Seeking Advice on Chronic Diaper Rash

Have you tried a different diaper? Maybe the diaper is irritating his skin. My friend switched brands when her son started getting a rash all the time, that wouldn't go away. It seemed to solve the problem.

I don't know if cloth diapers would be better or worse. They'd be softer and breathe, but when he gets wet, it might be terrible? I never used them, so I couldn't really say. Just a thought though.
Otherwise, maybe try keeping vaseline or Aquafor on his bottom after every change to keep his skin protected. Maybe after a while he'll get better.
If his rash gets severe, would your doctor recommend healing it with hydrocortisone? I think they say not to use on kids under 2, but I recall my doctor okay'ing me to use a long time ago with my son, just a small amount.
If anything else, maybe see a special doctor, I would assume a dermatologist.

Best of luck!
M.

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Hi A.,

Have you tried cloth diapers? They really are very breathable, and nowadays, they are very easy to use. I have used cloth on all three of my kids, and I have never used a pin - they go on with Velcro, so they go one as easy as a disposable. My oldest son has super-sensitive skin, and he got a very sore bottom from disposables and disposable wipes. With cloth, his bottom was fine.

If you want to learn more, feel free to contact me. I run a very small cloth diaper business out of my home, and I hold cloth diapering workshops at least once a month where you can try out the different styles of diapers - there are a lot to choose from! Cloth or disposable - good luck with your little guy's bottom - I hope he feels tons better soon! :-)

Warmly, J.

1 mom found this helpful

What type of diapers are you using? I found that different disposables reacted differently with my son's skin. The other thing that worked is athlete's foot cream when it was really bad. Has the Dr. mentioned that?

My son was allergic to diapers! The only disposable diaper that didn't contribute to his rash were Huggies Supreme. Pampers and LUVS were the worst. I actually ended up using a daily prescription diaper rash cream and cloth diapers. I used Huggies Supreme for night time and if we were out.

He still is very sensitive to anything fragrant. He suffers from bad eczema.

Try this old Italian wives remedy. Brown some flour in a skillet. It doesn't just work on diaper rash. You can use it for adults and chaffing as well. haven't had to use the flour rememdy yet but I know people who have and it's great.

I don't know why it works, but it does.

If that's not your cup of tea, check out the Walgreens brand diaper rash ointment. It's really thick. When a rash is bad, the thicker, the better. It provides a nice, thick barrier of protection against moisture. My oldest had bad diaper rash as a baby and it worked really well. I

My best friend's daughter had a bad rash and the Dr. gave her Silvedene. It prescription so you will need to see the MD. Good Luck
A.

When the creams seemed stop working we used baby powder. It was the only thing that worked and the rashes cleared up days.

sometimes the rash will turn into a yeast infection.. so... try lotromin(over the counter that treats athlete foot) and then put the triple paste on that.. also.. my daughter who has very sensitive skin I had to change her diaper very regularly. she never had a wet diaper.. well she would when she peed but then I changed it right away.. and this was great for potty traning. since she was not used to being wet she took to the potty right away... good luck!!!

use pure cornstarch it works very well i used it on my son when he was getting diaper rashes all the time and they stopped and never came back good luck

Sounds like you got a heap of responses and you have tried something and it's already working. My daughter is just 7 mos. and has not had it yet, but she was in the Evanston NICU for 14 wks. (preemie). The nurses there made their own recipe and SWORE by it--equal parts Desitin, corn starch, and Vaseline. As a new mom, I was so nervous about diaper rash (among everything else!) that I never forgot any of their advice. Hope your little one is feeling better soon!

go to whole foods.. they have several natural options that work so much better than all the ones you've listed (aveeno says it's natural but doesn't work well at all).
we loved the Weleda brand... nothing works like it....

You might consider cloth diapers. We've been using cloth while in the home, and disposables when we go out. The only time he's gotten diaper rash is after using the disposables, and it usually clears up in 24-36 hours after we get him back into a cloth diaper because the materials breathe. We haven't had to use any creams or balms. There are many different cloth diapering choices out there; we've used very basic diaper covers with velcro closures and pre-fold cloth diapers.

Good luck!

