How to Prevent Diaper Rash – Types and Treatments

As a parent, it’s inevitable to avoid diaper rashes in spite of taking the utmost care, even with superabsorbent diaper technology and frequent diaper changes. So, if you want to know about diaper rash types, how to prevent and treat them, you are in the right place.

Diaper Rash Rearing Its Ugly Head In Your Baby’s Life?

Diaper rash is a common but not a simple issue that bothers most babies at least once, no matter how much care is taken care of. This condition, which health experts also call diaper dermatitis, often looks like patches of inflamed skin on your little munchkin’s bum. A diaper rash can make a baby really uncomfortable due to sore, red, scaly, and tender skin around the buttocks.

The reason for this skin irritation can be moisture, wetness or urine leaks that raise the pH levels down there. Well, there are more causes for diaper rashes, which we’ll expand on later in this article.

Unfortunately, babies can have several different types of diaper rash at the same time, making the condition even more difficult to treat. Furthermore, most diaper rashes are relatively mild sometimes, they can be severe and might even spread up the child’s legs to the stomach. So, if you want to learn more about diaper rash types and their prevention in babies, please keep reading.

Causes For A Diaper Rash

The warm, moist environment inside the baby’s diaper can lead to diaper rashes. Soiled or infrequently changed diapers, sensitive skin and chafing are common causes of diaper rashes. Moreover, the condition can also be caused by fungus or bacteria on the skin as well as friction from constantly kicking their legs or movement.

While skin irritation is the most prevalent reason for diaper rashes, they can also be caused by allergic reactions to certain products or even bacterial or fungal infections. Sometimes, when you introduce your baby to new foods, the content and frequency of their stool can also change, increasing the likelihood of diaper rash.

However, since the different type of diaper rashes can have different causes, let’s specifically elaborate them & understand the set of symptoms and causes.

Diaper Rash Types You Need To Know About

Since there are many common types of diaper rash, knowing which type of rash your little one has can help guide the treatment. So, let’s look at the major diaper rash types and learn about their symptoms.

1. Irritant Contact Dermatitis Diaper Rash

Irritant contact dermatitis is the most common type of diaper rash most babies suffer from. The rash occurs when your baby’s skin becomes irritated by something touching it in the diaper area.

Causes of Irritant Contact Dermatitis Diaper Rash

Here are some possible causes of irritant contact dermatitis:

• Prolonged exposure to the baby’s urine
• Stools, especially diarrhea
• Teething, which results in more saliva being produced and swallowed, thereby affecting the stool
• Tight-fitting diaper or tight clothing that increases friction, causing chafing or rubbing
• Chemicals used to make the diaper
• Chemical-containing wet wipes that you use to wipe the baby’s pee and poop
• Chemicals in powders, lotions or ointments that you use in the baby’s bottom

Symptoms of Irritant Contact Dermatitis Diaper Rash

This type of diaper rash often looks like a flat, pink rash in affected areas where the irritant came in contact with your baby’s sensitive skin. The longer the irritant is exposed to the skin, the worse the rash, its redness and discomfort becomes. Protected skin areas, such as places tucked deep within skin folds are often not affected by irritant contact dermatitis and look normal & healthy.

What To Do About It

• Change the diapers frequently
• Use a highly absorbent diaper
• Select the right diaper size and make sure that it isn’t too tight
• Keep the diaper area clean

2. Yeast Infection (Candida) Diaper Rash

On this list of different types of diaper rash, the second most common reason is a yeast infection.

Causes of Yeast Infection Diaper Rash

A yeast infection diaper rash results from a type of yeast (fungus) that lives inside the digestive tract. The fungus is also present in the baby’s poop and causes diaper rash because the warm, moist skin in a baby’s diaper area is a great environment for yeast to flourish.

This type of yeast infection can sometimes develop after your infant has finished an antibiotic treatment or if you took antibiotics while breastfeeding. The candida fungus can also potentially grow if your baby has a weakened immune system.

Symptoms of Yeast Infection Diaper Rash

If your baby has a yeast diaper rash, you’ll notice hundreds of tiny round spots or patches with sharp edges on their bottom. The colour of the patches might range from pale pink to bright red. In some cases, you may even find bumps, pimples, sores, or cracked skin that oozes or bleeds. If your baby’s yeast infection diaper rash appears in the folds of their groin, it is often more severe.

