Diaper Rash – Pediatric Associates of Richmond

Preventing and Treating Diaper Rash

When the summer heat and humidity cause cheeks to turn red and sweaty, sometimes little bottoms turn red, as well. Diaper rash is so common that it is estimated that diaper wearing children ages 4 months to 15 months suffer at least one episode every 2 months.  It becomes more common as children begin to eat solid foods.

Moisture, chafing, and prolonged contact with urine or stool are among the common culprits for diaper rash.  Occasionally, infants may suffer a rash due to an allergic reaction to chemicals found in disposable diapers or wipes.  Antibiotics that cause loose stools or GI illnesses that result in diarrhea are other frequent causes of diaper rash.  In the summer, heat and humidity, longer changing intervals due to busy travel, time in swim diapers and the like may result in an increased frequency of rashes.  Although the choice of cloth or disposable diapers depends on many factors, research suggests that rashes are less common when disposable diapers are used.   For cloth diapers, consider the use of a ‘stay dry’ liner.

Often times the first signs of diaper rash are a mild redness or an infant that is fussy when the diaper is changed.  Once the skin is inflamed and irritated, it becomes an easy target for bacteria and yeast to begin to multiply.  If these infections take hold, you will notice small bumps, pimple-type lesions or sometimes open sores.

As with any ailment, prevention might be better than a cure!  There are several steps you can take to ensure that your child won’t suffer this summer.  Frequent and timely changes are the mainstay of prevention.  A dry bottom is much less likely to suffer a rash. If possible, allow the skin to be open to air for brief periods throughout the day.  When changing soiled diapers, using water to clean the area is best.  A mild soap may be necessary for particularly messy changes; however it isn’t routinely needed for each change. Commercial baby wipes, even those made for sensitive skin, may contain irritating perfumes or chemicals.

If, despite your careful attention to prevention, your infant suffers redness and irritation, there are many things you can do to heal it quickly.  Continue to change your infant promptly and often.  Using water will be less irritating than wipes.  Consider the use of a squeeze bottle to apply a gentle cleansing jet of water rather than rubbing irritated skin.  Pat the tender skin dry, do not rub.  Allow the skin to sit open to air in order to fully dry.  Barrier (diaper) creams that contain zinc oxide or petrolatum can be good for soothing and helping skin to heal.  Thicker creams generally work best (e.g 40% zinc oxide).  Apply a very thick layer of barrier cream as a skin protectant; if you can see the skin underneath the layer of diaper cream, apply more.  Remember when changing soiled diapers, it is best to wipe off the stool and barrier cream, but it is not necessary to completely remove the diaper cream.  Scrubbing of the skin will only cause further irritation.  The use of a colloidal oatmeal* bath is an excellent tool to soothe, as well.   Another home remedy to use is painting the irritated area with Maalox (liquid antacid) and allowing it to dry.  The compounds in the medicine will have a soothing effect on the skin.  Apply the barrier cream on top of the dried Maalox.

If the area is bright red and bumpy, this is often a sign that yeast are present.  Yeast love warm, moist areas, thus they often thrive in diaper areas.  If you suspect a yeast infection, continue the care of irritated skin as above.  Prior to applying your diaper cream, use a thin layer of clotrimazole ointment or cream.  This is available over the counter under brand names such as Lotrimin™.  Be sure to check the label to ensure ‘clotrimazole’ is the active ingredient.  Use this as your first layer four times daily.  Place your thick barrier cream directly over top of the clotrimazole layer.  Yeast in the diaper area may need to be treated for a week to ten days prior to resolution. Avoid cornstarch or other powders when treating yeast. Contact our office if the rash fails to improve within 3-4 days of beginning treatment, however.

If you notice pimple or pus filled lesions in the diaper area, that may be a sign of a bacterial infection which may require a prescription to improve.  Schedule an office visit for help.  If a rash appears raw, blistered, or bleeding, that is another indication that a visit to our office may be needed.  Of course, any rash that continues to worsen despite your treatment at home also needs to be seen.

