also suggest you put her in the tub with baking soda pat dry her tush and let her air dry for about 15 min... with it that bad I say 72hrs and the rash is history! Good Luck, this has never failed in my house as well as those whom I have shared this with. Typically a 24hr fix, but this bad may take a bit longer ... my son used to have GI infections with Massivly Horrible diarrhea constantly and this is the only way we could keep his but happy.

When our 3 month old was 1 week old, she came down with a case of raging "baboon butt" concurrent with some bloody BMs. She ended up being readmitted to the hospital (for other things) and while we were there, we tried Boudreaux's, Balmex, Desitin (per a doc), A&D (per a doc) and Triple Paste (per a long-time war-horse of a pediatric nurse). None of them worked, and poor little girl suffered for a week.

Here's what finally helped: MotherLove Diaper and Thrush ointment. It has calendula extract in it, which will actually help *heal* the raw spots. The other ingredients (i.e. organic olive oil) will coat the area and protect it from moisture.

At each diaper change, we would give her as much "air time" as possible, and really coat her bottom with the ointment (we had been doing this with the other diaper creams, too, but it didn't really have any effect). Within 12 hours of starting the MotherLove product, we started seeing improvement, within 24, it was nearly gone.

You can find it (and Earth Mama Angel Baby - another product with calendula extract) at Whole Foods, and on Amazon.

hth,
A.

We have done an oatmeal type bath and swear by a&d! That worked way better Han all the other brands I swore by! Airing it Out which is a
little tough I know is usually recommended, good luck! No fun!

Hi there im sorry to hear that it is tough, i would go with after every diaper changing let him air dry as much as u can and after apply not alot a small amount of Desitin but dont put diaper right away as well try to air dry a little hope it works out for ya it did for me, GOOD LUCK and hope she gets better...

My sons had bad bleeding diaper rashes when they were babies - the Boudreaux works better than Desitin - not sure exactly why, it may have a higher concentration of the zinc oxide or something...

Give her a bath in lukewarm water and baking soda. It will give her almost immediate relief. Make sure when you're cleaning her off that you're not using diaper wipes - they have alcohol in them and will dry or irritate the skin.

I will also SWEAR by the diaper rash cream Pinxav. http://www.pinxav.com/

It's a tiny Mom & Pop operation, they've been around for 75+ years. I discovered them by accident when I was visiting my in-laws in Ohio and my son got a rash so bad he was bleeding and couldn't be held or sit down without whimpering. It was truly the saddest thing I had ever seen. The pharmacist recommended this, and his nasty rash was WORLDS better in 24 hours. It is very thick and heavy, and it will stain - so don't leave it in reach of kids... but its a small, small price to pay for how well it works.

Sorry your baby is in pain. Hope some of this helps.

Soo sorry to hear about your baby. We, too, weathered some really bad diaper rash (turned out to be a staph infection!), but before that I was told by my ped. to try an anti-fungal and mix it in my palm w/destin. The anti-fungal actually works on the bacteria that creates the rash itself. My older sister w/3 kids did the same as well as a neighbor. Triple Paste, in my opinion, works better than the Butt paste. I was also told to stop using wipes and use wet paper towels, even if yours are alcohol free.

Good Luck, I know it's really hard...
j