My lil one gets them so bad she bleeds as well... until a friend told me to use vasoline EVERY diaper change to aid as a barrier between her skin and the wetness. We barely ever have rashes since then, but when we do,we put the vasoline on and then use old fashioned desitin original - gobs of it on over the vasoline. Usually by morning it is gone. We also change her diaper more frequently as well.

Hi A.. I have 4 kids and one of my babies experienced pretty bad diaper rashes too (especially during the hot summer months). I tried everything under the sun, all sorts of creams and treatment, and nothing worked. Finally I ran into someone who told me to make a paste using pure cod liver oil mixed with cornstarch. Wash your baby's bottom well, dry it gently and apply the mixture. Let the baby go without a diaper for as long as possible, keeping his bottom coated in the mixture. If you can sun the baby's bottom too, so much the better. Continue to apply the mixture each time it dries or the oil is absorbed into the skin. You will see visible results within hours. Continue this treatment in regular intervals throughout the day, letting the baby's bottom air for as long as possible during the day while you keep applying the cream. Within a matter of about 2 days, my baby was completely clear of any sign of the rash! Once your baby is clear of the rash, you can use it as a regular natural cream to apply after each diaper change. It helps to prevent the rash recurring. I have used this method ever since and it's never failed to work its magic. --And it's completely natural!

I knew someone with a baby that had rashes like that it turned out he was allergic to dairy.

Hi A.,

Jafra's diaper rash cream is the best I have ever used, hands down! And I do sell it, but would not advertise it if it did not truly work. I give this as a gift to new moms, and so far 27 have said that this is the best they have used also!

I would be happy to send you a sample, I beleive in trying before you buy!

;-) H.

ps...check out my webpage for other great prodcuts from Jafra: www.myjafra.com/hjohnson2

Have you tried cloth diapers? It could be that he is reacting to the chemicals in the sposies and that is what is causing the rash. Also, check into Dr Jay Gordon and his use of Grapefruit Seed Extract (you can pick it up at Fruitful Yield) for rashes...it really works. http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/bf/thrush.asp

You may not have a yeast rash, but we've found that using the GSE helps clear up all rashes that our daughter gets. She is also in cloth diapers. If you need more info on cloth, let me know. We've been doing it for almost a year.

I hope it gets better,
H.

I have a friend who had the SAME issue with her son and she started using Pampers diapers and the rash never came back! She said it had something to do with the fibers in the other diapers?!? It's worth a shot, right?

DRC baby diaper rash cream, it is like cold cream for their little bottoms. Sometimes hard to find, Target carrys it behind the counter. I bought it in bulk, because it is the only thing that worked on my infant son, without making him scream in pain. Also, now that he is 2 1/2 I started using pure baby corn starch. Works to cure in a day! The cheapest thing out there, and won't burn their bottoms! Best of Luck!

We have the same problem with our son (he is 22 months). The only thing that seems to lessen them (they happen very infrequently now and are not as bad as before - his bum used to bleed too - it was awful) is to use Desitin (or something similar) EVERY SINGLE TIME you change his diaper. We slather it on (we go through quite a bit of Desitin - it gets a bit expensive, but worth it). Also make sure you change his diaper frequently. At night, we use night time diapers since they are more absorbant. Also, if you use Desitin, use the regular one, not creamy. You need something very thick that will create a barrier.

Maybe it is the diapers or the wipes you are using.? I swear by arbonne diaper rash cream. I had tried everything too, the desitin, flanders, the butt paste, etc. My mother in law got me this stuff and I noticed an improvement almost instantly(I am not kidding). The stuff is around $11 or $12 but totally worth every dollar. You do not need to use a lot of it so it lasts a long time. You can just go to www.arbonne.com to order or try to find someone in your area that sells it. Good luck!

Try 1 day with a cloth diaper to dry out the area as much as possible - and use corn starch or vaseline.

Then try changing diaper brands. Pampers really irritated my daughter and when we changed to Huggies she cleared up right away. I also recommend Pampers Sensitive Wipes - she's 1 and I tried switching to a generic brand and she immediately broke out into a rash so I still use the SEnstive Wipes.

Good luck - hope it clears up soon!!

