Blistered diaper rash

[MEcatlady17]

We CD and have been without diaper rash for 11 months.  Suddenly DD has developed a blistered rash on her vulva.  I have stripped my diapers but the rash is not clearing up.  I felt it was clearing and then flared up again.  The blisters opened and the redness was almost gone.  There are peeling areas and some peeling, dry spots on her thighs now where her diaper would rub.  I am not sure if it is ammonia from build up on the diapers, or from the acids in her poop (she is very sensitive to her poops and many times the poop does squish up to this area...but it is also the 'wet zone'.  I am back to using a prefold without a cover while we are home.  I had been using my homemade diaper cream with vit E, lavender EO, beeswax, and olive oil.  Now I am not sure if that is just preventing it from breathing...

I have some Weleda diaper rash cream on hand. It has zinc Oxide.  I was using it last week but I think it is causing major build up on my fleece liners....ugh.  I have never had to buy disposables, but should I just go out and grab some seventh generations at the grocery store and slather on the weleda?  Is there another diaper cream I should use that would be better? A&D, desitin, etc?  Obviously I need something now and can't wait to order something to come in the mail- so any recs on readily available products?

I am also concerned with preventing this from happening again.  Any ideas on what would cause a rash like this?  She has also had her first cold concurrently, and had a tooth come in.  She had been eating a lot of pineapple and I am holding off on that until this is gone, just in case it correlates.

Thanks!

[Llyra]

I'm not a big bleach person-- but the few times that my kiddos had persistent rashes in cloth diapers, I broke down and bleached them. The bleach won't hurt the colored PUL on the covers, pockets, and/or AIOs, but it will take care of any yeasts or persistent bacteria that may be hanging out in the diapers. I think I've had to do it three or four times, in the six and a half years I've been cloth diapering-- and it always helps.

[Naturopath Mom]

Could it be allergies? Diaper rashes tend to be...

[MEcatlady17]

I bleached my inserts and liners and prefolds just in case of bacteria.  Washed all my pocket outers hot and rinsed cold a few times.  Diapers are all clean as can be, not smelling even after she pees.  Her rash has cleared and we stopped using creams as soon as the dryness subsided.  I am guessing it was build up as the babysitter was using ointment a lot with just a bummis disposable liner.  I think her cold and teething probably didn't help.  Before the rash her diapers smelled clean from the wash and I didn't smell and terrible smells when wet.  I do think they all feel a tad softer now, so maybe there was some build up over time.

[Mom2M]

I had this same problem with DD and it was directly related to food I ate.  She doesn't eat much solid food so anything I eat really affects her.  In her case it was cheese.

  I would think the pineapple is probably related to your DD's rash.

I got desperate, took her to the dr and put hydrocortisone cream on her a few times a day and it cleared up.

oops!  I just saw your update!  I'm glad she is better! :)

[Hopefulmama]

Glad she is all cleared up. FWIW, when we CD and needed to use ointment, I would put ointment, then a cloth wipe (like a cotton washcloth), and then the CD. That way the oinment residue got on

the wipe instead of the CD.

[kbvr]

My little one had a similar type of rash for a while - just a few spots that were obviously itchy. Blisters would open up and then would look like little craters. They took forever to heal and are still visible now 2 months later. But the rash (fingers crossed and knock on wood) has not come back in these last 2 months. I tried so many things, but what seemed to work was - a mild bleach solution added to my initial soack of the diapers and their first wash. Applying diaper ointment - Boudreaux's and Canus L'il Goat were the 2 I really liked (use disposables or double up on liners to prevent staining the cloth diapers) and probiotics...Culturelle or other higher dosage probiotic twice a day. I would mix the probiotic in apple sauce or yogurt and give it to her orally in a syringe. I am continuing to use the probiotic and it seems to keep the rash at bay. Hope your small one's rash heals up soon.