Help with Diaper Rash

I gave up on the creams and now we just use Vasoline everytime we change a diaper. It keeps the poo and diaper from sticking to their bottoms and so it's much easier to clean without irratiating the skin. When there is a rash using a washcloth insted of wet wipes and patting it rather than wiping it worked for us to get it cleared up in about a week. Hope that helps.

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A.,

This was happening to my son. Seems like I would get the rash clear in the evening and it was back the next day. Turns out it was a yeast infection. If it get "prickly" (red and bumpy) and never seems to go away (or reoccurs consistently) I would get it looked at by a doctor.
Hope this helps!

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I have not read all your responses but... cornstarch, cornstarch, cornstarch. You need to get their bottoms dry. Putting more creams keeps it moist. Giving them "no diaper" time is helpful too. Good luck!

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I always use cornstarch it's the most gentle, all natural. And dosn't suffocate the skin like desitin. Just sprinkle a little on when you change them. Good Luck

We just delt with our first diaper rash. I finally concluded that it was both diaper rash and yeast. Yuk! My poor daughter had diarrhea and sat in it all night (she didn't wake us up) Anyways if the rash is recurrent I would suspect yeast. And yes, boys get yeast too. A regular diaper rash is is from the moisture and acid on the skin too long (especially poo) and as we all know, yeast likes warm moist places....see the connection?
Anyways you can go to the store and get some miconozole 1% (Monistat) cream. Get the 7 day pack so you just have a tube of the cream not ovules. Cover their affected area at every diaper change for a few days and and give it as much air rime as you can. Yes, you will be cleaning up a lot of messes. After about the 3rd day on constant cream then back it off to 3x per day. then once per day. by day 7 it should be cleared up.
In addition to this NO diaper rash cream as this can irritate the yeast.
Use luke warm cloths to cleans their bums not wipes as the alcohol can BURN!
Get some acidophilus and mix that into their food once a day to help regulate their body and yeast.
While they have rash's give them oatmeal baths. Just make a "tea bag" out of cheese cloth and old fashioned oatmeal (we use Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal-stone ground) this will help sooth the skin.
Try changing their brand of diaper. Some can harbor yeast more than others.

Good luck!

It took us a solid week for her skin to return to a nice shade of brown not bright raw red and bumps.

P.S. her yeast never looked like the pictures.

A.,
I agree with those who use cornstarch. It works wonders!! I ended up buying a travel sized baby powder and dumping out the powder and replacing it with cornstarch so I could carry it with me in my bag. I use it at every diaper change and my boy clears up and stays clear. My mother-in-law says that along with that she used to have to burn four for her kids! I haven't ever had to get that extreme, but she swears it worked. She had a special pan just for that purpose and put some flour in the pan dry and put in on the burner until it was brown/black. She says it reeks and ruins the pan but it was worth it for her. I hope you find something that works.

Wow, a ton of responses, but I used Huggies with my kids and the rashes quit. It is often a diaper irritation, try different brands, or yeast. Good luck.

I'm a big fan of Balmex... it works great... I used to use it every diaper change, but now I just use it at night or at other times when I know a diaper change may not be coming soon (like during a long play date or outing to the park).

otherwise, when my daughter was still a baby, i'd let her "air" out for a little while.. I'd strip her naked (or at least her bum) and find a little ray of sunshine to shine on her delicate parts... shading her face of course. these days the weather is probably not cooperating for this, so I'd resort to the hair dryer. moisture is the problem...

good luck!

Hi A....

My son used to get diaper rashes all the time. I know this sounds really wierd but the only thing that cleared it up was Cisco shortening. You can't use generic brands. They do not work. Just Cisco. Every time you change their diaper, if their bottom looks a little red...like a rash is starting...use a little bit of cisco and it will clear it right up.

C.

Try using bag balm. It's the best! My daughter was always getting diaper rashes & my babysitter told me to try bag balm. It cleared things up quickly. Bag balm is for cows so you can find it at stores like Cal-Ranch; I see you're in Provo, there's a Cal-Ranch in American Fork & Spanish Fork. Any farm /feed type store would probably have it. Walmart might even have it, I'm not sure. Good Luck!

