How do you treat a bad diaper rash?

[marrymeflyfree]

Hi all,

My 19mo daughter has had a bad diaper rash for a bit over a week now. I'm not positive, but I think it's yeast.

She has always gotten a little rash during teething episodes, so I wasn't surprised when this one cropped up when her 4th molar came through the same day that the rash appeared. But those rashes have always been minor and always cleared up in a day or two with consistent zinc oxide cream use. This one seemed different, redder and angrier, right from the beginning. The ZO creams have done nothing for her, and this rash is painful for her. Our family doc suggested sprinkling some probiotics from a capsule on it. I started that today, but all I could find in a pinch were some generic looking acidophilous capsules. The doc didn't see the rash, but I asked about it when I took our 2mo in for a checkup.

I also picked up some lotrimin cream as well. Should I use both at the same time or alternate them with each change or just forget the cream altogether? FWIW, she's changed often, eats yogurt daily, and really gets very little in the way of sugar in her food. She breastfeeds 1-4 times a day...no sign of thrush or anything related in me or in the infant. Aside from adding the acidophilous to her food as well, is there anything else I can do to get rid of this pesky and painful rash? We've been doing a lot more diaper-free time than normal as well.

Thanks!

[lemurik]

My daughter often has a bad diaper rash and the only cream that really helped her (aside from anti-yeast) was California Baby Diaper Rash cream. It has calendula in it, as well as some other natural healing remedies and antiyeast/mild antibacterial properties.

[marrymeflyfree]

THanks for the tip...I usually use Pinxav or Boudreaux's. I think the Pinxav has calendula in it, but not sure..

[Kailey's mom]

I would mix up the lotrimin with any other butt paste, and put that on after each diaper change.. it should clear up within 2 days *at least worked that way for dd* We would also add hydrocortizone to the butt cream concoction

[fruitfulmomma]

We use the new Natural Buttpaste, but if yeast is a problem that isn't really going to help.

Probiotics in her diet and on the rash and cutting down on all sugars are a good start. Gentian Violet is something that is recommended for it is well but I've never used it myself.

[Encinalien]

I like Dr. Smith's ointment from walmart. Works good. Pharmacist recomended it when I didn't like what the doc gave me. $7/jar, but it's always worked well for us. I think the main ingredient is olive oil.

[BarnMomma]

If you are nursing still, try squirting breastmilk on her butt. No joke, works liek a charm on all kinds of rashes. Or if you suspect yeast, pick up soime raw organic virgin coconut oil and apply 3 times a day or with every diaper change.

[almadianna]

breastmilk like the poster above said, then some California baby or Weleda diaper cream. I loooove both of those. We also use a spray to clean off bums that has some TTO in it.

[GardenStream]

I dealt with a nasty yeast rash for months on end with my older DS. Every time I though we were finally done with it, it would flare up again. We use cloth dipes, so that made it a bit of a challenge. I did lots of things and eventually everything seemed to come together and we finally got rid of the rash.

I fed DS lots of yogurt.
I had a spray bottle of water and vinegar (I think it was 4:1) that I sprayed him down with at every diaper change.
I then patted him dry as much as I could.
Then I used a hair dryer on cool setting to make sure he was 100% dry.
Then I would put the lotrimin cream on him.

I also let him run around diaper-free as much as I could.

[nannymom]

I nswear by tripple paste. It may not be as natural as some stuff suggested but in my experience it clears up even the worst rash almost instantly.

[NaturallyPeachey]

I have to agree with the Triple Paste recommendation. DS's rash was gone in two days with that stuff after we had tried several brands including California baby cream which doesn't stay on and I swear it made it even more irritated. Also, stop giving juice and fruits for a few days to get her sugar intake down while also giving her at least one probitotic a day if in fact it is a yeast rash. Hope she feels better soon! The last time DS had a diaper rash and he was crying while I put the cream on I said "I'm so sorry sweetheart I know it hurts" and so after that instead of crying he would say "sorry sorry sorry" until we get the cream on. So sad

[dollyanna]

Yes, yes, yes to all of the above. For real though, if it is bad and is not clearing up in a couple days with probiotics and other things, get a scrip for the nystatin ointment. I always try natural stuff first, but I have learned the hard way not to go more than a few days trying the natural stuff with a yeast infection if it is not working. Ouch.

[elmh23]

For yeast rashes, we use a mixture of water, tea tree oil and grapefruit seed extract to wipe him down with and then cover his bum in Monistat. We also do baths with either grapefruit seed extract added to the water or LOTS of baking soda. The baking soda is good if she's itchy.

Ds gets a yeast infection a couple times a year, usually lasting a good week or so. With the regiment above, it usually only lasts 3-4 days, more if we slack.

If it's any other kind of diaper rash, we use Triple Paste and baking soda baths (I love baking soda!) Triple Paste is AWESOME!

[rvamommy]

DD had a nasty diaper rash w/ yeast and what knocked it out for us was apple cider vinegar in her bath water every night & a mix of olive oil w/ a bit of tea tree oil in it applied to a clean DRY butt before each diaper went on. Are you CDing? The California Baby cream is OK for cloth diapers. We used a bit of that as a barrier but I think it was really the vinegar & the tea tree oil that knocked out the yeast.

Prior to this treatment we had used Lotrimin, Monistat & some prescription stuff & none had worked.

Good luck!

[Neera]

dd has had several and still get bad rashes. we use a huge amt of Burts Bees Diaper ointment and it clears up pretty much after the 1st application or the 2nd one.

[gbailey]

Weleda's calendula cream works well for DD and is very soothing.

[hennaLisa]

Go Diaper-Free!

I agree that creams and treatments can work, but I would take it as an opportunity to let your daughter stop sitting in her own waste. We started giving my son half an hour per day of diaper-free time when he got his first diaper rash (just under 6 months old). To our great surprise, he started pooping on the potty daily and we haven't had more than a few poopy diapers since. He also started using the potty to pee when we offered. Little did we know that he was very capable of eliminating away from his body - saving his skin and the landfills at the same time. He's now 20 months old and nearly potty "trained."

[olien]

Breast milk. Cloth diapers. Pure Lavender EO.

[Bea]

I agree with whoever said to add some hydrocortisone.

Canesten (the name brand clotrimazole in the UK) does an 'HC" version with hydrocortisone added. You can do the same by adding a tiny blob (lentil sized) to the Lotramin cream. A topical steroid will really help zap the redness, pain and inflammation. 24 hours of 3 times a day may be enough to allow the skin to heal so the anti fungal alone is sufficient.

and yes, yes, yes to all the other great suggestions

[J's Mombee]

Originally Posted by hennaLisa

I agree that creams and treatments can work, but I would take it as an opportunity to let your daughter stop sitting in her own waste. We started giving my son half an hour per day of diaper-free time when he got his first diaper rash (just under 6 months old). To our great surprise, he started pooping on the potty daily and we haven't had more than a few poopy diapers since. He also started using the potty to pee when we offered. Little did we know that he was very capable of eliminating away from his body - saving his skin and the landfills at the same time. He's now 20 months old and nearly potty "trained."

bare butt time is the best.

A nurse-friend of mine suggested a warm bath with 1 table spoon of baking soda in it, followed by a clean water rinse. We followed this with undiapered time, especially over night. Worked like magic for DS.