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.