What To Do About It

• Contact your baby’s medical professional and ask them to prescribe a topical antifungal cream
• Make sure the fungus doesn’t spread to your baby or you by washing your hands before and after each diaper change

3. Bacterial Diaper Rash

Bacteria are rarely to blame for diaper rashes, but they are most likely to happen when the skin is already inflamed or damaged.

Causes of a Bacterial Diaper Rash

In such a case, bacteria can enter the skin more easily and cause an infection called impetigo. Bacterial diaper rashes can exacerbate an already bad diaper rash. Staphylococcus aureus (staph bacteria) or Streptococcus (strep bacteria) are often the main culprits.

Symptoms of a Bacterial Diaper Rash

A bacterial diaper rash that strep bacteria causes will often show up as bright red skin around your baby’s anus. A staph infection, on the other hand, will resemble a red pimple with a white or yellow crust that can rupture open and leak pus.

What To Do About It

• Contact your baby’s healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment
• Don’t try to self-treat your baby with any over-the-counter antibiotic cream

4. Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Sometimes, your baby may be sensitive or allergic to a product you use on their skin. This kind of rash can often appear as soon as you use the new product for the first time. However, sometimes, it may take up to a few weeks for allergens to trigger a problem.

Causes of Allergic Contact Dermatitis Diaper Rash

Fragrances, colorings, or other certain chemicals or ingredients are the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. Here are a few things that can cause this type of diaper rash in your little one:

• Ingredients used in baby wipes
• Chemicals used to make disposable diapers
• The elastic in diapers
• Ingredients found in baby powder, lotions, and oils
• Preservatives in ointments and creams
• Fragrances in detergent, fabric softeners, or diaper wipes
• Dyes in soap or laundry detergent, especially the one you use to wash cloth diapers
• Any solid or semi-solid foods your baby eats or food allergens passed on to your baby through breast milk

Symptoms of Allergic Contact Dermatitis Diaper Rash

If your baby has an allergic contact dermatitis diaper rash, a red, often scaly rash, may shortly show up in areas that have been exposed to the allergen. This type of rash can start out mild but it will become problematic if you are unable to identify and remove the allergen. The rash can even appear on the skin outside the diaper, including areas that weren’t even directly exposed to the allergen.

What To Do About It

• Consider removing the food from your baby’s diet if you suspect that to be a reason
• Switching to another diaper, detergent, ointment or baby wipe brand

5. Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Yeast and bacterial infections are not only to blame for different type of diaper rashes because viral infections can also cause them.

Causes of HFM Disease Diaper Rash

Hand, foot, and mouth (HFM) disease is a contagious viral infection that isn’t usually dangerous—but is very common in young children. Babies and toddlers with HFM disease often get painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, and rashes on their palms, soles, face, and in their diaper area.

Symptoms of HFM Disease Diaper Rash

The diaper rash that comes with HFM disease is not itchy, but sometimes it has blisters. It often looks like dozens of pink or red patches on the skin.

Other Causes of a Diaper Rash

Some other genetic conditions and skin issues can also look like a diaper rash. For example, a genetic condition called acrodermatitis enteropathica also causes diaper rashes, which is actually a zinc deficiency in babies. Babies with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may be more likely to develop diaper rash.

So, if you believe your baby has got a diaper rash due to one of these conditions, or you’re unsure of the reason of the rash, you must contact your bub’s healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Treating a Baby’s Diaper Rash with a Diaper Rash Cream

When diaper rashes happen, parents feel awful for their little ones who often become fussy because of the discomfort. However, diaper rash creams with safe ingredients provide an efficient solution to soothe and prevent diaper rash outbreaks.

Do diaper rash cream really work?

If you got this question on your mind, we have the answer.

Yes. Diaper rash creams “do” work and are an essential in most baby registry lists.

They help reduce the contributing factors that can cause diaper rash or worsen it by penetrating the skin and creating a barrier between the skin and moisture (diaper, urine, and/or feces).

Moreover, diaper rash creams reduce friction and prevent irritation caused by it. They also prevent overhydration of the skin. If left untreated, overhydration can erode the skin’s protective barriers, leaving infants with itchiness, burning, pain, and infection.

What type of diaper rash cream should you buy?

If you’re looking for an effective diaper rash cream, try to find one that contains zinc oxide. Moreover, you should prioritise a cream that is free from phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, or sodium laurel sulfate.

You must also strictly avoid diaper rash creams formulated with baking soda, boric acid, camphor, diphenhydramine, salicylates, phenol or benzocaine. These ingredients are not considered safe for babies.

