Cracked Bleeding Diaper Rash?

Updated on November 24, 2008
M.F. asks from Pine Plains, NY
35 answers

My daughter suddenly has a cracked, bleeding diaper rash. We have always had a problem with diaper rash while teething, but this is different, it is a bunch of tiny red cracks almost like excema. We use cloth diapers which we change often ( every hour or so and anytime they are wet) and she already spends a few hours a day diaper free because she is starting to potty train. We have been giving her a plain water bath 2x a day and letting her bottom air dry, and we have tried ointments and creams including triple paste, calendula oil, vitamin E oil, zinc oxide and shea butter to name a few. We have stopped using commercial wipes and have switched to flannel cloths with water and callendula oil, but right now nothing sems to be helping. Any suggestions????

Thanks !

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V.M.

answers from New York on

Take her to the doctors. She may have a yeast infection. I know it sounds odd because she's so young, but it isn't uncommon in little girls in diapers and sometimes even in littl boys in diapers.

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K.S.

answers from New York on

Try corn starch use it like baby powder, and take her to the doctor that should always be first and foremost never let the child suffer.

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L.D.

answers from Albany on

Arbonne's Baby Care line. I would be happy to send you a sample if you like.

NOTHING was helping my two older sons with their eczema and diaper rashes until I switched to these products. They were the only things that healed their skin beautifully (including the areas that used to bleed!).

L.

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D.B.

answers from New York on

M.,

If it looks like it may be excema, I would have it checked by her pediatrician. She may need some prescription medication to clear it up. Also, you may find that using disposable diapers may help, as they have a liner in them that will keep the wetness away from her skin, unlike cloth diapers.

If nothing that you've tried is working, then I definitely wouldn't fool around with it anymore. Cracked skin on her bottom may get infected, and could cause her all sort of problems, not to mention the cracked skin is probably very painful for her when she urinates.

I have excema myself, on my hands, which crack open constantly in cold weather without prescription medication, and I can tell you that it is very painful for her, even without the added problem of her urine burning it when she's wet.

There are so many antibiotic resistant infections out there these days, that I wouldn't chance not using a prescription medication to get it cleared up as soon as possible!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.F.

answers from New York on

Try plain old vasaline. My daughter was allergic to all of the creams out there for diaper rash. They just made it worse even the all natural ones. We tried vasaine and by the next diaper change you could see a big improvement and within a day or two the rash would be gone. I hope this helps and good luck to you.
Jenn

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L.B.

answers from Rochester on

My name is L. my children are all grown, and I have two granddaughters. My daughter used to get that, it was a yeast infection. The doctor used to give her a prescription for nystatin cream and it would start clearing up in a few days.
Does she get ear infections? Antibiotics can cause this condition. Take her to the doctor, I don't think it's a regular diaper rash.

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A.J.

answers from Albany on

It's probably a yeast infection. Get a prescription for hydrocortisone & nystatin. It'll clear up virtually overnight.

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C.F.

answers from Tuscaloosa on

Have you thought about using nipple cream for the super cracked patches? The Lansinoh pure lanolin cream that I used while nursing was great for dry cracked nipples. It healed and protected. My daughter ingested a great deal of it while nursing and it was safe, I imagine that putting it on her bottom area would be helpful. Good luck. My daughter has very sensitive skin and we are always battling the dryness/chafing issue. The cold weather doesn't help.

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C.H.

answers from New York on

You could try Aquaphor--we used it liberally on our son with every diaper change and had very few rashes, and those he had were mild and cleared pretty quickly. It's not cheap, though. You might be able to get some free samples from your pediatrician to see if it's effective for your daughter.

You might also consider whether two baths a day might actually be drying her out more. Also think about whether this could be a symptom of any food allergies. Anything new in her diet since this started? Best wishes to you.

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I.J.

answers from New York on

Dear M.,

Arbonne has a baby line (ABC)which is wonderful!!! You should put your daughter on this entire line. Go to the Arbonne website, use my consultant ID#17222859 and look for yourself. We have great results with this line as it is pure, safe, and beneficial.

Wishing you well, I. Jaeger

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C.T.

answers from New York on

Hi M.,

Take your baby to the doctor and let him/her look at it and determine exactly what is the problem. My son had a terrible breakout and I thought it was a diaper rash. When I took him to his doctor it was a fungus. Let the doctor determine what to do for her.

All the best to you.

C.

