Taking Care of your Baby

One common way to have that baby rash on your baby’s skin is by allowing the diaper on for quite a while. It could give your baby the uncomfortable feeling and the only way the baby could communicate is by crying. This skin irritation can get worst if unattended due to its wet environment. Bacteria and fungi can easily build up and can further be their habitation. That is the main cause of baby’s diaper rashes. This could even get worse during the hot summer season. However, don’t worry. There are treatments and remedies for diaper rash, and you can apply this even before visiting the doctor.

Let your baby go on without any covering, exposing to fresh air to dry. Make the baby clean and dry for a while and have some talcum powder apply to give him / her comfort of being fresh and dry. Do not give the baby anything on his diaper rashes, unless it the advice of his / her pediatrician. Remember to clean your baby with lukewarm water and avoid scented soap or other cleaning products with alcohol content or questionable ingredients because this could cause allergic reactions. Most of the commercial disposable diapers are made sealing the baby’s bottom depriving of air to circulate. Can you imagine your wet skin sealed with air tight material?

On the contrary, allowing your baby to run without a diaper is quite a messy proposition. The traditional cloth diapers are more appropriate to cover the baby’s bottom in lieu of the air-tight disposable diapers. Cloth diapers that are made of natural cotton allow air to circulate around the baby’s bottom. In the process, the rashes heal more quickly than doing the treatment without air.

Some diaper rashes are caused by the expensive cosmetics as you aim for a good scent you use to clean your baby. If it is necessary, try to use only trusted cosmetics for babies and make sure they are alcohol and perfume free. Chemicals in the luxurious cosmetics will surely harm your baby’s tender skin. This goes along in selecting laundry detergents you use to wash your baby clothes. Obviously, you have to wash the baby’s clothes separately using only suitable detergents.

Your baby can be healthy and happy when you keep her clean and maintain a better hygiene routine in natural ways. A common diaper rash can be treated and cured with simple things such as good sanitation and a matter of common sense not to apply expensive products to your baby’s sensitive body.

However, some rashes can be caused by chemical reactions and allergy that are very consistent that turn into a real problem. If the rash is exhibiting an unhealthy conditions such as swollen skin, or skin breaking that last for days, go to see a doctor. He will be able to determine what has caused it, and if you need to get some medicines to cure it.

Understanding Diaper Rashes

Parents are now equipped with a wide variety of diaper choices. They were given the comfort of changing diapers in lieu of the traditional ones which were used for quite a long time. Diapers come in scientifically designed for quick and effective absorption of wetness. They can also hold the wetness and prevent the same in causing the spread of the baby’s wetness on the floor, on your lap, on the bed sheets, and more. There are advanced designs that keep the wetness away from the baby’s skin as the pads absorb, deep down, to the bottom. However, keeping the wet pads for quite a while can surely cause a diaper rash on the baby’s skin.

These rashes make the baby’s skin completely red and swollen, all because of long exposure to wetness. Babies cannot further complain and instead express their discomfort by crying. It is either they are telling that they are wet or telling you that they are hurt and all they can do is cry. The quality of the diaper has something to do with the rashes on your baby’s skin. There are diapers that contain absorbent pads that react with the baby’s discharge that cause allergies. This sometimes is aggravated by too much exposure of the skin to moisture caused by its wetness and the tender skin of the baby cannot bear the prolonged condition. The remedies for this are to consult your pediatrician about the diaper suitable for your baby, avoid the prolonged use of the diaper and let the baby’s skin free for a few hours in between changing the diapers. Furthermore, have the habit of washing the baby’s skin and let it dry after the removal of the used diaper and let your baby stay free and have some fresh air.

Babies will put everything in his mouth and whatever you feed them, they will take it. There are some food contents that create allergies that cause skin irritation and will appear to the very delicate skin part of the baby, especially the wet portion. Fungi and bacteria as well, can easily develop and multiply on wet places and the baby’s skin which is covered by the diaper has a warm and moist atmosphere that can support the life cycle of these unwanted microorganisms. If you find redness and swollen skin on your baby, do not instantly apply baby wipes without doctor’s advice because using them might contain chemicals, which can be harmful to the baby’s skin.

The skin of your baby is very tender, and you have to maintain cleanliness and full-time care to help prevent the formation of diaper rashes.

Various Remedies for Diaper Rash

Maybe all babies get diaper rash at least once in their young life. This being the most common rash that babies get does not mean it’s to be taken lightly. Left untreated, rashes can worsen and cause cracks on the skin and bleeding.

Diaper rash are on babies’ genitals, buttocks and in the fold of skin on their thighs. In some cases, the rash can also spread up to the abdomen. This is caused by being exposed to wetness for an extended period of time.

In the mild cases of diaper rash, treatments can be relatively fast and without difficulty. First step is thorough cleansing; make sure not to miss out between the folds in your baby’s skin. After doing so, apply a diaper rash ointment gently and evenly on the affected area by following the directions on the label. It is important to change diapers as frequently as possible as you are trying to keep wetness away from the affected area. Better yet, take the diaper off of your baby and let the area stay uncovered and exposed allowing the skin to rest and breathe.