Not sure if you had one but I had an episiotomy with my first kid that I tried to heal with tucks pads and dermaplast. I was miserable. Called the doctor and was scolded for not doing the sitz baths like I was instructed to in my delerious post-delivery state. Long-story short the answer may simply be warm -not hot- baths and lots of them- likely even more than one a day in the beginning. After the bath, fan him dry and SLATHER on the triple paste. Don't rub it in too much though... You're just trying to seal in the healing moisture from the bath and protect it from pee. Good luck!

It could be something he is eating. or a yeast infection seek a dermatoligst

When my son has really bad diaper rash we use Dyprotex. It comes in a box with individual pods of cream. I have only seen it at Walgreens...but it works like magic.

Ouch! Your poor little cutie's bum! We have used Bordeaux's Butt Paste (gotta love that name) - we have bought it at Walgreens and Meijer. I have another friend who swears by just putting nipple cream (she had a bunch leftover from her breastfeeding days) on her little guy's bum and that seemed to work

Also, something one of my friends told me is that her daughter seemed to get diaper rashes all the time that never seemed to go away and they turned out to actually be yeast infections. She said that she had read that once you start actively treating what seems to be a diaper rash...if it doesn't go away within 3 days or so you'd want to see if maybe its a yeast infection. Good luck!

I completely know what you are going through!! Just went through this in the past 2 weeks. I did it all too and called the doctor and nothing seemed to work. My doctor told me it was a yeast infection and to treat it 3 times a day with lotrimin. I did that and was kinda better but not that perfect baby butt soft ya know and as soon as she would have a bowl movement it would flare up again!! I was about to go nuts when I just happened to mention my problem to my neighbor who has 5 kids!! She told me to go to Walgreens and ask the Pharmacist to get me "Flanders". Its OTC but they have to get it for you....its not on shelves. I put this on her between changes along with the lotrimin 3 times a day and she's perfect again!! Couldn't be happier now. Flanders is also pretty cheap...I think it was 8 bucks is all. Good luck I know this will help....it saved me!!!

A., did you find a solution to the problem? I am having the same exact issue and saw all the advice you got. Was wondering what worked for you?

With the creams he will just never dry out. I know everyone is against powder nowadays but darn it after trying it all with my daughter and the pain she was in, I gave in. I actually started with cornstarch, but baby powder is the same thing basically. Worked like magic for us! Good luck!

I had a similar problem recently. My dd's rash lasted weeks. I finally started using Gold Bond Baby Powder and making sure she was super dry before putting on either triple paste or burt's bees. It cleared up within a few days. The trick was getting her really dry with the powder before putting on the cream.

Good luck!

Hi,

when my children were tiny I used a cream called
Resinol. It was a bottle cream sort of thing and you would have to ask the pharmacist to order it for you. You could inquire to the pharmacist for the ingredients to take back to you doctor. But I used it faithfully after it worked for all 3 of my girls.

J.
www.noahbyjodi.com

Two of my children had chronic diaper rash as well. If I did not use desitin after every diaper change they would get a rash. My ped. said some children have more sensitive skin than others, and it just happens! I tried changing diaper brands, and nothing helped other than ALWAYS using cream! Once my daughter was out of diapers, the problem went away. My baby now ALWAYS gets desitin with every change! Good luck, I woould just use cream and he should be okay!

I'm so sorry your little one is going through this! We had almost the exact situation with my son. We happened to be headed to the doctor for his sister's regular doc visit, so I asked him to look at it and he said it was fungal, like a yeast infection. He told us to use an over the counter anti-fungal cream. Worked like a dream!!! Hope this helps!

My daughter ended up having a skin yeast infection that I had thought was diaper rash. A little clotrimazole cleared it right up. You might want to ask your pediatrician about that possibility--apparently skin yeast infections are really common in the diaper area, especially when the weather is hot.

Good luck!

hi,
My daughter had something similar 9yrs ago,i used everything you've tried and more. I finally found someone who advised me about plain vaseline (petroleum jelly), non-scented, it is important to be non-scented.
It worked wonders. I hope it does the same for you. Good luck.

my kids would get it all the time to, after triing every thing under the sun,and getting upset because they were always uncomfortable i used pure corn starch and in no time my kids were great.