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S.R.

answers from New York on

When my son had this problem when he was little we used Aquaphor ointment. It was recommended by his pediatrician, and it WORKED. Also, if you can find the old-fashioned original forumula Desitin cream (the thick, pasty kind with the cod-liver oil in it that smells gross), that works too. I don't know if they make it anymore, though, but you can probably ask around or search online.

Good luck.

S.

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C.M.

answers from New York on

My son had skin reactions that wouldn't go away despite all my attempts at the most gently pure products. I did have my water checked and it did have a lot of irritants in it. I now have a water filter in the shower w/ a wand to wash him (and one in the kitchen too for drinking & washing fruits and vegetables). His condition improved!
I do also pick up this very mild skin wash called Grandma's old fashioned lye soap. It is in a hardware store in Pearl RIver, NY however can be bought online at secretsofsuzanne.com. Lastly because of the tendency to have dry skin I did buy a great, pure food based skin cream from mercola.com. He has only 1 such product so you would find it in his products section on his website of Dr. Mercola.
BTW, he responded well to only Balmex for his diaper rashes.
You can find out about having your water tested (or even just get the filter if not tested at Aquasana).

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H.G.

answers from New York on

I would go to the doctor. Just in case you need a prescription. Once our little ones start bleeding, then it's time to stop the home remedies and start getting medical attention!

When my son's diaper rash turned ugly, and got a couple of bleeding sores, my doctor really helped us take care of quickly. And actually turned us on to cloth diapering as well! :)

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E.S.

answers from New York on

Have you tried BOUDREAUX'S BUTT PASTE? (Yes, that's the real name!) It has 16% Zinc Oxide. I purchase it in TARGET.

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N.D.

answers from New York on

The rash could be a fungal infection or a food allergy. You really should take her to her doctor.

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T.D.

answers from New York on

Hi M....
We started to have that issue too - took her to the pediatrician where they said that it appeared to be a possible slight yeast in fection. It happens, even this young. They gave her an antibiotic cream and within 48 hours it was cleared up. It was amazing. I've had 2 different prescription creams from the doc. Nystatin and Vusion - both are AWESOME. Moreso the Vusion, I think. Please call the pediatrician and have them take a look and maybe mention the 2 I just told you about. See if they think one of them might help. Good luck!

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D.C.

answers from Albany on

I would put some Aquaphor on it to protect it and make her more comfortable while you call the Dr and make an appointment.

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D.B.

answers from Buffalo on

Some babies have very sensitive skin. My first never had a diaper rash, my second on the other hand gets one very easily. The only other thing besides plain old sensitive skin that I can think of...why the heck are you bathing her 2x a day??! That would definetly contribute to dry irritated skin, especially now that it is getting cold out.
Good luck

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G.S.

answers from New York on

Bag balm - our pedetrician referred me to it a number of years when my youngest daughter had a horrible rash that wouldn't budge. I found mine in the pet dept of walmart (it's actually used for cows utters to keep them from cracking. I honestly though the dr was crazy, but we found it in a green square tin & the moment I began using it, there were instant results. You can also get it at feed stores too. Good luck!

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S.K.

answers from New York on

For everything wrong with skin, salt bath.

I have used salts baths for myself and my daughters with excellent results for alllll sorts of skin issues, from rashes to "rot butt".

Use 2 cups soaking (mineral) salts or if you don't have those, plain old table salt will work as well. Make the water hot as she can stand, fill the tub to just above th belly button, and be sure to have her sit in it for at least 10 minutes. I recommend twice or more per day, dry thoroughly after the bath. Don't add any soap or bubbles to the bath, it will neutralize the salts.

This clears up even the worst rashes or chapped skin within a day or two from my experiences.

Good luck!

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S.P.

answers from New York on

Hi. When my daughter has a bad diaper rash I just use cornstarch, and I bath her in aveeno. Once when it was very bad my doctor perscribed silvadene. It is used for burn victims and it cleared it up right away.

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E.G.

answers from New York on

Could be a food allergy.

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N.S.

answers from New York on

Butt Paste seems to work wonders for us. It's really thick and coats the butt well.

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K.G.

answers from New York on

Hi M.,

I shop from a company that has a great lotion that can definitely help your daughter's diaper rash/excema. They also have laundry detergent and fabric softner/drier sheets that don't have caustic chemicals in them and they are enviromentally responsible. All the products are guaranteed. If you don't like them (but I know you'll love them) they have a 60 day empty bottle money back guarantee.

