What Causes a Diaper rash?
Lesley, NJ
- Sitting in a wet or soiled diaper too long
- Diarrhea
- Chaffing (skin friction) from diaper
- Skin sensitivity to diaper, wipes, soap, or detergent
- New foods (especially more acidic)
- Yeast (candida albicans)
My 15 month old daughter has a diaper rash and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. I have been using A & D ointment. What can I do to get rid of it?
Jennifer, WA
I have always used the original thick Desitin, not the creamy. It works wonders. I also sprinkle plain cornstarch on top of the Desitin, an old trick from past generations.
Jen, Fl
Whenever my kids got a diaper rash I would try to let their butts be exposed to the air for as long as possible. Yes, there might be a little accident letting some fresh air get to the rash seemed to help.
Samantha, CA
I have always used Triple Paste and have also put 1/2 cup of baking soda in the water at bathtime. Afterward, I would let my son’s behind air dry.
Erica, WI
My son has a pretty bad diaper rash. He has had it for 2 weeks. I have tried everything and I can’t seem to make it go away. Any thoughts on treatment for a diaper rash?
Amanda, NC
It could be a diaper rash caused by yeast. It is usually looks different than your typical diaper rash.
It is usually a beefy red, has well defined raised patches of skin, and can extend beyond the main part of the rash. It can appear in the creases of your child’s skin and even spread into the groin area.
Diaper rashed caused by yeast tend to last longer than just a few days and don’t respond to your typical diaper rash treatments.
Contact your pediatrician. A diaper rash caused by yeast has to be treated with a prescription anti-fungal ointment called nystatin.
What causes a Yeast Diaper rash?
Every person has harmless amounts of yeast in their body. Yeast thrives in warm, wet environments like the mouth, bowels, skin, and, females, the vagina. A diaper rash left untreated in a boy or girl can easily become infected with yeast.
A baby who is breastfed and their mother is on antibiotics can be more susceptible to yeast infections. Also babies who are being treated with antibiotics for an infection themselves. Why? Antibiotics kill the kill the bad bacterial casing the infection but also can kill the good bacteria in the body that keep yeast in check. Without the good bacteria, yeast can grow in larger amounts.
If your child has thrush (yeast in mouth) or has recently been treated for thrush it can lead to a diaper rash caused by yeast also. Yeast can pass through your child’s digestive system when he/she eats and it turns ends up in his/her stool.
Please feel free to comment below with your input on a specific question you feel you have experience with!
Oh, I love this! What a neat idea. For me, diaper rash is often caused by the cloth diapers we use not getting clean enough. The hard water is making the ammonia build up instead of washing out. My solution was a massive amount of washing and now we use sposies for over night. That's the best I could do with it.
Hello! I have 2 girls (one out of diapers) and I've found pasta sauce and orange juice (acidic) will always cause a rash. I like to used A & D ointment mixed with creamy Desitin. If the rash is really bad….nothing is better than a bath! When my youngest had a stomach virus at 2 months old she had a terrible rash (from diarrhea)and all I could do was soak her bottom in a tub of warm water with every diaper change