Hopefully, these tips will keep those diapered bottoms clean, dry and healthy!

*To make colloidal oatmeal bath at home, put dry old-fashioned or plain quick oats in a blender or food processor and make a powder. Use about 1 tablespoon of the powder in 2” of bath water.

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A homemade diaper yeast infection cream you’ll be itching to try

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This is all about that baby bass. So if you’re here looking to treat your own yeast infection, this may not be what you’re looking for. It might work, but you should read more on adult yeast infection remedies. Anyway, Two years into our cloth diapering journey we encountered yeast diaper rash for the first time. And it lives up to its name yeasty-beasties. I had truly hoped to not have to deal with it, but I’m thankful we’ve only gone to war with yeast 3 times between 2 kids in 4 years. And that’s mainly because I dread stripping diapers.

Anyways, long story short, I came up with a simple, cloth-safe diaper yeast infection cream made of all natural ingredients.

And guess what?

I am sharing it with you only because it really works.

*Disclaimer: This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please remember that I am not a doctor or nurse. I simply write out of my own experiences. Also, all product links in this post are affiliate links for your convenience. Thank you for supporting our family through your purchases.

Almost the entire rash had gone down in just two hours after applying the homemade remedy for diaper yeast infection.

That and letting her either roam in a prefold or naked, she was a happy camper.

THEN in 12 hours it was hardly noticeable. Of course, nighttime is a horrible time for the yeast beast so the next morning it had flared up again, but within just 2 days I can very happily say that it was gone and all my diapers were stripped.

Of course, nighttime is a horrible time for the yeast beast so the next morning it had flared up again, but within just 2 days I can very happily say that it was gone and all my diapers were stripped.

Home Remedy for Yeast Diaper Rash – Recipe

This homemade treatment is super simple and convenient. You can make as much or as little as you want. Just choose your container to put it in and make sure that it is thoroughly washing and dried. I chose a little glass jar . Something like a baby food jar, peanut butter jar, or something else would work just fine.  In our home, I have used this on my daughter and on myself; I even used it when preparing for labor and had tested positive for GBS.

You can make as much or as little as you want. Just choose your container to put it in and make sure that it is thoroughly washing and dried. I chose a little glass jar . Something like a baby food jar, peanut butter jar, or something else would work just fine. In our home, I have used this on my daughter and on myself; I even used it when preparing for labor and had tested positive for GBS.

• 1 Tablespoon unrefined, raw, organic coconut oil.
  
  Make sure that it is raw and unrefined as that is where much of the anti-bacterial and antifungal properties are in coconut oil. I use Tropical Traditions and it goes a long way and is well worth having on hand!
• 1/2 Teaspoon powder probiotics.
  
  My favorite is Baby’s Jarro-Dophilus. I have had a bottle in our fridge since my daughter was a newborn. Probiotics are great to help reintroduce good bacteria.
• 1/4 Teaspoon (approx 20 drops) Grapefruit Seed Extract.GSE is known to be great at fighting yeast and urinary tract issues. In fact, I used it as part of how I stripped the yeast out of our cloth diapers.
• (Optional) 8 drops Essential Oil
  
  Lavender, Helichrysum, and geranium are great to soothe and to treat the infection.Plus, they smell divine.
• (Optional) Replace the Probiotic and Bust open a capsule or two of Kyolic Garlic.
  
  In fact, they have a formula that specifically fights candida. While it’s hard to get a baby or toddler to take it orally, it’s a powerful natural antibiotic.However, please note that I mention that it’s optional and if you’re going to do it, you need to replace the probiotic with it. You can actually make two creams and use the probiotic during the day and the garlic at night. (Garlic kills both good and bad bacteria)

Put all of your ingredients in the container that you are going to store it in and mix it together. Know that you can use this ratio to make more or less. I actually made 3x this amount for our little jar and it was half gone after about 3-4 days of slathering diaper cream on her at every change, potty break, and whenever she decided she wanted me to put some on her.

