What to do if your baby has diaper rash

Diaper rash is also called diaper dermatitis, which often occurs in infants and young children. It is mainly due to diapers not being clean and dry, causing redness, swelling, itching and even pain on the skin around the baby's buttocks. Diaper rash belongs to the range of eczema in a certain sense. After the baby has diaper rash, he is prone to crying, which affects the baby's sleep and development. Severe diaper rash can cause serious complications such as pressure sores. Therefore, diaper rash should be detected and treated early.

What is diaper rash

Diaper rash, also known as red buttocks, is a unique phenomenon caused by the ammonia produced after the decomposition of urine and feces damaging the skin on the buttocks. It is a type of skin inflammation. This condition mainly occurs in children under one year old, and especially in children aged 7-9 months. Although this condition is relatively common, it varies from person to person. Babies are more likely to suffer from diaper rash if they are underweight, born prematurely, are bottle-fed, have diarrhea, or have just started eating complementary foods.

What are the symptoms of diaper rash?

This phenomenon often occurs in summer, especially when it is stuffy and humid, and is more common among infants.

Diaper rash main symptoms:

The buttocks become red and have rashes. In severe cases, pus may form. The baby will also become anxious and restless and unable to sleep well. For some babies, as long as the area that comes into contact with the diaper turns red and feels uncomfortable, it means that the baby has this inflammation; some children may also have a burning sensation and slight swelling of the surrounding skin; in more serious cases, it hurts when touched, and it also extends to the abdomen and legs.

Babies cannot use words to express their feelings, so parents have to observe for themselves. Parents can determine the severity of their baby's illness based on the following descriptions. Depending on the severity of the disease,

It can be divided into three stages:

Mild

The situation at this stage is still relatively mild, and mostly in the anus, buttocks, and outer sides of the legs, you can see congested blood vessels and red skin.

Moderate

If the situation is not under control, fluid will flow out and will gradually increase. After a while, the epidermis in that area will fall off, ulcers will appear on the skin surface, and there may be red spots.

Severe

If it is not taken seriously, the condition will develop to a serious stage. At this time, the range of the rash will expand, and it may also appear on the inner sides of the legs and the abdomen. Moreover, the ulcer condition will worsen and even cause bedsores. In addition, the damaged area is prone to infection, and bacteria may even enter the blood from this area, causing sepsis.

Causes of diaper rash

1. Hot and humid

Whether it is a diaper or a disposable diaper, the absorption rate cannot reach 100%, so complete dryness is impossible. When residual urine combines with bacteria from fecal matter, it produces ammonia, which can damage the skin. Diaper rash can occur if soiled diapers are not changed frequently. Moreover, if the baby has a sensitive constitution, it is easy to get a rash even if the baby is washed frequently.

2. Contact friction or allergy

Contact with diapers and excessive rubbing can also cause rashes, especially since the chemicals in diapers have a direct impact. In addition, parents should also pay attention to whether the daily necessities they buy are suitable for their babies.

3. New Food

It is also very easy for babies to develop diaper rash if they come into contact with food they have never eaten before. Because no matter what kind of new food it is, it will change the material composition of the stool. Babies who drink breast milk may even get the disease from the food their mothers eat.

4. Bacterial infection

When the environment of the diaper meets the conditions for bacterial survival, it is very likely to be infected by bacteria and cause rashes, especially in areas where the skin is not smooth, such as folds.

5. Fungal infections such as thrush

In the case of fungal infection in other local parts of the body, it is also possible to cause infection in the buttocks.

6. Other reasons

If the baby is receiving antibiotics, the antibiotics may eliminate some bacteria that hinder the survival of mold while eliminating bacteria. When the growth of mold is not hindered, the body is very likely to be infected with mold. In addition, antibiotics can sometimes cause stomach upset and are prone to rashes. If the baby is not bottle-fed and the mother has received antibiotics, the situation is the same.

What to do if your baby has diaper rash

When a baby develops this kind of rash, parents do not need to be overly anxious, but they should also take it seriously. To help your baby control his condition, take good care of the skin on his buttocks.

Drug therapy

1. Daknin

Clean the affected area and let it dry, then gently apply the ointment to the affected area about four times a day for one week to ten days. If you use medication for very young babies, you need to consult a doctor.

2. Powder

If the baby has erythematous injuries, you can use the following products to apply to the affected area: medical zinc oxide powder, talcum powder (containing boric acid), compound calamine lotion, etc. If the affected area becomes ulcerated, you can apply Dematol ointment and Lithospermum officinale cream.

3. Boric acid water, compound copper sulfate

If liquid is flowing out of the affected area, parents can buy 2% boric acid water and apply it to the affected area. Compound copper sulfate solution can also be used.