I see you have a zillion responses, but I wanted to make a late add. My newborn had a bad rash that didn't go away after several months. My doctor suggested mixing 1 part aquaphor (sp?) cream and one part liquid mylanta, the acid stomach stuff. It was the only thing that worked after trying everything on the market. This is if your child's bum is very red and sore- to helped heal it and reduced the acidity caused by exposure to urine. It also worked for a friend of mine's whose little boy has very sensitive skin. good luck

I wanted to tell you to try using vaseline on their bottom. It has worked with my newborn. You can also try Butt Paste.

Hi A.,
Im N. and I have two kids. 3 and 2 , but what I use for a diaper rash is vaseline and it gets rid of the rash in a day or two, you might wnat to try that. there also generic brands you can use. but if that don't take the rash away, they might be allergic to the diaper. I hopes my advise help you.

Triple Paste has been a lifesaver for us! You can get it at Target, Walgreens, etc. Butt Paste and other diaper creams didn't cut it but Triple Paste has worked wonders.

I use desitin too, I heard that butt paste works better though! My son doesn't get it too bad so we just use that though. Also, if you make sure their bottom is very dry before putting a new diaper and cream on. I would let them air out for a little bit a couple times a day. You might get a mess doing that, but its worth it!

aquaphor is the only product we use everyday- I would do a free commercial for them I love it so much. When my girls got a stomach virus and had their first diaper rash the doctor perscribed something that had to be mixed at the pharmacy Medicine Shoppe-Bumm Balm- it was incredible.

When my son was a new born I was using desitin with each diaper change to help prevent diaper rash, but after weeks of struggling with a blistered bright red rash and very frustrated about it, I realized it was actually the DESITIN causing the rash. Imagine that and here I thought I was being helpful. He did great when I didn't use anything. He's 14 months now and will occasionally get a pretty sore rash if he has diarrhea or something and Aquaphor works wonders for him. I change him and make sure his bum is dry and then smear it on. It's kind of like vaseline, but made by the same people that make Eucerin and it has lanolin in it which is the same stuff you use on your nipples when you're breastfeeding. Anyway, I now every baby is different, but I actually asked other mom's opinions on here way back when to see which cream to use since he did break out and many recommended this one. It's in the lotion and cream section at Walmart and it's in a tub. Good luck.

I have always put corn starch on my daughters butt after diaper changes, and sure enough, she has only gotten a diaper rash if she has had diarrhea. Corn starch works wonders! I just keep a box in the changing table with a spoon in it!

It might be a yeast infection. My mother-in-law (who has 12 kids and knows almost every effective natural remedy out there) would buy acidopholis liquid (the good stuff in yogurt) from the health food store and put it on their bottom until the rash went away. She may have even used it for a few days after the rash disappeared. It worked like a charm because many diaper rashes are actually yeast infections.

I also noticed someone mentioned changing diapers because your babies may be allergic to them. I think that's a fantastic idea and definitely worth a shot.

We also used Crisco. Get a new can of it that you only use for diaper changes.

Some babies develop an allergy to a certain brand of diapers or diaper wipes. You might try a different brand of diapers before you give up entirely and go with cloth ;)

You can get pressed cotton squares in the make-up isle. We used those with a bit of water when the diaper rash got really bad.(instead of wipes)

Let your baby's butt dry before you put the diaper on. (I fan it with an extra diaper until it's dry--check with the back of your hand.) Sunlight is also good on diaper rashes. Then put on the Crisco. My doc OK'd the Crisco. It's an EXCELLENT moisture barrier. :)

We went back to normal diaper wipes after the worst rash ever cleared up.

I kept putting the Crisco on for a long time after as a preventative measure.

We tried everything...but Crisco worked when nothing else did.

Consistent diaper rash usually means one of two things--yeast or food/environmental allergy. I would try to treat them from the inside out, because no amount of ointment will work if one of these two problems is presents. However, I would recommend Angel baby bottom balm (Vitamin cottage or online at earthmommaangelbaby.com).
Good luck!
J.

I've always used Resinol, it goes on easy and doesn't leave a paste like Desitin or other ointments. It clears it up quick and keeps it away longer. It's available at most pharmacys including Walmart. Love it.

In my experience there is nothing better then Boudreaux's Butt Paste. I still use it on everything. And yes, it helps a lot if you use it all the time, but you can also just watch for the first signs of redness and the put some paste on it.