I was told this cure and it worked great for my son. Extra Virgin Olive Oil!!!! Clean your babys butt real well. Pore the olive oil on your hand or directly on your child. I will work. The oil coats and heals the rash. Least expensive and easy to use.

Do not use baby wipes. Use a wash cloth with baby soap to wash up. You can carry them in a plastic bag for now. Gentle soap not harsh wipes.

I battled this problem for a year and a half before I figured out what our problem was. My son's butt bled all the time. It got to the point where I wouldn't change him in public because he would scream in pain and people actually asked if he was ok and were very concerned. You should try different diapers, as all brands are made with different things in them. Then, you should try lotrimin or maalox at every diaper change. This helps a ton, believe it or not. My ped recommended it. Finally, the only diaper rash cream that ever worked for us was Weleda Diaper Care. You can get it on line, or in health food stores. It is different than regular creams out there, and it works wonders for us. I put a little powder on his butt to make sure it is dry, then I put on the Weleda diaper care cream, then I put on Vaseline on top of that. Make sure you try to change his diapers frequently as well.

One thing I found out, which ended up stopping this mess for us, is that my son is allergic to citric acid. I read somewhere that diaper rashed may be extremely worse if you eat something your body is allergic to. The only reaction or sign you are allergic could be a bad diaper rash, you don't need to get any other symptoms. So, I talked to my husband about this and he mentioned that as a kid, he was allergic to citric acid. Then, he told me so were the other men in his family. So, I started taking that out of his diet (well, it's in everything so I couldn't take it out completely) and the diaper rashes cleared up pretty fast. He'd still get bad ones every once in a while, but I can deal with that. He is now 4 and no longer has the allergy. Kids can outgrow allergies, so something to think about. Good luck!

Is he teething? If so, he may be getting a teething rash and there's nothing you can really do but ease the discomfort and keep the area clean. My son gets horrible rashes when he is teething that my MIL said my husband also got as a baby. I tried everything, but nothing will stop them from getting bad - sometimes to the point of bleeding. The pediatrician I see said that when it starts getting to that point I should put a little Neosporin on it to help prevent infection. I noticed that Neosporin plus a diaper cream seemed to burn if combined, so I use the Neosporin creamy, with pain reliever, and don't use diaper cream when I do.

If it is a teething rash, you can also expect to see it again when his adult teeth come in later on. I also keep some baby/children's Tylenol handy too, for if the pain gets really bad. I've noticed that my daughter doesn't seem to be experiencing it nearly as badly (so far) so it can vary from kid to kid.

As you can see from all your responses......very common issue. I found a recipe that clears it up within 24 hours for my kids. It's equal parts Destin (really any diaper cream) and Neosporin with a splash of Milk of Magnesia (plain). I know it sounds weird but all three ingredients together do a great job. The diaper cream coats to prevent rash, the neosporin heals the raw spots and the milk of magnesia cools it. I swear by it. Just don't use too much milk of magnesia. Good luck!

I'm a mom of a 14 mo and a peds rn and I LOVE boudreaux butt paste! It's the best. I will also use corn starch in the diaper as well for a little extra dryness. There is also a prescription cream called vusion which has an antifungal in it that is really good as well. If any of those don't work there is also a soak you can ask your dr about that you can soak cotton or gauze in the liquid, apply to the worst sites, then apply the cream. I hope this helps. (Don't take there is nothing else he can do from your md. If he's saying this he doesn't know all the options)

This recipe came from the parent's guide my pediatrician gave me. It's called Julie's Extra Thick Diaper Paste: Add one tube Bacitracin to one tube Desitin (original formula) and 30cc (2 tablespoons) of Mylanta. Mix slowly (so that it doesn't splash all over the place) and apply to the skin as needed for diaper rash.

I use this on my daughter who has really sensitive skin and it works great. I always see improvement within a day. It's worth a try. I store the extra in a tupperware container and leave it next to the regular Desitin.

Also, I've been seeing commercials for Vusion - you might want to ask your pediatrician about it?

Hello. My son was also getting chronic diaper rash and nothing would seem to clear it up. Finally we tried Lotromin at every diaper change followed by a thick layer of Vasaline. By the next day there was no more bleeing and the rash was almost completly gone. The vaseline keeps the medicine where it belongs, it acts as a barrier. I think changing his diaper once throughout the night also helps. At every diaper change now i just put a very, very thin layer of Vasaline on him. He has been rash free for months now. Good Luck.

