Yeast Diaper Rash - should I switch to disposables until it clears up?

[crystal_buffaloe]

My DD (12m) has been in cloth since 5w -- overnights, vacations, everything. She's got what I suspect is a yeast diaper rash right now, though, and it seems to be getting worse instead of getting better. I am on antibiotics right now for strep, and I know that's what caused it.

We are doing probiotics and all kinds of vit. C, but I need to know what I should be doing to get the yeastie beasties out of the dipes. Should I send them through an extra rinse? wash them twice? put them out in the sun to dry (when it stops raining)? I just started putting Lotramin on the rash, but we use a flushable diaper liner, so I'm hoping that's okay.

Do I need to suck it up and buy a pack of disposables until it clears up? Until I get off the abx?

It started as a few pustules on the fatty pad over her pubic bone and now it is red all over (spread to her butt cheeks) and the pustules have gone crazy. It looks HORRIBLE, and I think is itchy for her, but she doens't seem to mind if I touch the pustules.

Any help/advice at all would be appreciated.

[Monkey pants]

I would go to the DR. just to make sure its not a staph infection or something bactieral instead of yeast. Depending on what kind of diaper you use you could boil and sun them, but until rash goes away you have to do that each time you wash.. ick. I would totaly get a few disposables once you know whats causing the rash.

[CookAMH]

Since it sounds like it's not really red dots in the creases of her legs (tell tale for yeast), you may want to get it checked out or do some research to confirm yeast vs staph (and both could probably be brought on by the abx, def the yeast if so). Nystatin cream would work well if it's yeast, it's a very effective yeast killer. And you may want to do sposies to help it heal more fully, I did with DS 2 years ago.  You could also give probiotics to him and help the yeast die off. If not yeast, the probiotics that you're giving would help anyway with whatever it is (are they formulated for infants?). But the fact that you mention pustules tells me it may not be yeast but staph, as the pp mentioned.

And for the dipes I have heard that a hot, long cycle in the dyer can work, or put grapefruit seed extract in the wash, sun, or some bleach.

[CookAMH]

P.S. this may or may not help but thought I'd pass it on - not saying it's def staph but something to consider. http://www.ourlifeupstate.com/2009/09/is-that-diaper-rash-yeast-infection-or.html

and

http://www.medicinenet.com/diaper_rash/article.htm#3whatcauses

[DevaMajka]

If it is indeed yeast, I recommend using grapefruit seed extract. I used it for my last couple of yeast infections, and it honestly cleared it up faster than storebought stuff. I just diluted it (a few drops in 1/4 c of water) and used a cotton ball to apply it externally. I also drank some, but that stuff is nasty.

[SilverFish]

i too would double check that it's yeast, and then, yes, if it is, i would get disposables until it clears up. it takes a fair amount of effort to treat diapers for yeast (simple, generally, but time and energy consuming) so i would definitely treat all the diapers at once and avoid having to re-treat.

when we had yeast rash (coupled with a yeast infection on my nipples and thrush, so a triple whammy), i boiled, bleached, sunned and added grapefruit seed extract to my diapers. it was a while ago, so i can't remember exactly what worked in the end, i was so desperate that i did all of them right after the other. i would definitely do grapefruit seed and sunning as a first resort, then bleach or boiling if that doesn't work.

the other thing you need to do a lot of is naked time. at 12 months you can really get away with nearly all hours of the day being naked, as your dd is probably peeing every couple hours and pooping once or twice. i watch to see her pee, then essentially "start the clock" and let her roam diaper free for about an hour, then offer the potty, or rediaper if  she doesn't pee and i'm not able to keep a close eye on her. then change as soon as she pees and start the clock again. you can even do naps naked, if you put a pad under her when you lay her down. naked time is the best way to clear up just about any skin issue.

[crystal_buffaloe]

Update: Thanks very much for all of the advice, and thanks especially for the links on staph diaper rash -- that's not something I'd even ever heard of/considered. What I've been doing is just having her go diaperless pretty much all day except for nap and bedtime when she is in disposable, then applying Lotramin 2x a day and Neosporin at other times. The rash actually got worse -- some of the pustules broke open and so now she has sores -- but now it has started getting better. The redness is gone and instead it's looking a little peely.

We just got back from the doctor and she said to contine with going diaperless and using the Lotramin, but not to use Neosporin anymore since it isn't a bacterial infection and she could be sensitive to it. She said just plain Vaseline would be better. If it doesn't continue to get better, she gave me a prescription for Nystatin.

I haven't been able to get any grapefruit seed extract yet, but I guess it looks like I'll have a few days to work on the diapers before she's back in them.

The probiotics are just in a "probioticc choice" yogurt and then I've been breaking open a capsule of acidophilous and letting her suck some off of my finger. It's the probiotic I take every day. Is there a big difference in the ones formulated for infants?

Thanks again! I was feeling pretty miserable when I'd look at the rash, but it doesn't actually seem to bother her that much.

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by DevaMajka 

If it is indeed yeast, I recommend using grapefruit seed extract. I used it for my last couple of yeast infections, and it honestly cleared it up faster than storebought stuff. I just diluted it (a few drops in 1/4 c of water) and used a cotton ball to apply it externally. I also drank some, but that stuff is nasty.

You can also get it in capsules - I've used them for yeast and they seem to work.  I'll bet they taste less nasty too!

We used probiotics for DD's thrush too (same lick-it-off-the-finger method) and it was just regular probiotic powder, not baby-specific.

[birthluv725]

Here is how I dealt with my daughter's very persistent yeast diaper rash in cloth diapers: change diapers often, offer diaper free time, every time you change a diaper put coconut oil all over the rash, a few times a day sprinkle baby specific probiotic powder over the coconut oil on the rash, cut down on sugars including fruit sugars (do this yourself as well if you bf.) Coconut oil is naturally antifungal and this cleared up my daughters rash in about a week. Oh, you can also add coconut oil and fermented (probiotic) foods to her diet like yogurt, kefir, refridgerated pickles, etc. As for diaper washing you should add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle every time you wash them until the rash is completely gone. I would also add vinegar to the rinse cycle of anything else that may have touched the rash, towels, blankets, etc.