I use Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream whenever I see the beginning of a rash. I rarely have to use anything stronger than that. You can use it in any recipe that calls for Aquaphor, the big advantage being it doesn't burn like Aquaphor. I think it works better, anyway. You could also use the eczema cream as a barrier to prevent rash. Congratulations! You really got a quick study in motherhood!

Try Triplepaste. Also, if it looks very red and swollen it could be a yeast infection. You will want to call the doctor as she/he will have you get Monastat or Vagisil to help.

I use Triple Paste. You can buy it at Wal-Mart or Walgreens. It works great. Usually I put it on every other night before bed, and it helps to eliminate diaper rashes. Don't worry. I think some kids have it worse than others. However, I swear that Triple Paste is the best stuff to use.

Don't have time to read all the responses (yikes, 60!) but I had a similar problem when my DS2 was littler. Turned out to be the diapers. He's just fine with Pampers... Huggies give him a rash. (Totally not the case with DS1 so it took a little while to figure out.)

Otherwise, the best remedy we found was egg white. Beat some egg white and slather it on. Leave baby naked while it dries (you can use a hairdryer--carefully--or blow on it, to help speed it up. It's the only thing I could put on him that didn't make him scream when the rash was at its worst!

If it's not that bad, Beaudreaux's might work or Triple Paste. I know moms who've used diaper ointment (gobs, not just a little swipe of it) at every diaper change to keep rashes away. I didn't need to do that with either son but it's an option.

Best of luck!!

I have 2 children and have always used natural remedies. My Mom, who is midwife and a natural freak bought me a cream called "Weleda" and it has always worked great. The only place that we found that we can get it is in the health food section at Fred Meyers. You can probably get at the Co-Op also. Good luck. I know daiper rashes are a pain, and can be difficult to get rid of.

Lots of advice so far, I agree with the ladies that suggest trying other types of diapers. The first six weeks my son had horrible diaper rash, but after finding non scented diapers and predominately switching to cloth diapers, we very rarely have diaper rash any longer. Brands we have had the best success with are Seventh Generation (cheepest @ Babies R Us, but also at all the natural food stores), and Walmart brand diapers. For preventative I suggest using a small amount of lanolin at each diaper change... this essentially water proofs the skin and then you are avoiding all the harsh chemicals.

I would also suggest that you use cloth diapers. There a lot of varieties out there and some of them are as easy and watertight as disposable diapers. I would also recommend that you let them go diaperless whenever you can. You can let them play in the tub or outside if it is warm enough or get the disposable pads (in the Depends section). Even a thick towel will work. I personally use Infant Potty training with both of my kids and I have never had to deal with diaper rash.
I would be glad to talk about to you about that method if you are interested.

Wow so many responses. I didn't read through all of them but I agree that it could be the diaper. I also agree that baking soda baths work great. My favorite ointment is Calmoseptine. You can buy it anywhere that has a pharmacy. You don't need a Rx but you have to ask the pharmacist for it. My Dr. also said to use an anifungal cream/ ointment (like for athletes foot) if it is a raised rash. Put the anifungal on first, then top with Calmoseptine. It soothes and heals as well as creates a great barrier. I know that some creams like Desitin and A&D sting the baby, mine cringes when she sees it. Calmoseptine is great. Also consider what they, or you are eating.

When my daughter was younger, a doctor gave me a cream called "Butt Balm". I laughed when I read the name, but it really worked. Another thing that also helps is knowing that the diaper is keeping moisture trapped in and the wipes you use can agitate a diaper rash. Instead of using wipes, once in a while get a cloth or even a paper towel and wet it down with water. Water is more gentle on a baby's skin. You can also wash them off in the sink. Believe me, substituting the wipes with the water can really help.

I highly recommend Boudreaux Buttpaste!! My daughter was getting rashes badly and that was the only thing that had a constant effect and cleared it in a day. I tried everything. With my son it was the same. There is no burning, small amount goes a long way and it goes away so fast and seemed to help prevent them...and my son potties so much its unbelievable, but no rashes any more or not for more than a day. Hope this helps.

