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ADVICE RATING

3.90 (May work) from 11 votes (645 Visits)

Protecting your baby from nappy rash

by surfingmama

(October 2006) (rank 500+)

Yikes, nappy rash is what turns your baby’s beautiful and smooth bottom into something blistered, broken and red-spotted. It’s not a very pleasant sight indeed. The unpleasantness and irritation are felt even more by your baby. In Bed Linens, Janice Wee says it all:

When baby

dirties herself, clean her up right away. Leave her in dirty nappies longer than necessary and she will probably develop a nappy rash. Babies with nappy rash itch, cry a lot and are generally miserable. Keep a tube of diaper rash cream at hand to treat the problem, just in case.

Nappy rash can be prevented or kept in control by the following tips, thanks to Bayer HealthCare:

- Change your baby’s nappy frequently (up to 12 times a day)

- At each nappy change, clean his bottom with warm water and cotton wool, and then make sure it is completely dry. Avoid washing the affected area with soap

- At every nappy change, apply a good barrier preparation to protect his bottom from urine and stools. Choose one with an ointment base for its protective properties, and which is free from colorants

- Air your baby’s skin as much as possible by letting him have some nappy-free time between changes

- Do not secure a nappy too tightly to allow some air circulation inside the nappy

- Try switching nappies as different babies react differently to different nappies. If your baby is on cloth nappies, try him on disposables which are generally more absorbent. If he is using disposables, try switching to a different brand, or alternatively, to cloth nappies

- Rinse cloth nappies thoroughly when washing to prevent an allergic reaction to washing powder. Hang them to dry outside to ensure bacteria is killed by sunshine and fresh air

- Change soaked and soiled nappies immediately

- Change your baby’s nappy before he goes to bed

- Use soap sparingly and no more than once a day on his bottom part

- Avoid using talcum powder on your baby’s genital areas and bottom as this may irritate his skin when he is wet with urine

(Surfingmama Invitation: Showcase your blog articles to millions of internet-surfing mums through the Surfingmama Blog Carnival. Make a difference to mums all over the world. Submit practical, humorous & informative articles that mums would appreciate!)

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.

ADVICE RATING

3.90 (May work) from 11 votes

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	December 2008 \| Bluebird97

Re: Protecting your baby from nappy rash

I was also advised to rinse the nappies in vinegar to get rid of the alkaline that is stored in the nappies and if possible I left them on the line while it was raining because that way any residual soap in them washed away and they were very soft after.

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	December 2008 \| Bluebird97

Re: Protecting your baby from nappy rash

I was advised to leave her nappy off for a while each day and let the fresh air get to her skin. This toughens up the skin a bit but also helps with vit.d absorbtion. I had a few bad rashes to deal with but even when she was toddling I would let her get around in a pair of knickers to catch the nuggets and change her often to prevent anything untoward happening and the Baby Health Clinic supported this.

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	October 2006 \| mcm

Bum free!

Nappy free time and changing as necessary are very important. We use cloth and I think that helps as he stays in a nappy less. Bamboo is great as it takes the moisture away from bub's skin.

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	October 2006 \| tinker79

Diaper Rash

I have always used good old cornstarch on all of my kids when they get diaper rash. It always works, so I have never used anything else on them (why mess with a good thing, when it works)

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	2.00 (Poor) \| October 2006 \| Kristen

Baby's activity

I'm finding that the older my son gets, the worse some of his rashes are. I think that he gets so busy with playing that he doesn't want to be bothered by getting changed. We have found that using the barrier diaper cream is helpful for this.

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