Other Ways Of Diaper Rash Treatment

Here are some more ways of treating diaper rashes at home.

• You must check your baby’s diaper often and change it immediately when it’s wet or soiled. This will help clear up diaper rash much faster.
• If possible, do not put on disposable diapers and try to keep your baby’s skin free from moisture or allergens for a few hours. Trust us, this makes recovery process a lot easier and quicker by allowing their irritated skin to dry and “breathe”.
• Do not just change the diaper by wiping off the bum.
• Gently wash the baby’s bottom in warm water and gentle baby soap, then pat it dry as part of each diaper change.
• Allow your baby’s skin to completely dry before fastening another diaper.
• Smear on an effective diaper rash cream thickly at each diaper change to soothe the baby’s skin and protect it from moisture.
• To prevent the diaper from sticking to the rash cream, consider applying petroleum jelly on top of it.
• If you suspect the rashes have been caused due to an allergic reaction to any new foods or diaper brands, you must remove them and monitor your infant to note any changes in their healing process.

By following all these measures and using a good quality diaper rash cream, your baby’s rashes will typically go away within 2 to 3 days without requiring any medical intervention.

Home Remedies For Treatment Of Diaper Rashes

You can also use the following methods to treat diaper rash at home:

• According to a study, colloidal oatmeal is effective in reducing the inflammation and irritation caused by diaper rashes. It can also help reduce the discomfort, pain and itching that babies have.
• So, look for an effective oatmeal bath treatment and follow the directions on the package to use it on your baby’s skin.
• You can also make your own oatmeal bath to ease your baby’s pain without rushing out of the home.
• To soothe your baby’s diaper rash, you can also mix a few drops of witch hazel with equal parts water and dab it on their skin with a cotton swab.
• You can also use aloe vera gel on your baby’s bottom to treat the diaper rash.
• Other substances such as calendula, shampoo clay (bentonite), bee pollen, beeswax and cod liver oil are known to treat diaper rashes.
• Last but not least, breast milk is also known to be effective in clearing up diaper rashes and soothing sore skin in and around the diaper area.

How to Prevent Diaper Rashes?

Because your baby’s skin is so sensitive, you must take good care of it and practise hygienic diaper changing habits. This will significantly prevent diaper rashes from happening to a large extent. Moreover, the best way to protect your baby from diaper rashes is to keep the skin around their diaper area clean and free of irritants.

Here are some ways you can prevent diaper rashes:

• If the diaper rash occurs frequently, consider switching diaper brands or laundry detergents.
• If you use disposable diapers, prefer ones that contain an absorbent gel because they draw wetness away from the skin.
• Use alcohol and fragrance-free baby wipes.
• Moist washcloths and cotton balls can also be very useful if you don’t prefer using wet wipes.
• Don’t scrub your baby’s diaper area skin.
• Buy the right diaper size that allows some airflow.
• Moreover, fasten diapers securely but not too tight or else they can rub the skin and cause rashes.
• Avoid using plastic diaper covers.
• Always wash your hands well after changing your baby’s diapers to prevent the spread of bacteria or yeast to other parts of your little one’s body.

The Bottom Line

Diaper rashes are extremely common in newborns and babies, despite taking a lot of care and using the best products. While they may have different causes and symptoms, most diaper rashes look the same: red, itchy and inflamed. They may cause extra fussiness in babies during diaper changes.

However, with proper treatment and care, your baby’s mild diaper rash is likely to clear up in a few days and their skin will be back to normal. In most cases, a diaper rash usually clears up with an effective diaper rash cream enriched with zinc oxide and simple at-home treatments, such as more-frequent diaper changes, cleaning the bum with warm water and soap, air drying, etc.

Furthermore, you can control your baby’s diaper rash and prevent recurrences by ensuring good diaper changing habits.

Frequently Asked Questions About A Baby’s Diaper Rash

Here are our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about types of diaper rash.

What can be mistaken for diaper rash?

Yeast infection, psoriasis, eczema or impetigo can sometimes be mistakes for a diaper rash.

When should I be worried about diaper rash?

If your baby’s diaper rash doesn’t seem mild or doesn’t improve even after a few days of consistent home treatment, including a diaper rash cream, you must immediately seek medical care to know what’s wrong. If the diaper rash is accompanied by a fever, you must visit a doctor.

What foods cause diaper rash?

Acidic foods such as tomatoes, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, etc. might be a reason for your baby’s diaper rash.