I often use Boudreaux's Butt Paste. We love it! Something else we do because I have a really sensitive little guy is make a paste out of milk of magnesia (the diarreah stuff) and cornstarch. It seems weird, but I'll tel you, it has worked wonders on his rashes. We use the Butt Paste any time he starts seeming a bit pink, or red, and then switcj to the homemade paste if it turns into a rash. The other thing we have to do is never even think about switching diapers or wipes for him. My other kids it didn't seem to be as big a problem. We use regular Huggies and use Huggies Sensitive wipes. Anything else we have tried causes him to rash. Even using other wipes. Perhaps you jsut need to find the right diapers for your little ones. I may be totally off base, but that is how we have had to do it in my house. Hope that helps!

Quit using Wet Wipes until the rash is gone. The chemicals irritate the skin and can make diaper rash worse. Just use warm water on a soft cloth. Use mild soap if necessary but then make sure you rinse it off well.

Make sure their bottoms are dry (I like to let my baby run around without a diaper for awhile) and use Butt Balm if you can find it. It's really thick and keeps moisture out.

Good luck!

I used to use Desitin, but found another diaper ointment called Boudreaux's Butt-Paste that I prefer to use now. It goes on easier and comes off more cleanly than regular Desitin.

Its true that most diaper rashes happen when you don't notice or change a dirty diaper right away. You also may watch what you are eating if you are breastfeeding. My baby boy is very sensitive to when I eat citrus and almost always has a rash afterwards.

Do you ever let your twins go without their diaper for a while? You didn't say how old they are or anything. When I had problems with diaper rash on my youngest, I'd lay him on the floor with a blanket that I didn't mind getting stained and let him lay naked for a while.

I used bag balm, or some creamy substance that wasn't as thick as desitin. I also used some powder, non-sented, or corn starch. That always helped. The biggest problem was that if he went more than a half an hour between changes he would get the rash. Good luck!!!!

An hour or two of naked time a day--even 20 or 30 minutes here and there can really help prevent diaper rash. Also, I knew when my dd was pooping by her face, and I would make sure I changed her immediately after that. If they are really prone to rashes, you should rinse their bottoms in running water for 30 seconds between diapers to get any acidic residue off their bottoms. ALso, could it be something they or you (if breast feeeding) are eating?

Good Luck.

Try a different brand of diapers. My 3 all had very sensitive skin and some brands would cause diaper rash. One of the brands that worked for me was the White Cloud that are sold at Wal-Mart. Those and Pampers are all I can use or I end up with rashes that bleed. Hope this helps.
J. Clinger

A.,
I am really concerned for you and your twins. First if you are using Johnson & Johnson baby bath products, please discontinue, it contains dangerous chemicals called formaldahyde and when warm water hits it it dipenses these toxins. I used it all the time when my oldest son was a baby and the symptoms got worse because his immune wasn't the best it hit him harder than with other children. I would love to show you how to eliminate toxins from your babies and help get rid of the diaper rash as well, renew is the best skin care I found for my children and it contains all natural ingredients, which we all like. Check this out and see what you think gotgreennow.fourpointwellness.com

When my kids get a rash, I use A&D (with no zinc). Usually if I change their diapers every two hours, I can avoid the rash. Another thing I do is to ventilate their bottoms. That helps dry the zone a little. If it is always damp, it doesn't help their skin.

I used Vasoline with my kids. It creates a think barrier on the skin that wouldn't "wash" away when the baby pottied, like some of the creams did. You might also try different diapers. My oldest was sensitive to some of the higher end brands.

Hi A.,
I have used Arbonnes herbal diaper cream for over 7 years with my last 3 babies. I couldn't live without it I use it for other rashes & skin irritations too.
This cream not only protects but it HEALS. That's the most important, to not cover over the problem but to heal it.If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to ask! I hope this helps, G.

I know this sounds funny, but this 100% works, I've done with my kids and my mom used it on me, but give them a baking soda bath. They get to have fun in the tub and it helps with the rash. My daughter had a rash so bad it look like someone put a hot curling iron between her buttchecks, it was blistered and everthing, was horrible, I put her in the tub with baking soda and it cleared it right up, if you would have not known she had the rash, you would have never known, thats how well it works. Depending on how much water you put in your bath or what size of bath you use, you wont need alot of soda. If you use a normal size tub, about half full you will need about a half cup, if your still using a baby tub, a couple table spoons should do it, not to sure about the baby tub, how much it takes I never used one with my kids. Plus I have noticed two things that help is let them air out when you change them and stick to one ointment. Thats all I got to offer on that one, hope it helps and wish you luck, diaper rashes arent fun for the kid nor the parents.

