You Guessed it! It's not amusing for baby and also not amusing for you! Fortunately it's not a major health difficulty so DON'T PANIC! It's ordinary and generally simply treatable but it's certainly a cause of discomfort. Now you don't need to be a pediatrician to identify diaper rash on your baby - if there is red, sore, irritated skin when you remove the diaper, you can be pretty sure it's diaper rash. Junior will be grizzly too. (wouldn't you be?)
The good news is that it's comparatively straightforward to get rid of this rash, and if you're careful in the future, you may be able to rid your baby of it permanently by following some simple steps to get rid of a diaper rash once it shows up , as well as to stop it from coming back.
Let the air get to it! Yes keep it dry! So if you can let junior go naked for a while- Take off that diaper and let their skin breathe. Disposable diapers are made to keep wetness in and that's part of the problem. Bear in mind the image I gave you in the opening paragraph. It's the diaper itself which, because it is impermeable creates condensation.
So here's a thing. Look at the new one size cloth diapers at http://www.clothdiapersarebest.com. I guarantee that they are not as you picture them. They give the impression of being like fancy cloth disposables and they are breathable! The one size means they adjust as your baby grows.
Cloth or disposable, change the diaper often. Having stool or urine in contact with an already sore bottom will make the rash and your child worse.
Find an ointment that works and use it frequently even if your baby is rash free as it will go a long way to preventing it. The ones with zinc oxide seem to work best. Sudocrem, Desitin, and Balmex. These can be inclined to be thick and tough to spread on and you may find that baby is not too impressed. A pharmacist told me to put a daub of baby cream and a blob of petroleum jelly in my palm and blend them before using. It works great! The ones that go on really easily don't last long!
Don' make an inflamed bottom worse with more junk! Look out for baby wipes. You can find them at nearly all stores but while handy, can be full of compounds and alcohol to make them smell nice and baby-ish. This is the junk that can irritate and dry out your baby's skin. Infants are especially susceptible to outside contaminants so stay away from the perfumed kind, or just stick with basic soap and water on a clean cloth.
You need to pay special attention if baby has diarrhea. It means more changes and less air drying! Think about what caused it. Was it a new food or supplement? It almost always will result in the start of a diaper rash so keep your eye out.
On the junk theme it's best to stay away from baby shampoo, soap, bubble bath etc that contain lots of perfume and additives. Here's a rule of thumb. The cheaper the brand, the more low-priced chemical additives and preservatives to make it smell nice and stay good on the shelf. I know it can be a bit more expensive but try to use natural products on your baby's skin or plain water if you can.
If your diaper rash is not clearing up it may be that there is a yeast infection caused by Candida Albicans. It's a yeast which is permanently on our skin but gets the chance to flourish in warm damp conditions. It looks more like a red rash with little white spots and patches and tends to have a definite outline. Sometimes your baby will get this if they have been prescribed antibiotics, and sometimes it just seems to arrive!
If the diaper rash is not going away or improving notably within a week see your pharmacist or pediatrician. You may be prescribed an over the counter anti-yeast medication to use. It will generally clear up the rash in a few days.
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