Extraordinary Tips On Preventing Diaper Rash
Diaper rash is commonly caused by wet or soiled diaper being left for too long. The baby’s skin is too sensitive to wetness. The symptoms may be reddened skin or red bumps and blisters. Babies will feel very uncomfortable or may cry a lot if the rash is not treated properly. Prevention is better than cure. The best defense against diaper rash is to keep the baby’s diaper area clean, cool and dry. Here are some quick tips from AAP and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) on how to prevent diaper rash, followed by some workaround tricks:
- Change the diaper often.
- Use plain water to clean the diaper area when you change your baby.
- Allow the area to completely dry before putting on a new diaper. It is best to let the area air dry, avoid rubbing, just pat dry if you need to.
- Use a zinc oxide ointment and petrolatum to protect the skin.
- Allow the child to go without a diaper for periods of time during the day, perhaps putting them down to sleep without a diaper. Be aware to change the cloth under them if they soil it while asleep. AAFP points out that many babies urinate right after falling asleep.
- Avoid creams and lotions that contain chemicals such as boric acid, camphor, phenol, methyl salicylate or compound of benzoin tincture.
- Avoid talcum powder; it has been linked to respiratory problems.
More useful tricks:
1. Which kind of diapers is better for preventing diaper rash, disposable or cloth? Some research indicates babies who wear disposable diapers have lower rates of diaper rash. But it all depends on the quality of diapers and the way parents use them. Whether you choose disposable or cloth diapers, the basic rule is the same. Change your baby’s diaper immediately when needed.
2. If you choose to use cloth diapers, you can add a stay dry liner to help. Or you might like to try this
special product, soft non-woven top sheets that look like filter papers. (When my daughter was born, my sister-in-law introduced this product to me. It’s fantastic.) Each top sheet sized 16 x 33cm just fits to place in the middle of a folded cloth diaper to keep your baby’s bottom dry. You just simply dump it away after use. Your cloth diapers can stay away from solids. Smart and simple. There are 200 pieces in a box for about AU$11 (HK$ 76.00 HK$68.40)
3. Over at wstm.com, a natural treatment of diaper rash was submitted by their reader (scrolled down to see the item of diaper rash), yet I haven’t tried it before. I just feel it’s interesting:
Many years ago my son had a diaper rash and I was told this trick. Boil 3 or 4 outside (dark green) lettuce leaves in enough water to cover them. After boiling the leaves drain the water into a jar or dish with a lid and throw the leaves out. Use boiled juice when cool on baby’ bottom, rash should be on the way to recovery in 24 hours or less. A local doctor had this analyzed and still couldn’t find out why it worked!
Tags: Parenting, Diaper Rash
Diaper Rash [AAFP]
How can I prevent diaper rash? [FamilyDoctor]