I like method baby cream, but I use cloth diapers and love it! Have you thought about it? Not as hard as you would think!

Try doing some test patches on his arm or back with the desitin and burts bees - somewhere he does not have a rash, outside of the diaper area - just a little dot. When we did this, we discovered that my little guy was breaking out because of the creams! He was fine with Aquafor, and with Beadreux's Butt Paste, though.
Also, it seemed to make a big difference when we switched to chlorine free diapers. It's better for the environment, as well.

It might have something to do with what kind of diapers you use. When my son was in Luvs, he got horrible diaper rash. I didn't like Huggies because I found them to leak and disintigrate. I started using Pampers and I liked that they had the stretchy straps like Huggies, and while they weren't quite as leak proof as Luvs, they didn't cause diaper rash either.

A couple of times when my son's diaper rash got really bad, I used vaseline, and that helped. Sometimes a little bit of powder can help prevent it, but it can also depend on what they're drinking and eating. If you give them too much juice, their urine will be more acidic, and also certain baby foods. My daughter was more prone to diaper rash if she ate too many tomato products, like spaghetti baby food.

You just have to figure out what works best for your twins...best of luck!

One thing you can do to help is to always make sure the diaper area is completely dry before putting on a clean diaper. I always fanned their little bottoms with the clean diaper before putting it on.

Desitin seemed to work the best for my boys - the regular kind with the higher zinc oxide content. I always put on a good thick layer at the first sign of a rash and it was usually gone by the next diaper change.

Also, if you're using scented diapers and wipes it may help to switch to an unscented brand, as they may be allergic or sensitive to the perfumes.

By all means, don't hesitate to call the doctor if the rashes continue - just to make sure there isn't some underlying issue (maybe some bacteria or something) that will keep popping up without treatment.

I hope some of these suggestions help - I know how helpless it can feel dealing with ONE baby who's fussy and in pain - and you have it DOUBLE!!! (Of course, that also means double the love and double the fun!!!)

Good luck!

I have always used A & D ointment. I buy the walmart brand, cause it is the same just a little easier to spread and alot cheaper! According to my Doctor, you have to change them alot, no huge pee diapers allowed and smother their little hinnies with ointment everytime to stop it from coming. I also used Baby powder (careful to shield the babies from inhaling it though) and that seemed to help fight the moisture. Well, good luck!

My daughter used to have what I called acid poops, that would just make her bottom raw. The best thing that I found, worked fantastic. Bag Balm !! I comes in a green tin and you can find it at the grocery store in the first aid section. That would clear her up in hours instead of days. I used it on myself sometimes, not for diaper rash, lol but for severe dry skin. Good luck.

Hi A.,
I've only raised one child, so I'm no expert - but if you've ruled out food allergies as the cause (not sure how old your twins are),or an allergy to detergent (if you're using cloth diapers) then I'd say, no, it's not normal to have constant diaper rashes. My daughter maybe had one or two over her 3 years of diapering, and it never got past mild. Here's what I think made that possible: CALENDULA. Miracle cream in my book. If you're not familiar with it, it's a flower (marigold family) and any diaper cream you can find that is mostly calendula,or pure calendula cream (not so much the gel)you can find, use it. Slather it on them (once you've cleaned them well)overnight especially, and you will see results, I promise. Where I live, you can find calendula in all forms, even in the supermarket - but you can always find it in healthfood stores and definitely online. I made my own cream for years with olive oil, dried calendula and beeswax, and our whole family used it on burns, cuts, anything that needed healing (just not on open wounds- though calendula gel would probably be ok for this). I would suggest cleaning them & letting them airdry - be buck naked as much as you can during the day (just keeping cloth diapers or something else absorbent under them if they're little) & slathering them as much as possible before diapering. The problem with Desitin is that it's moisture repellent, which is great for keeping the rash from getting worse, but doesn't really address the healing of the already existing rash. Keep them as dry as possible - change more often & slather each time (urine should be removed with warm water each time, & I would suggest holding off on the Desitin-like creams until the rash is healed, otherwise it's difficult to remove fully (& probably painful for them) in order to let the calendula seep in. Since they're prone to rashes, I would also suggest from this point forward always wiping them well between changes (wet the wipes w/ warm water when you can to wash off some of the chemicals, pat dry, and put a thin layer of some natural cream each time.

