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Advies on: nappy rash & red buttocks

In short
What is it?
Recognize it
Causes
Mum's advice
Solutions
How to continue?
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Nappy rash and red irritated skin. As soon as the diaper needs changing, drama!

What can you do about it?
I hate to say so, but almost every child suffers from diaper rash or red irritated skin at least once. One more ofthen than the other, with my daughter it developed itself as a real issue. The rash is located on the skin which is covered by the diaper, it becomes irritated, red, chapped skin and breaks. The cause? Urine and feces together in a diaper, it can start to brew quickly and irritate. And since a baby on average urinates about 14 times a day. In other words, your little ones diaper is moist a lot. Diaper rash isn’t dangerous or contageuos, but it can be very painful which can cause a lot of discomfort for your child. The diaper change can develop into a true drama versus a fun, relaxing moment between child and mother. You want to be done with it fast.

Signs & Symptoms

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What is nappy rash, red buttocks?

Kids who wear diapers experience nappy rash on their bottoms at least once, or on other places which are covered by the diaper. It’s a skin irritation manifesting itself as redness, chapped skin, blisters, bumps or little wounds and sometimes damages the skin.

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How do you recognise nappy rash, red buttocks?

You can recognize nappy rash due to the red spots, blisters, bumps or little wounds in the diaper area and the groin. Precisely those areas covered by the diaper. In cases of severe skin rash you can even see little, open wounds. It seems as if your little one has damaged buttocks. If the rash gets worse and your child is in pain it is wise to contact your GP.

Some of the symptoms highlighted:

  • A rash appears on the skin of the buttocks, often flaming red and irritated.
  • Sometimes there are open spots, blisters or other inregularities
  • The rash does not only appear on the buttocks but can appear on the whole area covered by the diaper.

Causes & Triggers

How does nappy rash or red buttocks originate?

The rash is the result of a combination of different factors such as dampness underneath the diaper, by friction between the diaper and the skin and due to contact with irritants that are present in the feces and urine. These irritants can cause a serious skin irritation and urine and feces will cause maceration of the skin.

Can you actually prevent it?
You want to save your child from all of it try to prevent it from happening, but never the less almost all kids get it from time to time. If a baby wears a dirty diaper too lomg, the risk of irritation and a chapped skin is more prominent. Especially, diarrhea can have a major contribution to the development of nappy rash. Other factors that can cause nappy rash are medication such as antibiotics. Teething too often leads to nappy rash as well as eczema.

So, is it contagious?
Nappy rash isn’t dangerous or contagious but your little one can experience a lot of discomfort and cry a lot. Especially when the skin is damaged in which case contact with urine and feces can be very painful.

Advice & Tips

Mum’s advice

Actually we know already, but change your child regularly, with a minimum of 8 times a day. That often? Yes, if you think about the fact they urinate 14 times a day you want to keep that diaper as dry as possible. If a diaper rash has already presented itself, make sure to change your little one more often than you normally would as well.

A couple of tips and advices listed:
  • Frequently change diapers, it is important that the urine and feces irritate the skin of the buttocks as short as possible.
  • Especially a poop diaper has to be removed as soon as possible.
  • Clean the bottom with every change using lukewarm water, no soap.
  • Avoid using diaper wipes with unnecessary additions such as perfume and soap which will irritate the damaged skin even further. Use neutral baby wipes.
  • Is it hard to get the buttocks clean during changing? Add a little extra neutral baby oil on the baby wipe which can help to remove the feces without rubbing too hard.
  • Use an ointment or a cream based on zinc or vegetable petrolatum to sooth the buttocks. Don’t use products containing vaseline that will close the skin causing it to remain moist in the already occlusive and damp condition of the diaper itself.
  • When possible, remove your child’s diaper and leave the buttocks exposed.

Solutions

Taking care of nappy rash and red buttocks

Nappy rash isn’t dangerous or contagious, but it can be very painful causing your little one a lot of discomfort. The diaper change can turn into a true drama versus a nice and relaxing moment between child and mother. You want to be done with it fast. Medication isn’t necessary. The skin needs good nourishing to be able to repair.

What is the best way to take care of the skin?
There are many products available that you can use to salve your child’s bottom. From experience I know that there’s a high availability of products that smell nice, feel soft, pull into the skin quickly or even covers the skin. And what do they have in common? They just don’t work well enough.

So what can you use?
Eventually, it all comes down to the right ingredients. Below are a couple of solutions where the ingredient provides the right result.

Zinc ointment
Besides ensuring frequent diaper changes and cleaning the buttocks with water and neutral baby wipes you can use an ointment based on zinc oxide. This ingredient provides a protective layer on top of the baby skin. This way the skin will remain calm. The height of the percentage of the zinc indicates the efficacy of the mode of action.

Don’t: “normal” vaseline
Grandma’s advice and probably your own mother’s advice: just lubricate the buttocks with vaseline. Vaseline was and is still being used for multiple skin disorders. In our opinion ‘ordinary’ vaseline as an ingredient isn’t suitable for the vulnerable child’s skin. And for the environment. Vaseline originates from petrolatum or fossile oil and is won in the same way as oil. Thus, with a negative effect on the climate. At home my husband refers to it as motor oil, need I say more?

But vaseline has the characterisitic to cover the skin with an extra layer which retains moist and protects the skin from exteral influences and by doing so improving the skin barriere. That actually does make us happy, but we advize you to use a product based on vetegable petrolatum. The natural alternative for petrolatum. Not only is it friendly for your child’s skin but also for your kid’s future.

Nappy Rash Cream based on 100% vegetable petrolatum and zinc
“Best of both worlds” is what we like to call this version. A nourishing ointment with all the positive effects of vaseline – but instead as a natural, sustainable ingredient – in combination with the plus point of zinc oxide. The ultimate care for your babies bottom that actively protects the skin against irritating compounds such as urine and feces. In addition, it supports the skin repair. Your little one will be crawling around soon happy & pleased again!

And you know the tric with Maizena?
Also one of grandma’s advices and in contrary to usaging of normal vaseline, an advice with a positive outcome. Maizena takes up the fluids causing the buttocks to stay dry and enable damaged spots on the skin to calm. It is just a matter of sprinkeling and a bit of dabbling. The advantage is that you don’t have to touch the buttocks which often can be quite painful. However, make sure to clean the buttocks of your kid thoroughlyin between to make sure no lumps of maizena stay behind between the buttocks or in the vagina. When the buttocks skin appears more calm you can chose to change to treating with a soothing ointment that supports the complete repair of the skin.

How to continue?

How to continue with nappy rash?

In the case of nappy rash you don’t have to visit the GP. In most cases you can solve the problem by changing the diaper more often, keeping the buttocks dry and by lubricating the skin with a soothing nappy rash cream.

Related products

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Nappy Rash Cream  –  from 0 yrs

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