Diaper rash is a common concern for parents of infants. When diaper rash is bad the baby is miserable which makes mom and dad miserable. I was the mom who made a doctor appointment for diaper rash with my first child. Diaper rash can look just horrendous and you know your baby is suffering. What mom can handle their little baby crying and miserable? You want to help and most of all want to know the causes so you can take steps to avoid further incidences.
Causes of Diaper Rash:
Not changing a diaper frequently enough will cause irritation which leads to diaper rash. If you are on a long car ride or plane ride before to change your baby as you would when you are at home. If you are not changing your baby every 2 to 3 hours or after every bowl movement then a diaper rash can occur.
If your baby is experiencing diarrhea a rash may occur. Once your baby begins to have diarrhea episodes you may want to use cream as a preemptive strike rather than wait for a rash to occur.
Changing to solid foods can change a baby’s stools which can cause a rash. It can also indicate an allergy or that the food is too acidic.
Diaper Rash Treatment:
Do not use baby wipes that contain alcohol or propylene glycol. These ingredients cause a painful burning effect. Use a wash rag with warm water and mild soap or just plain water. Make sure your baby is completely dry before diapering.
Change your baby more frequently during the day. If your baby sleeps all night you may want to change her during the night as well. I know how hard that is but if the diaper rash is severe it may be necessary. I have had four children and all had diaper rash of different severities. I never woke a sleeping baby to change a diaper. I would apply a thick coat of cream before bedtime and make sure I changed my baby often during the day and had the baby spend time without a diaper. The rashes went away just fine.
Diaper free time will help alleviate the rash and help heal it quicker.