I'd love to share the information with you.

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R.O.

answers from New York on

Try this natural home remedy: Take a small amount of regular baking flour & put it into a sauce pot. Cook dry on low to medium heat until the flour turns a light toasted brown. After cooling put it into a container & sprinkle onto baby's butt like you would regular baby powder. You should notice a difference in 1-2 days. Use the flour powder anytime baby starts to get red.

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T.B.

answers from New York on

I use Gold Bond Baby Powder....it's for diaper rash. You can also use a double barrier - vaseline and then Aquaphor. or desitin and vaseline. My daughter had a rash like that when she was about 3 weeks old.....the pharmacist said that it was almost like a burn. Anyway - good luck!

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T.W.

answers from New York on

M.,
I had the same problem with diaper rash only they found that my daughter was allergic to her own urine and feces, it caused the skin to burn, crack, peel, and bleed. My pediatrician ordered Silvadene, which is a burn ointment and within 24 hours we saw a drastic improvement. When my next child came along we had switched pediatricians and I immediately told her I wanted a standing order for the Silvadene, she thought I was crazy but did so with the understanding that the first signs of a diaper rash I would bring him in to show her, I did and then used the Silvadene; again within 24 hours it was almost gone. A diaper rash is a burn and the Silvadene is the best thing since peanut butter and jelly. To this day I keep it in my house and my youngest is now 9 years old. Let me know how it works for you.
Hugs,
T.

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J.M.

answers from New York on

Hi M.,

Many years ago, a wise older woman told me not to use all of the "commercial" diaper rash remedies, but instead, to use corn starch! It is really inexpensive, you can buy it at the grocery store, and IT WORKED!!! Faster than the other diaper rash remedies! Just sprinkle it on like you would if you use/used baby powder.

It's worth a try. We used this instead because the commercial remedies made the diaper rash worse for our daughter, and again, the corn starch worked.

J. M.

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S.M.

answers from New York on

hi M.,
the other moms have some good ideas for you to try. my kids have not had any of these horrible diaper rashes. i do have a baby still and hopefully, she won't get them either. my point is that i don't know which one of the cures will help you best but i can tell you that washing a baby or child too often will dry out his/her skin. my son has eczema and i only shower him every two or three days or his skin gets all dry and extremely itchy. i put lotion on him after his shower to keep his skin moisturized. i use callendula and skin food (both by welleda) on the baby and only organic stuff because she does have very sensitive skin and also has eczema, but not on her butt. children don't get that dirty this time of year so we can get away with just washing the important parts daily. i hope this helps. good luck.

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T.O.

answers from New York on

M.,

Believe it or not, I use an organic concentrated cleaner that is pH balanced for my kids' diaper rash, even the bleeding kind. I also let their buts air out for a few minutes after baths or at diaper changes. If you want a free sample, e-mail me back and I will mail it to you; my husband and I are distributors and I have a few left.

T.
____@____.com

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O.C.

answers from New York on

My pediatrician always recommends using neosporin and then desitin (the purple tube) on top. The neosporin will help heal the bleeding area and the deisitin seals it in. Good luck!

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D.R.

answers from New York on

breastmilk works wonders if you still have it, especially the hindmilk. other than that, i would try a baking soda bath. just put some baking soda in the bath with her, a handful or so, and let her sit. no soap of any kind, dont rinse, pat dry/air dry very gently and very very well. load on the triple paste. do this every day. as for all the other products, i really have found that less is more. i just use a soft cloth with water for most changes. for the really messy ones, use something natural so you dont have to rub. i love california baby calming diaper area spray, calendula oil is probably good too, but i would really dilute it. also, it could be yeast. my oldest son had yeast infections a lot, and i always used lotrimin af for it. it has a very distinct look, defined edges, etc. then when my youngest had a horrible rash, forever, it looked nothing like that so i assumed it wasnt yeast, the doc finally said it just might have some yeast in it, and to try the lotrimin. so i did, and sure enough, it worked. also, could be her diet? citrus, tomato, and if she is on any antibiotics all could be culprits, especially augmentin. take care, D.

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J.H.

answers from New York on

Are you still nursing? A little hand expressed milk on the rash does wonders.

Also try a natural gentle oil like olive oil or coconut oil.

AIr and baths are a great idea.

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D.V.

answers from New York on

Nothing compares with Aquaphor, made by Euceren. Keeps a protective barrier on the skin, yet lets the skin breathe. Works in hours.

D.

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