Blistering Diaper Rash

[RiverandJulie]

AARRGH!  DS (12 mo) has the worst diaper rash he has ever had.  It is forming large blisters, and is really painful (I assume).  
I think it is from a few long car rides over the holidays, sitting in a BG.  
He is in cloth, normally prefolds.  We use BG for travel.  

But, he is also just starting to eat solids-could it be something he ate?

We have been treating it over the past couple of days with Lansinoh cream, butt paste and some bare-butt time.
Any other suggestions, it has been pretty persistant for about 5 days now.  

Somewhere I read to put him in disposables for a couple of days and it would clear up, but that goes against what I believe (really? petroleum over cotton).  

[nkintzel]

I put my kiddos in sposies when they have had bad diaper rashes only so that I can slather their butt in some sort of cream. I REALLY like the Weleda cream. Its got calendula, which I personally think is the best for irritated skin. (I have excema and calendula works wonders for me)

So, yeah. For me the disposable diapers are just a way to keep the butt all slathered up without ruining the cloth diapers.

But, otherwise, yeah. Bare-bootie time is really helpful. I also find that my kids get blisters like that when the diapers need to be stripped. So, you might try doing that, too.

[mamazee]

We have fewer diaper rashes overall using cloth, but when there's a bad diaper rash (which can come from sitting in a diaper in the car for a long time regardless of what diaper) we use sposies and tons of diaper cream till it clears up.

[Caitlin0919]

It could be a reaction to the detergent you're using. Have you switched lately? I started making our own and my DD broke out in a blistering rash too. I had to strip the diapers and try a different recipe. Thankfully, the new recipe works great and her butt is rash-free again, although she does have a few small scars where she had really bad blisters.

[chr157y]

Blisters require immediate medical attention!  We use cloth and only had 1 rash in the 2 years of cloth diapering my son, BLISTERS.  :(  It ended up being a staph infection and he needed antibiotics.  Your doctor should be able to squeeze you in right away.  You also want to discontinue the use of regular diaper creams as they will only irritate it more.  The antibiotics cleared it up in a day or so.  We switched to sposies until it was compltely healed.  You'll also want clean all your diapers really good with a little bit of bleach to kill the bacteria.

[akind1]

We had this: I think it was a reaction to blueberries. I slathered him with A&D ointment and it took about a week to clear up.

My first guess is food reaction. now, if the blisters burst they are an open wound and prone to infection, see PP. Unless they get infected I don't know that they would require antibiotics. but it wouldn't hurt to check with your ped/family doc/etc to be on the safe side.

You can still use cloth diapers while using cream; get some disposable liners or cut up some flannel or t-shirts to use as a barrier between cream and diapers. Stripping isn't a bad idea either.

[RiverandJulie]

Originally Posted by akind1 

We had this: I think it was a reaction to blueberries. I slathered him with A&D ointment and it took about a week to clear up.

Oh no-he eats LOTS of blueberries.  OK-I am going to try to take a picture and figure out how to post it....I hate going to the Dr. Maybe I can get some suggestions on whether it is Dr necessary.....  It does seem to be clearing up some.

Thing is, at 1 year, he has never had a diaper rash that lasted more than a day, and those were so mild....

He also has a cold....related?

[dalia]

I would put him him disposables asap and also weleda has this amazing diaper cream that we use. Clears it up every time... but blisters? I might take him to the ped for that one or at least give them a call. It has to be very uncomfortable for him.

[peainthepod]

DS has had this once or twice, either from food sensitivities (whole wheat was the culprit once, I think) or from sitting in a wet diaper too long on a car trip.

I stick him in a tepid bath and then give him lots of bare bottom time. When he has to wear a diaper again we use a Seventh Generation disposable. To speed healing I like the California Baby Aloe Vera Healing Cream, but leaving it dry for the first day at least is probably a good idea.

I wouldn't consult a ped unless the blisters lasted more than two days or there were obvious signs of infection. But you have to do what makes you comfortable, so listen to your gut. Sorry your little one has that--it looks very painful!

[KJunebug]

I also use prefolds and covers, but when we get a blistery rash, I put her in disposeables during the day, and slather that bottom with a combination cream of 1. Destin, 2. Nystatin 3. Antibiotic cream and 4. Mother Love thrush, I figure hit her with everything.  I mix it all up in the palm of my hand, and get it on there. I bathe her with a sprinkle of baking soda in the tub, and at night I put a layer of fleece on top of her nighttime diaper so she isn't wet.

I also only play with this for about 48 hours before I take her to the Dr.  Twice it has been staph, and it can turn into something truly scary like a MRSA if you aren;t careful.

I had literally no diaper rashes for 2 solid years, and between 24 and 30 months, it seemed like she had them all the time, no idea why....I tried everything.... we are in the clear again these days.

[RiverandJulie]

So I broke down and bought some sposies for him, (he has never been in them and I was trying to avoid it),  Gave him a baking soda bath, slathered on the cream, put on the sposie, changed it once in the middle of the night-more cream,  and was ready to call the DR in the am.

But, this morning it looked sooo much better.  Im gonna keep the disposables on until it is healed.
Thanks for all the advice.

[KJunebug]

Glad it is working, be nice to yourself about buying the sposies....  we almost never use them either, but sometimes they are the right thing.  

Sending you nice thoughts for continued bottom healing....