Remedies for Diaper Rash

Follow

by Grace Sloop

Considering that nearly all babies suffer from it during their first fifteen months after birth, it’s no wonder parents go desperately searching for remedies for diaper rash.

But not to worry, since it’s normally not serious and can be easily treated by an over-the-counter cream from the drugstore.

These days of course, many new Moms and Dads are also interested in more environmentally-friendly and natural remedies.  But which one you choose for your child’s diaper rash depends on what caused it in the first place.  For example, one of the most effective remedies for diaper rash is to leave the baby’s bottom naked in the open air.  However, this could get very messy and unpleasant if, for example, the rash was caused by diarrhea.  In this case, you might want to first try loosely pinning on a cloth diaper.

In addition to that, sometimes diaper rash is caused by introducing new solid foods, or the breastfeeding mother may have eaten something the baby found irritating. Perfumes, dyes in soaps, laundry detergents, or baby wipes can also cause diaper rash.  In these instances, avoiding the offending foods or products could be the answer.

But if your baby still has problems even after a few days to acclimate and notice any difference, see if adding some baking soda to the baby’s bath water works for you, as my own Mom used to do.  If it doesn’t, start also using a simple washrag and water.  You can use a gentle soap for those messier changes.

If you are using cloth diapers, rinse them twice to ensure that all possible laundry detergent residue is removed.  You can also hang the cloth diapers out in the open air to dry instead of using a dryer.  After all, sometimes it’s the smallest of changes that can make the difference.

No matter what kind of diapers you use, frequent diaper changes are one of the best deterrents to diaper rash. Keeping the baby’s bottom as clean and dry as possible not only helps prevent diaper rash, but also helps it heal faster.  So this is a must in addition in everything else you are testing out.

Sometimes though, no matter how many remedies for diaper rash you test, your baby still has it, or it gets even worse.  Be very careful if it does.  If the rash is accompanied by fever, blister or boils, pus or oozing discharge, and/or the rash extends past the diaper area, it is time to see your family doctor or pediatrician immediately.

Regardless of which remedies for diaper rash end up working for you, it’ll be worth all the hassle and expense to see your baby smiling, happy and healthy again.

Click here to learn more about effective diaper rash remedies.