Can't seem to kick this diaper rash

[BalconyBirdie]

So DD developed diaper rash about 2 weeks ago.. At first it was just a little bit and then it got horribly worse -- her whole bum, pubic bone area, etc. were covered with it (her bum even got kind of scaly). We were using California Baby diaper lotion, but it did nothing for it. So we switched from cloth diapers to disposables and to motherlove diaper rash & thrush ointment because I suspected it was a yeast rash (a lactation consultant at our ped. office confirmed this). That was about a week ago. Since then, the diaper rash has decreased some days down to just a small freckling of spots, but we just cannot get it to go away entirely, and sometimes it flares back up again (though not to the point at which it was worst).

We try to give her diaper-free time (getting harder as it gets cooler here)
We change her at least every 2 hours, and I try to check every hour (we have not gone back to cloth diapers yet)
I sponge her off with water each diaper change

We just can't seem to get rid of it entirely. I hate to call the ped. over something like this, but 2 weeks straight of it seems like a lot.

Any thoughts / suggestions? Am I worrying over nothing?

[Katie T]

I dont know how old ur dc is but could you add yogurt to her diet or ive even heard of people using it as a cream since it is confirmed yeast? How often r u 2 use the antifungle? IDK just a thought hope I dont sound silly lol

[mambera]

If it is a candida rash then I actually think you should call the ped; you may need a stronger topical preparation (or an oral? dunno if they do that for babies).

But in addition to that, depending on how old your LO is - can you try to just leave her diaper-free for most of the day? Consider turning up the heat or rigging up a baby-safe arrangement with a space heater?

We have a big water-repellent sheet that we just spread on the living room floor so we can let the baby hang out diaper-free a lot when we are home. If I need to feed her I just put a plastic-backed terry changing pad on my lap and sit on the water-repellent sheet.

(We have these great changing pads from Kushies that are super for diaper-free time - before she was so mobile I used to just leave her on one of those alone.)

I aim to have diaper-free be the norm rather than the exception when we're home - not that that's always possible obviously, and it will become less possible as she gets older, but the bottom line is that the main cause of diaper rash is diapers.

Also do you dry her butt after you wipe it off with water? Moisture lingering in the cracks is a big culprit for diaper rash.

[chirp]

hi!! how old is your dd? any reason to suspect a dairy allergy or intolerance?

my son had a mystery rash that got better and worse FOREVER!! I felt like a horrible momma for letting it go on so long, but everything we did was to no avail...except diaperless time. the ped just thought it was the cloth...but it wasn't...because although it would get mildly better with sposies...it never entirely cleared up during sposie use.

Lo and behold one day I'm at a friend's house who says she gets the same rash from eating dairy.

I stop the dairy (i was breastfeeding) stopped his dairy...and within a week or so the rash went away completely. It comes back from time to time. It shows up about a day or so after he eats dairy. (which is usually by accident/someone else gave it to him).

[BalconyBirdie]

Thanks for all the responses..

She is 13 weeks old..

She's not on anti-fungals (I don't think the ointment we've been using is an anti-fungal per se, but I'm not sure).. and it hadn't occurred to me that the ped. might be able to provide something stronger. If it goes on much longer I think I'm definitely going to call..

I have already been off dairy for a while now (which helped with some behavior stuff) so it shouldn't be that.. And I am not sure it would be something else diet related because I can't think of anything that has changed in my diet in just the last couple weeks.

I'm thinking of maybe getting a couple wool diaper covers because I have heard they are more breathable but have never used those and don't know how they are as far as containing leaks and such.

Mambera, thanks for the tip.. I don't have a waterproof sheet, but do have some chux left over from the birth that I could probably put her on.

[Penny4Them]

My 4 mo Ds is having the same problem, and I'm quite sure it's yeast as it is small blistery looking things.

I just tried putting some coconut oil on him as it helped me with a yeast infection. I'll post if it helps. Has anyone tried a little anti-yeast vaginal cream? I was thinking of trying that if CO doesn't help.

Penny

[AKislandgirl]

my dd had a stubborn rash that wouldn't go away no matter what we did. Then I diluted about 10 drops of tea tree oil in 1/4 cup of olive oil. I dabbed this on the rash with a cotton ball at every diaper change. It was gone by the end of the day! (this had been there for almost a month in varying degrees of redness.) I kept up the treatment for another day or so to be sure it wouldn't come back. We've been rash free since!

Try as little as 5 drops of tto in the olive oil and see how that does. Just make sure that you don't do straight tto!

[APToddlerMama]

The BEST diaper rash cream we ever used was mixing half Aquaphor (the ointment) with half Maalox (the liquid upset stomach med). It is tough to mix and you have to get it warm (put it in something and then set it in warm water), but it works sooo well. Our dr. actually suggested it after we tried a ton of creams, including prescription and nothing worked. One of my friends also tried it after her son had tried 7 other creams.... It won't work if she has a yeast infection though. Worth a try before heading to the doctor though.

Also, what kind of CDs are you using? Your baby could be allergic to the material. I have heard that many kids have an allergy to the diapers that aren't cotton. Also perhaps an allergy has developed to the detergent or it isn't being rinsed out completely. You could try adding an extra rinse/switching detergents/diapers. Allergies develop and worsen over time frequently, so she may have not had this initially. Good luck

[APToddlerMama]

Oh, and I also read that dabbing breastmilk on a diaper rash can help...

[Penny4Them]

Just wanted to update... coconut oil cleared up the blistery things that I suspect were yeast. Poor little fella had some on his penis and in the cracks of his legs/bottom. BUT CO worked amazingly quick!!! I also let him go naked for an hour.

[BalconyBirdie]

Penny - Probably a stupid question, but is coconut oil available like at Whole Foods or something? Or is it something you order online?

Thanks ToddlerMama for the mix idea -- I wonder why Maalox works.

[Penny4Them]

Originally Posted by BalconyBirdie

Penny - Probably a stupid question, but is coconut oil available like at Whole Foods or something? Or is it something you order online?

Not stupid at all! You can get it at Whole Foods, GNC, I've even seen it in CVS. In grocery stores it's usually in the baking aisle near the olive oil. In pharmacies it's in the supplement section. I recommend using an organic brand.

CO is delish by the way. I use it to pan fry veggies instead of butter. It's a very good fat for us humans. I also use it as facial/body moisturizer. I used it thru/out my PG all over my tummy. I used it for vaginal yeast infection as I read that it is combative against yeast, that's what made me think of trying it on Ds. It's awesome for so many things, and now I can add diaper rash to the list

[mambera]

Originally Posted by Penny4Them

CO is delish by the way. I use it to pan fry veggies instead of butter. It's a very good fat for us humans. I also use it as facial/body moisturizer. I used it thru/out my PG all over my tummy. I used it for vaginal yeast infection as I read that it is combative against yeast, that's what made me think of trying it on Ds. It's awesome for so many things, and now I can add diaper rash to the list

My MIL uses it to clean out my LO's ears. Seemed kinda crazy to me at first but it really works to clear the wax out and the baby doesn't seem to mind.
She's got all these ethnic remedies that sound oddball but it turns out a lot of them are pretty effective so I tend to let her do her thing.