My daughter had horrible bouts with diaper rash too, almost to the extreme of bleeding. I used Lotrimin, I know it sounds strange but my doctor told me since it is an anti-fungal cream it would work. And it did within the next diaper change there was a huge difference. In the first day of use it was gone.
Hope it works!!!

K.

We are battling a terrible rash on my son's bum right now. When he was only about 2 months old he got the same thing (however this time it looks much worse - bumpy and blistery) - I had called the pediatrician the first time it happened and they told me to use the Lotrimin (as a few others suggested) followed by polysporin and then top w/A & D or vaseline. My son's showed up yesterday & when my husband changed him this morning he said it was looking much better already. When in doubt call the pediatricians office for advice. Hope it clears up!

It's possible that he's allergic to the zinc in the creams. Try using vaseline & make sure the area is dry before you apply.

2 recommendations:
- Dr. Smith diaper rash cream really worked for us and you can get it at Walgreens
- Domboro is a kind of soaking thing that really helps the wound to dry up, I think you can also get it at Walgreens

Just another thought, does your son usually have loose bowl movement and maybe that's the cause for rashes? If so, maybe try changing the diet and see if that will change it...ex: more multi-grain stuff...

Try using any over the counter women's yeast infection cream. I worked wonders for my son.

Poor Baby! I totally feel your pain, and my daughter feels his. A couple of things that have worked for us for minor diaper rash were 1) changing diaper brands, her skin was just not liking Huggies 2) try the Weleda diaper cream - you can get it at Fruitful Yield 3)yogurt!!! 4) if the Weleda cream didn't work we used Desitin - the white one, it has 40% zinc oxide, which is what dries those little bottoms out.

That being said when we got the really bad ones that didn't go away...which was often we used Lotrimin athletes foot cream. I know it sounds crazy, but our Dr. said that rashes that last more than a couple of days are usually yeast infections and are treated with Lotrimin. At first I was skeptical, but now we keep it on hand. It really works fast.

The same thing was happening to a friend of mine's little boy. She used the Lotrimin on him and the rash was gone by the end of the day. Her Dr. never considered a yeast infection for him, but she was desperate. Frankly, I am surprised that your Dr. hasn't mentioned it either!

Good Luck!

My youngest had the same problem. First I switched him to sensitive wipes - the Target ones are wonderful and a little cheaper. I also use Eucerin Aquaphor on his bottom. The container is a little pricey but worked like magic every time I used it. Good luck looks like there are a lot of suggestions.

I think someone already mentioned it but Dr Smith's diaper cream is wonderful-it's kinda pricey for a little container but it works like a champ. I used to work for a market reasearch company. Diaper companies used to have parents test diffrent brands of diapers and you might have to switch to a new brand. For some reason Huggies and Luvs gives my son a diaper rash. We use Pampers and the Dr Smiths and the rash goes away. Good luck!

Do you belong to a practice? See if you can see a different doctor. There ARE alternatives! Your doctor can prescribe a prescription diaper rash cream or hydrocortisone cream that will clear up the rash. See if you can get something more powerful than an over the counter cream!

I just found Triple Paste cream. It's only at Walgreens or CVS and $30.00 for a big tub. BUT my son had a super raw diaper rash and this helped on the first application. He's had blowouts and no diaper rash since we've started using this. I highly suggest trying it. Buy the $10.00 small tube to test it out.

I have used Avalon Organics zinc oxide diaper cream and Waleda Candula Cream (use both daily but not at the same time, flip flop - Avalon overnight) and have never had a problem (knock on wood). The Waleda cream came HIGHLY recommended by a few other moms I know. They aren't cheap (about $9 each) but I think they are worth it (both are at Whole Foods). I also use Aquaphor on him at night under the Avalon (I slather the Aquaphor all over his body).

Change diapers! I had to switch to Seventh Generation diapers with my last baby. All natural and there's no chemicals in them! They're not the prettiest, LOL!! But it works. Or switch to cloth. That's the only alternative! good luck.

Mom to four great kids.