Horrible diaper rash-please, please help

[jgracefrank]

Hi mamas,

My nearly 3-year-old son has a pretty terrible diaper rash. He has recently been ill (as has my husband and myself) with (what we assume was) campylobacter. We drink raw milk, and a few of the other families involved in the co-op were recently sick and tested positive. So, while we weren't tested, all the symptoms match up, so we're guessing we had/have campylobacter as well.

We've been really good at changing him as soon as he poops, but yesterday, we were outside and he didn't tell us he went. We changed him as soon as we noticed his diaper was dirty, but the damage was already done. His bottom is red, red, red, and is bleeding in a few spots. He screams, I mean SCREAMS, when we try to clean his bottom during diaper changes. Even pouring water over his bottom makes him shake with pain and scream.

He won't go w/o a diaper or underpants, so we've been loading up the diaper cream (Burts Bees) whenever we change him.

Other than giving him baths with baking soda and using a lot of the cream, is there anything I can do to speed healing? My heart is breaking for him.

Thanks,
Jillian

[Savoir Faire]

Try some naked time to give it time to air out. Poor thing. I hope he's feeling better.

[odinsmama]

maybe try some different creams, the burt's bees has a pretty strong smell.
I actually had a rash at one point myself that folks suggested I try diaper cream on and they all stung REALLY bad when you first put them on.

so maybe try something without fragrance.

oatmeal in the bath?

my DS2 has super sensitive skin and we've been thru a LOT of various creams.

hope he's better soon!

[Bea]

We had a similar episode of diaper rash when my son was around 2. I changed his diaper, he went out with his Dad for an hour and when he came back he seemed sore but completely smell free.

He'd had a weird watery poop and was actually burned around his legs... blistery burned. All in an hour. Trying to clean him up was a nightmare of screaming while I sluiced him down with water and sat him on a soft towel to dry.

We used THIS with great results.

Once you spray a few layers on, the rash becomes painfree because the raw nerve endings aren't exposed to the air. It's waterproof so any more nasty diapers aren't in contact with the skin and breathable so the rash can heal.

You don't remove it, just spray on somemore after each diaper change and it flakes off over time.

It was a lifesaver. Great for skinned knees, too.

[pianojazzgirl]

I find Desitin and/or Lansinoh (the "breastfeeding mother" ointment) to be the best thing I've found for diaper rash (Lansinoh is definitely the gentlest, but Desitin is a more effective barrier cream IMO).

Does it look yeasty at all? If so there are loads of natural remedies, as well as over-the-counter anti-fungals.

[UptownZoo]

Are you nursing? Breastmilk is awesome on diaper rash. When my youngest had bad rashes (which he got often for a variety of reasons), I used diaper rash cream at night, cleaned his bottom only with plain water, and used breastmilk plus as much naked time as possible during the day.

[jgracefrank]

The rash doesn't look yeasty. And no, sadly my son weaned about four months ago, so I'm lacking in the breastmilk department. He also refuses any real nakey time. *sigh*

His bottom looked a bit better today, and the frequency of his pooping is slowly returning to normal, as is its consistency. (TMI-sorry 'bout that.) If it isn't much improved by morning, I'll try the liquid bandage type stuff and some Lansinoh as well.

Thanks for all the advice,
Jillian

[Marnica]

Slather some coconut oil on it....that stuff is AMAZING!

[bluejaunte]

Mine had one last month that was just like your LO's sounds, and nothing, I mean NOTHING started it healing until I slathered antibiotic ointment on it for a week. It was open and raw and the poop would get germs in it and ugh.

I'm convinced it was a reaction to soy or casein. I removed the food in question (soycheese, which he'd been eating that week) and it never came back (knock on wood).