Probiotics are best kept refrigerated so they stay viable longer.

If you would like to refrigerate your diaper cream, that is perfect. I did not while we were using it just because the coconut oil can harden and I either have to use something to get it out to apply on her warm skin that melts it, or I have to melt it first. However, it did go in the refrigerator when we were done applying it at every change.

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Kara Carrero

Kara is an author and advocate for positive, grace-filled parenting. She is homeschooler to her 5 children living on a farm in New England. She believes in creative educational approaches to help kids dive deeper into a rich learning experience and has her degree in Secondary Education & Adolescent Childhood Development. She is passionate about connecting with and helping other parents on their journey to raise awesome kids!

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Medicines :: Ointments :: Antifungals :: Clotrimazole 1% 25g ointment

Clotrimazole 1% 25g ointment

Pharmacological action

Clo trimazole is a derivative of imidazole. Broad spectrum antifungal agent.

The effect of the drug is associated with a violation of the synthesis of ergosterol, which is part of the cell membrane of fungi, which causes a change in its structure and properties, and leads to cell lysis. At concentrations of 1 μg / ml in vitro and more than 6 μg / ml in vivo, clotrimazole acts fungistatically. At concentrations of more than 10 μg / ml, it has a fungicidal effect on most types of fungi, and not only on proliferating cells. In relation to Candida, it has a fungicidal effect at concentrations of 2 μg / ml and above. In fungicidal concentrations, it interacts with mitochondrial and peroxidase enzymes, resulting in an increase in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide to a toxic level, which also contributes to the destruction of fungal cells.

Dermatophytes, yeast fungi (genus Candida, Torulopsis glabrata, Rhodotorula), mold fungi, as well as the causative agent Pityriasis versicolor (lichen versicolor) and the causative agent of erythrasma are sensitive to clotrimazole.

It has an antimicrobial effect against gram-positive (staphylococci, streptococci) and gram-negative bacteria (Bacteroides, Gardnerella vaginalis), as well as against Trichomonas vaginalis, Malazessia furfur (pathogen Pityriasis versicolor) and Corynebacterium minussimum (pathogen erythrasma).

Composition

clotrimazole 10 mg

Excipients: cetyl alcohol, vaseline, glycerol, tween-80, nipagin, distilled water.

Dosing regimen

The cream is applied in a thin layer 2-3 on previously cleansed (using soap with a neutral pH value) and dry affected areas of the skin and gently rubbed.

The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease, the localization of pathological changes and the effectiveness of therapy.

Treatment of dermatomycosis is carried out for at least 4 weeks, pityriasis versicolor – 1-3 weeks. In case of fungal diseases of the skin of the legs, therapy is recommended to continue for at least 2 weeks after the symptoms of the disease have disappeared

, irritation and peeling of the skin.

Allergic reactions: itching, urticaria.

Contraindications to the use of the drug CLOTRIMAZOLE

— I trimester of pregnancy;

– hypersensitivity to clotrimazole or other components of the drug.

With caution – lactation.

The use of the drug Clotrimazole during pregnancy and lactation

In clinical and experimental studies, it has not been established that the use of the drug during pregnancy or during lactation has a negative effect on the health of a woman or fetus (child). However, the question of the advisability of prescribing the drug should be decided individually after consulting a doctor.

Direct application of the drug to a lactating breast is contraindicated.

Use in hepatic impairment

In hepatic impairment, liver function should be monitored periodically.

Special instructions

The drug is not intended for use in ophthalmic practice.

Avoid contact with eyes.

Application of the drug to the skin in the eye area is not recommended.

When treating onychomycosis, care must be taken to ensure that the treated nail plates are cut short or have a rough surface for better penetration of the active substance. In these cases, a solution should be preferred due to better penetrating properties.

Stop treatment if signs of hypersensitivity or irritation appear.

If there is no effect within 4 weeks, confirm the diagnosis.

In liver failure, liver function should be monitored periodically.

Overdose

The use of the cream in higher doses does not cause any reactions and conditions that are life-threatening.