Diaper rash

What is diaper rash?

Diaper rash, inflamed red skin in the diaper area, is so common among infants and small children that almost all of them end up with a diaper rash at one time or another.

Diaper rash often happens when damp skin beneath the diaper becomes irritated by stool, especially when a baby has diarrhea or her diaper is not changed often enough.

Some soaps, detergents, and baby wipes can cause the skin to become red and irritated, as can places where the diaper rubs against the skin (this is called friction), such as around the upper thighs. Children who are taking antibiotics or who have other skin problems such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis are especially at risk.

A diaper rash may become infected with bacteria or fungi (yeast).

Treatment / What you should do

If your child has a diaper rash, let her spend time without a diaper on, so the diaper area is open to the air.

Frequent diaper changing, drying the child thoroughly after cleaning the diaper area, and using a diaper cream that contains zinc will help heal the rash in a couple days.

Do not put the diaper on too tightly and avoid plastic underwear for a few days to be sure lots of air passes over and around the affected skin.

To keep the area as dry as possible at night, use a larger or extra-absorbent diaper and change the diaper in the middle of the night.

If the rash does not heal after a few days of treatment, or if you suspect an infection in the rash, you should have a doctor take a look.

It may be necessary to treat the rash with a prescription medicine.

You should also contact a doctor if a diaper rash develops during the first 6 weeks of life, if the child has a fever, if the child will not eat, if the rash turns into open sores, or if the rash spreads to other parts of the body such as the arms, face or scalp.