Diaper Rash

Diaper Rash

Whether your child consists of snips, snails and puppy dogs' tails or sugar, spice and everything nice, it all seems to come out the other end as one disgusting, irritating mess that turns baby's soft, sweet bottom into something that resembles a swamp. And from this mire--as surely as babies cry and backsides itch--comes diaper rash.

The good news about diaper rash is that half the time, it clears up within one day. The bad news? If your child's latest case is the long, lingering kind, it could keep junior's backside looking red, irritated and nasty for many days. But here's how to rush away that rash and prevent it from returning.

Use "gel" disposable diapers. If you go the disposable route, choose diapers with the newer absorbent gelling material. "These diapers pull wetness away from the skin better than other types of diapers, and they also keep the skin's pH level more acidic, resulting in less diaper rash," says Alfred T. Lane, M.D., associate professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. Most major brands of disposable diapers have this gelling material.

Rinse cloth diapers with vinegar. If you have reusable cloth diapers, rinse them in vinegar during the wash to change the pH and help reduce diaper rash. "Just add 1/4 cup of plain white kitchen vinegar to each load of diapers during the final rinse cycle of your wash," suggests Becky Luttkus, head instructor at the National Academy of Nannies in Denver. Also, don't use fabric softeners when washing diapers, because the softeners put a coating on the diapers that keeps them from absorbing as well, adds Luttkus.

Apply warm cornstarch. Store-bought "baby" (talcum) powders do nothing to treat diaper rash, according to studies by British researchers. "What may be tried instead is to take cornstarch, spread it out across a baking pan and warm it in an oven at 150° F for about ten minutes, so it's really dry. Test the temperature first. Then lightly dust it onto the baby's bottom," suggests Birt Harvey, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine. The cornstarch is as "smooth" as baby powder, yet it is less expensive and appears to be more effective.

Blow-dry that bottom. Keeping the infected area clean and dry promotes healing, but a towel can be too abrasive for the baby's battered bottom. "You can dry the baby just as effectively using a hair dryer set on the low (or cool) setting. Use the dryer for about three minutes," says Luttkus.

Don't fasten diapers. "Probably the best thing you can do is leave diapers off as much as possible, so the skin can air out. But since that isn't always advisable, try to place the diaper under the baby when he's lying on his stomach. You can do this during naps and other times when he's still," says Dr. Harvey.

Use paper instead of plastic. If your baby has excess leakage--which can contribute to diaper rash--place a paper towel between his skin and the diaper, advises Luttkus. The paper towel helps stop leakage, but without blocking air circulation. The disadvantage of a plastic diaper cover is that it "seals in" the moisture.

Breastfeed your baby. Various studies show that babies who are initially breastfed have a much lower incidence and severity of diaper rash than infants fed baby formula. In fact, the effects due to dietary influences are evident even after the infants are weaned, says John L. Hammons, Ph.D., a staff chemist at Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati who conducted one such study.