Diaper Rash..... Miserable Baby = Miserable Parents

This topic hits close to home today. I arrived home last night to a baby with a diaper rash. This is something that we have only encountered a handful of times between both boys, but the couple of times we have experienced it.... NO FUN! We all know that when a baby is miserable it is hard for the parents to not be miserable as well. I have searched and searched for something that worked and have found a few great things. The most important thing is that keeping the baby as dry as possible, this may mean waking the child up an additional time at night for a diaper change. Also, maybe leaving a diaper off and allowing the bottom to air dry, laying them on a towel at naptime, if possible. When your child has a diaper rash it is also important to NOT use diaper wipes alone when cleaning the child's bottom. The wipes can leave a film of bacteria on the skin and can predispose the child to a staph infection. Instead use a mild soap, something like Dove, and warm water to clean the childs bottom after each messy diaper. You can also place your child in a tub of warm water with 2 tbsp of baking soda added to help remove the sting. Certainly, always supervise your child when they are in the bathtub...

Finally, when diaper rash creams are just not doing it, I have found a concoction that works wonders for a diaper rash.
Take Desitin or another diaper rash cream, corn starch, triple antibiotic ointment, and a little anti fungal cream. Mix diaper rash cream, corn starch, and triple antibiotic ointment in equal parts to obtain a paste like consistency. Add a little anti fungal cream (found usually in the foot care aisle, something like Lotrimin), this will help prevent yeast from growing. Apply with every diaper change and cover liberally, improvement should be seen in as little as 24 hours.

If at ANY time the childs bottom shows signs of the skin peeling off in sheets, the child starts running a fever, the area looks infected, or does not respond to the cream, they will need to see their pediatrician.

Monitoring Hydration Status in Children...

One thing that you learn very early on as a parent is that you HATE to see your children sick. Any parent would do anything to make their children better. The other thing is that sometimes you can get so laser  focused on one particular symptom that you may miss something that is extrememly important. Any time your child has a decrease in fluid intake: not eating, drinking, vomitting, diarrhea, it is important that you closely monitor for signs and symptoms of dehydration. Much like the elderly population, children dehydrate quickly. The best way to monitor hydration status is to be aware of how often your child is urinating, either through monitoring how often you are changing a wet diaper or how often they are going to the bathroom to urinate. If the body is producing urine there is a significant chance that you child is staying hydrated. The body will not let go of excess fluid if it is starved for it. For younger children we really want to see a wet diaper every 4-6 hours with older children we want to see them go to the bathroom at least every 6-8 hours. Another way to monitor hydration status would be to check the inside of your childs mouth. If it feels moist, the child is reasonably hydrated. If the inside of the mouth feels dry and sticky, it is time to start to think about ways to prevent further dehydration. Also, if a child is crying but is unable to produce any tears, this might indicate an issue with the childs hydration status. In infants, a sunken soft spot can also be a late indicator of poor hydration status.

When your child is ill it is very important to be vigilant of their hydration status. This is something that is very easily monitored at home but can be a key indicator of how ill your child is and can determine the need to seek further medical care. Any time your child becomes lethargic, gray or ill looking, or overall your gut tells you something isn't right, it is time to contact your childs doctor.

The things we learn...

Well... I have had the idea to write this blog for a very long time, however have just now had the time to sit down and write. As the name of the blog mentions I am a registered nurse who is also the mother of 1 1/2 year old twin boys! Yes, I stay busy all the time. One thing I learned shortly after the boys were born is that they do not come with an instruction manual and despite all of my formal training with adult critical care and really sick adults, I knew very little about babies and some of the things that occur with them fairly often. My boys were also born 3 months prematurely which also meant that there were additional concerns that we have faced that other mothers may not have if their children were carried to term. All of this to say that I hope that some of the resources that I will provide through this blog will help each and every mom, or dad, who reads it and that I will be able to prevent some of the OH NO moments that I have had. I also encourage any comments to posts as we can use this forum as a place where "Moms can Help Moms!". If you have questions about something, please feel free to ask. I will do my best to answer or at least point you in the right direction. I hope that you enjoy this blog!