Good luck!! And when things settle down a bit, if you want the recipe for the homemade cream/balm, I'd be happy to send it to you!

D.

Burt's Bees is what worked best for my son. It helped within 24 hours. Change their diapers as soon as you notice they are wet or dirty.

My son has very sensitive skin and we had to work hard to not get diaper rash. The biggest thing is change the diapers as soon as you know they are wet to keep it from happening. As for creams and things, when my son got a rash those diaper rash creams never helped. We used and still use vaseline. Just coat their bum's at every change. that will allow the skin to heal and not be damaged again by more wet diapers. It washes off much easier than the diaper creams too.

hi A.,

I would try two things first the best recommendation is to switch to Cloth Diapers. I use Bum Genius 3.0 cloth diaper and I have never ever ever had diaper rash on my son. He is 11 months old and has never had it. They are wonderful, I cannot rave enough on them.

Second, it might be more than just regular diaper rash it might be yeast. I would get an anti-fungal to put on it. Keep it dry and air is a wonderful friend.

Good Luck...blessings

We use the Magic Stick, it's like a big chapstick and it's all natural so your never putting petroleum products all over your baby's skin. You can find it at www.mtdiaperstore.com. We use it at every diaper change, just rub it on quick (no messy hands!) We're on 9 1/2 months and haven't had a diaper rash yet. We love it!!!

We used 1/2 Malox (liquid antacid) and 1/2 aquaphor. The antacid cools the sores and the aquaphor heals the chapped skin. It is the miracle cream - a bit messy to mix, but lasts for a long time. Oh, and I had to cut out acidic foods, like tomatoes.

Hi A., I have tried Desitin and Burts but I have found that this product called Butt Paste is the best. I don't think it is organic like Burts but I love it.

Good luck,
Brandi

We used Boudro's Buttpaste and had great success as well as Burt's Bee's. It would clear up within a day and even a difference was seen over night. On another note, we also found one particular diaper irritated him more than others. We are Pamper lovers but cannot use the baby dry because of the netting, and use cruisers only.
I hope you find something that works!

I would bet it is something more than diaper rash. I would take them to the doctors. It may be a staph infection that needs a prescription to clear it up. My twins had one a couple weeks ago.

I didn't read all your millions of responses, so forgive me if this is a repeat. In my experience, the BEST diaper rash treatment is Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It is a miracle-worker. When my son gets a rash, I apply it (fairly thick) every diaper change when I can see a rash, and it's usually gone by the next morning. Good luck! Also, try rinsing the wipes you use in warm water before wiping your baby's little bum. I have found it helps avoid stinging the rashy skin, and the warmth seems to help as well!

I see that you have had quite a response to your question. I haven't read them all quite yet. I have 3 kids and my middle one used to get a diaper rash so bad that she would blister. Since then I have bought Aquaphor lotion and Maalox. I buy the Aquaphor lotion in the tub and put it into a tupperware container. Then I add in as much Maalox that I can. At first it seems like the two won't mix but you have to keep stirring. I cake the paste on the first time and this seems to take the sting out and start to heal their bottom. You didn't say how old the twins were but you may try a different type of diaper. The Walmart brand diapers always seemed to give my kids a rash. You could also do baking soda baths and let them air dry as well. Good luck!

A.,
Sometimes diaper rashes are from a yeast infection. If the usual diaper creams don't clear it up in one or two days I would suspect it's from yeast. You can use over the counter Clotriamazole 1%. After awhile you will be able to tell the yeast infections from the usual diaper rash. The yeast infections start out as pinkish areas and are sometimes shiny looking. When they get really bad it is the scariest looking diaper rash ever. Bright red patches with small dots of pink spreading outward. Here is a link to the "Baby 411" website to see pictures of the different rashes. http://www.windsorpeak.com/baby411/rashorama.html