My 2 year old daughter has developed a horrible diaper rash and is extremely uncomfortable. It is painful to look at so I could only imagine how she feels. She has never had a bad diaper rash before so I am not quite sure what is the best way to get her some relief. (She was just taking an antibiotic for an ear infection so I wonder if that has something to do with this). I gave her an Aveeno bath and have been using Triple Paste. Although she is not potty trained I am going to try to let her go without a diaper for a few hours to see if that helps. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to help her? What if any ointments/creams work best? Natural remedies? Thanks!
considering the antibiotics, its likely that its yeast. does the rash have defined edges, like you could draw a line around it? if so, thats probably what it is. and if not, it still could have yeast in it. try lotrimin af, its over the counter. use it a couple of times a day. the other times, use triple paste. and whether or not its yeast, dont use baby wipes at all, just plain water with a soft cloth or soft paper towel whenever possible. for the messy ones, you can use some mineral oil or vaseline or any other pure simple oil that you like, i like california baby calming diaper area spray. gently wipe it off as best you can, and dry very well. yeast thrives in moisture. bathe her with just a handful or 2 of baking soda in the water, no soaps or shampoos. dont rinse her butt, dry very very well before diapering. and if it is yeast, try to limit her sugar intake. yogurt with live cultures is good, but not with lots of sugar in it.
Hi Keri,
My 18-month-old daughter recently experienced the same thing. She had been on antibiotics, developed diaper rash and her skin became so raw that it bled. It really helped to let her go without a diaper for an hour (or more if possible) so that her skin could stay really dry. I would usually bathe her, dry her off and let her sit on my lap on a towel.
My daughter's pediatrician recommended Balmex for diaper rash, which definitely did the trick. I applied it with every diaper change. I had been using Desitin, A&D and/or Boudreau's Butt Paste, but none of these seemed to help long term. I could see a difference with the Balmex almost immediately.
I hope this helps and I hope your little one feels better soon.
A little about me:
Mother of two amazing kids - a 9-year-old boy and 18-month-old girl. My husband and I have been married for almost 13 years.
Hi Keri,
Your baby girl might have a yeast infection since she was recently on antibiotics. Check with her doc again. Also letting her go without a diaper should help. Just be ready with the spot-bot ;-) to clean up any little mishaps. Hope this helps.
My older daughter had the same thing at one time. Ask your ped for silvodene, it's used for burns and works wonders. Hope this helps.
Hi Keri,
Antibiotics can cause yeast infections, even in babies. If the diaper rash is caused by yeast, you will need a prescription cream to clear it up, so please make an appointment with your doctor today. Over the counter diaper rash remedies will not clear up a yeast infection. I hope your little one will be healed up soon!
Call your doctor to discuss it, but I'd try lotrimin because it could be a fungal infection - 2 or 3 times per day. Lotrimin can be a little irritating to the skin, so our doctor recommended we put it on in conjunction with hydrocortisone cream.
i would say it was most def the antibiotic, my daughter has gotton a horrible rash each time she has had one. Triple Paste is the best I have found so far, just make sure her skin is dry before applying it and keep it up every diaper change for awhile.
Good luck, hope she is all better soon.
I agree with those who said it might be a yeast infection or fungal. It is worth a call into your ped. for advice.
Hi Keri,
I agree that letting as much fresh air on the rash as possible. As going without a diaper is not practical a lot of times, I have found that blowing warm air on the parts for five minutes with a hair dryer set on WARM (not hot) every time you change the diaper definitely helps a lot. Increase the number of diaper changes, wash the parts very gently if she can bear that, then blow dry, then put the cream/ointment on.
Sounds like it is yeast related from the antibiotic. Try finding things that will treat that.
Hi Keri
Call the MD.
Some diaper rash needs their care, especially after antibiotics. If he needs to see you which I doubt make sure it can be seen.
God bless you
Karen
You might want to take her to the doctor to make sure she doesn't have a yeast infection. If she does, try a mixture of cortisone cream and antifungal (like Lotrimin)--apply a thin layer. Let that dry and then cover with a layer of Butt Paste. Once the yeast disappears, continue with the Butt Paste and it should hopefully clear up within a week or two. My daughter has been through this twice--when she teethes badly she gets diarrhea, which causes the rash. This is the course of action our doctor recommended, and it has worked both times.
My niece has the same reaction to antibiotics. They give her diarrhea, which gives her a diaper rash. :-(
Here's what works for us: Just before bed, give your girl a warm bath. Wash her "nether regions" with a soap free cleanser (I use Cetaphil - the same thing I use on my face). The cleanser won't strip away any oils or moisture, but it cuts through the acid of anything that might be left on her.
After her bath, give her a generous dose of Desitin, topped with a little bit of cornstarch baby powder in her diaper.
We've never had a diaper rash that wasn't better in the morning after this routine. (Disclaimer - we've also never had a bleeding diaper rash...so if it's to that point, I'm not sure what to do.)
Good luck!!
Hi Keri - I would recommend any product with Calendula in it. I found one I really like at Whole Foods - it is put out by Welda. Any time I see even the slightest hint on a rash on my 2 year old, I put this on and it goes away instantly. It is also very soothing.
Hope this helps!
She more than likely has a yeast fungal rash and needs a dr. Meanwhile give her yogurt and in the future always feed her yogurt when she has an antibiotic.
Wow I hate diaper rash! I have two ways that have worked for me. With my first I used cream that is made by badger that contains calendula a homeopathic remedy you can also give calendula pill that you can get at any where they homeopathic meds. I used baby powder to dry out the area with my second son because any ointment seemed to make it worse. hope one of them works for you.
A friend gave me this trick, and it seemed to work really well...first, only clean the diaper area with water, no wipes. If it's sticky, you can use a soft cloth or some cotton balls, but other than that, I would just rinse in the bathroom sink. Pat dry lightly. It's definitely good to let her go without a diaper when you can. If you are going to diaper, once the area is dry, apply some Maalox (it's very runny, so you should use cotton balls for this). Once you have the area coated, put the triple paste ON TOP of the Maalox. The Maalox apparently provides a barrier between baby's skin and the poop. My friend got this advice from her pediatrician, and it has worked well anytime I've tried it--seemed to soothe the skin fast! Good luck.
Have you tried probiotics , you can get some good ones for babies , i know whenever i take antibiotics i develop yeast infections if i dont take acidopholous .
also its not a bad thing to let her run free w/o a diaper , she will start to potty train herself , make sure you have the potty available for her and tell her she can use it .
sometimes food allergies can cause diaper rash also .
Give her a salt bath once or twice a day. Use 1/2 cup salt per 3 inches in the bathtub, or 1/2 cup epsom salts(soaking salts) per 4 inches (guesstimate it) and run the bath warm but not hot. Have her sit/play/lay/whatever in the tub for at least 10 minutes then pat dry with towel and let it air dry a bit.
I know it sounds a little home-remedy, but believe me, it works (and it great for her skin).