When cleaning your baby, make sure that the wipes you’re using does not have alcohol as part of its contents, this can cause dryness and irritate your baby’s natural sensitive skin. In its place, use a clean, soft, damp cloth.

In addition to the diaper rash ointment, you can add some Maalox to the area. It will help balance the acids in your baby’s urine, and it also provides a cooling effect when drying.

Some mothers use a century old but very effective remedy, cornstarch. This is used like a regular baby powder and absorbs wetness. Sometimes, vinegar is sprayed over the area and allowed to dry, matched with some baby powder before putting the diaper on.

However, others also prefer to use anti-inflammatory lotions such as Neosporin and Lotramin AF to help with the swelling and ease pain. Many paediatricians suggest using chlorine-free diapers to reduce the chance of getting a rash.

Call the doctor immediately if the rash has developed into pus-filled sores or even blisters. Furthermore, phone your doctor if the rash spreads to other areas of your baby’s body. This could mean something more serious that should be examined immediately by a paediatrician.

The Most Common Baby Skin Diseases

Skin rashes can give babies a hard time. The following are the most typical skin diseases and suggested natural remedies for relief and treatment.

Cradle cap: This looks like a yellow tinged scaly skin type of skin rash that is slippery to the touch seen on the scalp. There may be some acne-like formation pattern along with the flakes. The most known household remedy for this is by putting baby oil on the scalp preferably Emu oil 20-30 minutes before bath. Carefully massage the flakes and gently wash the affected area with the same Emu brand shampoo or just plain baby shampoo.

Heat rash: There is a natural tendency for the body to warm up, especially during summer thereby creating a skin problem called heat rash. Babies are more vulnerable to this type of ailment. These rashes are found on the face and the upper torso of the body. Applying calamine lotion will remove some of the stinging discomfort while dusting some baby powder and starch will keep the affected areas dry and help relieve the itch.

Nappy rash: Also known as diaper rash, this is the most common of the skin rashes that make babies crabby and miserable. Nappy rash is caused by soiled diapers not being changed immediately. When the skin is always in contact with urine and feces, ammonia is released irritating the skin. The rash is seen around the diaper area like the bottom, genital areas, and upper thighs. Changing the diaper as soon as necessary is the best prevention. It is also important to make sure that the baby is cleaned on each diaper change. Wash with wet soft cloth or use gentle wet wipes. Using gentle creams and ointments will help relieve and cure this problem.

Infantile eczema: This dry flaky dull looking skin often starts on the cheeks. Untreated, it spreads to the other parts of the body. This type of skin rash is not contagious and best remedied by using a hypoallergenic soap and gentle moisturizer.

Urticaria: Also known as hives, some parts of the skin are inflamed and look pink or red. Allergy from a certain kind of food may cause this kind of skin problem.

HFMD or hand foot and mouth disease: This looks like a chicken pox that seems either raised or flattened but not itchy. It can start on the palms and soles spreading to the buttocks then on to the gums, tongue, cheeks, until it becomes bad sores. Drink a lot of water.

Thrush: This fungal infection begins in the mouth looking like white patches can spread thoughout the mouth quickly. If not treated immediately, this can spread to the body and cause a lot of discomfort.

One of the most effective products in treating skin rashes is Emu Oil. Used for thousands of years in Australia to treat skin rashes, Emu Oil has a natural antibiotic property that is very effective in treatment of skin inflammation and other skin problems that are bacterial or fungal in origin.

Some babies may be sensitive to Emu Oil so caution is advised and do not forget to consult your doctors if symptoms of skin rashes persist.

Smart Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is a common infection for babies. Left untreated, it can cause a serious discomfort for your baby. There are preventive measures for diaper rash and ways to care for it.

The simplest thing to do in order to prevent this is by changing your baby’s diaper as often as necessary. Ideally, every two hours. If you leave a diaper on for long periods of time, it promotes irritation and can cause chronic rashes and yeast infections. You can space out the change of diaper to every three or four hours if your baby no longer wets as much.

Another way to prevent a rash from flaring up is to apply a diaper rash ointment on babies during diaper change. Ointments place a protective layer between your baby’s skin and the diaper. And because natural products don’t contain harsh chemicals, they are come highly recommended. Inorganic products with artificial fragrances can cause skin irritation. Ointments not only protect your baby’s skin, but they can also soften it.

Using cloth or disposable diapers for their baby is a parent’s personal choice. If you are using disposable diapers, changing brands can also prevent rashes. If you find that every brand you’ve tried causes rashes, immediately change to cloth diapers. On the other hand, if you are using cloth diapers, always make sure that it’s thoroughly washed with gentle, baby-safe laundry detergent. Adding vinegar to the rinse cycle is said to be an old trick for cleaning and disinfecting cloth diapers.

Be careful with what you are using to clean your baby with. Unscented wipes cause less irritation so it is more advisable to use that scented ones. If wipes cause rashes, use water and mild soap. Remember that babies have very sensitive skin that your ordinary beauty soap can cause irritation.

Fresh air helps dry your baby’s sensitive skin. As often as possible, give your baby’s bottom some time to air out and be diaper-free.