Insta-Rash From Poop?

[MamieCole]

DS2, almost 15 months, has recently started getting a really bad diaper rash any time he poops. The reaction is immediate. He literally just pooped. No more than 1 minute elapsed before I went to change him and his bottom was already red. It clears up quickly with some California Baby diaper cream when I am able to catch it immediately after he poops. When it is really bad I have to use Butt Paste to clear it up. Last night, I guess he pooped while I was in the shower and DH didn't notice right away. (Maybe 5-10 minutes or so) The rash was very bad and I could tell it was painful for DS. Put butt paste on him before bed and this morning there was no sign of the rash. Until he pooped this morning. *sigh*

We use cloth diapers, but because of the diaper creams for the rash, I have been keeping him in sposies for the last day or so. He does not get the rash when he pees, no matter which kind of diaper he is wearing. 

So, obviously a solution would be teaching him to poop on the potty, which would eliminate the poop touching his skin. But I am not sure I would be able to 100% successfully start ECing or Potty Learning or whatever it would be called at this point. My main concern is that this is a sign of something bigger, like a food intolerance. 

Has anyone else dealt with this? Any advice? 

[fuzzycat]

Hi Amy,

I don't have a really good answer for you, but I did want to commiserate with you because I could have written the exact same post.  For my DS I think it has to do with something he is eating.  When he has solid, formed BM it's ok and doesn't bother him, but when it is runny and sticky it's immediate diaper rash.  I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly what it is yet, but maybe you think back to what your DS ate and see if it has anything to do with some new food you've introduced.

FC

[Ruthla]

It could be a sign of a food intolerance, or poor gut flora, or too much acidic food in his diet- or it might simply be that he hasn't healed 100% from the last "big rash" and his skin is more sensitive than usual right now.

What's his diet like, and has he eaten anything new since the rashes started? Is he nursing? If not, does he eat any yogurt or other probiotic foods?

[pranava]

My DS was getting that way too around that age.  I think it had to do with the increasing number and amount of different foods he was eating.  Orange juice and anything with tomato sauce was sure to do it to him. 

I started EC with him at 13 months and he got the poop in the potty idea right away.  that definitely took care of the rash when he was at home.  If you know when he goes it makes it even easier.  If not, just shoot for putting him on the potty about 20 minutes after he eats - oh and be sure to grunt at him (sounds funny but it helps, really!)  My issue was at daycare.  I'm sure they didn't change him right away and he always had a rash.  The only thing that helped was insisting they keep diaper rash creme on him at all times.  Now that he's a little older, he pretty much holds it till I get him on the potty, so we don't have nearly the rashes we used to have. 

[MamieCole]

He still nurses frequently and gets lots of calories from breast milk. Overall, he eats pretty much everything we eat and has a varied diet.   (We had chicken tortilla soup a couple of nights ago and he loved it, but now I realize the tomato thing could be contributing to the rash.) The only things he has tried that he doesn't like are avocados and citrus fruit. I don't give him cows milk to drink, but he eats cheese and yogurt. 

In regard to his diet specifically, he mainly just nibbles on stuff in the morning hours ( a few bites whatever I am eating... eggs, yogurt, toast, banana or oatmeal usually.) He eats quite well for lunch. Yesterday he had several pieces of whole wheat tortilla w/almond butter, 1/4 of an apple and some diced chicken breast. For dinner he had some pasta w/no sauce, sweet potato cubes and some blackberries. After dinner he shared some yogurt w/his brother and had a few bites of string cheese. 

The acidic/orange juice never occurred to me. doh. I don't give him anything except water or coconut milk in his sippy cups, but for the last few days he has been taking some sips from DS1's orange juice in the mornings. I'll make sure he doesn't get anymore OJ or dishes with tomato for a while and see if things improve. If not, then I guess it will be time to look into dairy or gluten issues. 

Thanks also for the tips on the "late start" ECing. He poops like clockwork in the mornings, then the rest of the day is sort of random, so maybe tomorrow morning we can try the potty and see what happens. It's worth a shot. And luckily no one else will be around to hear me grunting at him. ;) 

Thanks so much for the insight! I knew someone on MDC had BTDT!

[colsxjack]

For our daughter is was dairy, anything acidic like citrus or tomatoes, and any kinds of berries. When we took these out of her diet her poop no longer gives her a diaper burn. Diary was the biggest culprit. It took about two weeks free from dairy to see a full benefit. My wife (who breast feeds) also took dairy out. A couple of weeks ago my wife had some cheese and a day and a half later the rash was back. So no dairy for DD or DW.