4. Antimicrobial drugs

If a bacterial infection occurs, it is also possible to add some antibacterial drugs. If a candida infection occurs, parents can give the baby one tablet of nystatin every day, about 3 times a day; clotrimazole 2-3 tablets per day, 2 tablets each time.

Note: You must consult your doctor before taking specific medication.

Physical therapy

1. Electric light

First clean the baby's buttocks with a medical cotton ball, and then irradiate it under a 60-100 watt household light bulb. Be sure to keep the baby's buttocks 35 to 40 centimeters away from the light. Each time should be at least 20 minutes and not more than half an hour. It is best to wait until the irradiated area becomes slightly warm before stopping. It is best to wait 3-4 hours between each irradiation until the condition is cured.

2. Blow dry

Use a 450W hair dryer on breeze mode to blow air to the broken skin for 5 to 8 minutes each time. The air outlet should be about 15 cm away from the affected area. The temperature of the broken skin should be approximately 38 degrees. It is best to wash your baby's buttocks to thighs before blow-drying. The number of times you blow each day depends on the severity of the blow: mild - once; moderate - twice; severe - twice.

· Traditional Chinese medicine treatment

1. Chinese patent medicine ointment

Apply Jingwanhong ointment to clean skin 2-3 times a day. Parents should pay attention to keep the unhealed parts of the baby dry, and do not wrap the affected area with plastic cloth. Patients with mild symptoms can recover within two days, while patients with severe symptoms can recover within about three days.

2. Prescription

(1) Boil 0.25 kg of fresh horse teeth in water, then apply the water to the affected area 2 to 3 times a day.

(2) Use 5g of Myrrh, 10g of Red Lead, and 10g of Calcined Gypsum, grind them into a paste and mix them together. Sprinkle the mixture on medical cotton and gently apply it to the skin of the buttocks 1-3 times a day.

(3) 50g of bitter dandelion, 120g each of angelica, phellodendron, nicotinoids root, and rehmannia root, 250g of camphor, and 500g of vaseline. Soak these medicines in 250g of vegetable oil for ten days, then boil the water until it is dry, remove the residue, add Vaseline and boil, after boiling several times, add a pound of yellow wax, then camphor, stir, and wait until it condenses into a paste, then you can apply it. Just make sure to do it once a day.

(4) Grind and mix 30g of Rhizoma Coptidis, 240g of Rhizoma Phellodendri, 100g of Rhizoma Scutellariae, 120g of Talcum, 50g of Gypsum, 100g of Calamine and 2g of Borneol, and spray evenly on the wet parts of the diaper to remove moisture. Just keep doing it 2 to 3 times a day.

(5) Put 15g of Codonopsis pilosula, 30g each of raw coix seed, yam, poria, plantain, and californica, 15g of Euryale ferox and purslane, and 10g of Phellodendron chinense, Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus aurantium, Sophora flavescens, Lithospermum officinale, and Licorice together, add water and boil, take one dose twice a day. If the child's stool is dry and hard, add 6g of sesame seeds and 20g of angelica; if there is itching, add 10g of Tribulus terrestris, Kochia scoparia, and cicada shell for decoction; if the child has qi deficiency, add 15g of astragalus.

Note: If the affected skin shows signs of infection, such as pustules or ulcers, you should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

· Care methods

The baby is still young and will defecate more frequently. Frequent cleaning is likely to cause redness or injury to the skin of the buttocks. The moisture caused by urination and defecation will also irritate the damaged area again, so you should be extra careful when caring for him.

1. Don’t be lazy when changing your baby’s diaper. Change it more often to keep the skin on the baby’s buttocks dry for a long time. After removing a dirty diaper, be sure to clean the covered area thoroughly. Do not rub back and forth, just wipe it gently.

2. Be sure to use only warm water when cleaning, and do not use shower gel or soap to avoid further irritation to the affected area. If the baby does not cooperate with wiping, you can choose a tub bath.

3. After wiping the buttocks with soft gauze, apply a layer of non-irritating cream that has an isolating effect. It is best to use a pure plant type, such as baby plant skin care cream, to keep the baby's skin away from the harm of excrement. Don't choose oily cream as your first choice, as it will hinder the skin's breathability and the discharge of excrement.

4. When the baby is in the mild diaper rash stage, mothers should help the baby treat and care for the affected skin in time. Apply an appropriate amount of tannic acid ointment on the rash area; if there is ulceration, you can apply 1% gentian violet and go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.

5. In a warm environment, the baby can play happily on the clean ground without wearing diapers or applying other creams. The contact between the skin and the air is conducive to the healing of diseased skin.

6. Parents can put a small mat on the bed to prevent the baby's urine from getting the bed wet.

7. Don’t apply talcum powder to your baby, because talcum powder will clump when it comes into contact with water, which is not conducive to the drying of the affected area and will instead aggravate the irritation.

8. If there is fluid oozing from the affected area, zinc oxide oil can be used to stimulate epidermal growth.