What is diaper rash?
Diaper rash (or diaper rash) is the most common problem new parents face. In fact, this is a rather dangerous disease that requires an immediate response and causes serious damage to the integrity of the skin and inflammatory processes.
Diaper rash is an inflammation of the skin of non-infectious etiology, which appears as a result of prolonged contact of individual areas of the skin with moisture or friction.
In infants, diaper rash is most often found in the natural folds of the skin, on the butt, neck, and lower abdomen. They can often be seen behind the child's ear or in the groin.
Common locations
Diaper rash most often appears in the following places:
- Buttocks and the area between them;
- Armpits;
- Groin;
- Toes;
- Crotch;
- Thigh folds;
- Neck area.
Armpits
Even compliance with all preventive measures cannot protect the baby from the harmful effects of redness of the skin. In the armpits, this phenomenon occurs due to constant friction of the skin.
Armpit in a child
Baby's butt
Diaper rash on the bottom of a baby occurs quite often, since this is where a large accumulation of moisture is located. Constantly wearing a diaper leads to an unpleasant phenomenon.
Important! If a baby has diaper rash in the bottom, it is necessary to give the baby more frequent air baths. Ideally, after changing the diaper, at least 15-20 minutes. If this does not help, you should think about changing the brand of diaper.
Behind the ear
Dust, dirt and moisture accumulate behind the ear. The skin in this area is delicate and prone to irritation, so red areas appear that begin to get wet. If diaper rash appears behind the ear in a newborn, it is necessary to rinse the skin with water, dry it and apply a special cream.
On the neck
By regurgitating food, the baby gets his neck dirty, moisture gets into the fold and gets pinched. Lack of proper hygiene can cause redness and diaper rash.
Causes of skin inflammation
The most important reason for the appearance of diaper rash in children is not entirely proper care of the dermatological surfaces. The longer they are in contact with an aggressive environment, the more the inflammatory processes worsen.
The skin of a newborn is very delicate and vulnerable to external influences. With prolonged contact with moisture, its natural lubrication disappears and a favorable environment for the development of microbes is formed.
The situation is aggravated by elevated temperature and the presence of mechanical irritation - skin friction. The causes of diaper rash in a child may be the following:.
Possible complications
Frequent complications of advanced diaper rash are purulent skin diseases:
- Streptoderma;
- Mycosis;
- Inflammation of the genital organs and urinary tract;
- Microbial eczema, which is difficult to treat and quickly becomes chronic;
- Penetration of microbes deep into tissues leads to severe purulent diseases, which may require the use of an antibiotic;
- Generalized blood poisoning.
Important! At the first signs of diaper rash, it is important to prevent further development of bacteria through hygiene measures.
Varieties
Conventionally, different stages of diaper rash are distinguished.
- The initial stage is characterized by mild redness, the integrity of the skin is not compromised;
- The second stage - the skin in the affected areas is bright red, erosive, possibly with pustules;
- The third stage of diaper rash is characterized by weeping cracks in the skin, severe redness, and sometimes even ulcers form. Diaper rash of this degree not only looks scary, but also causes severe pain, and the child experiences discomfort. They are especially painful in the groin for both boys and girls.
Accordingly, different types of diaper rash should be treated using different methods. If at the initial stage the problem can be easily solved by applying an anti-inflammatory cream or oil and leaving the baby naked for longer to take air baths, then with weeping wounds these remedies will not help.
Vaseline oil and greasy cream will cover the skin surface with a film, which will impede healing. Although diaper rash in newborns is precisely the situation where effective treatment depends on timely elimination of the causes and preventive measures taken, that is, on proper care of baby skin.
Minor diaper rash in newborns, treatment
No matter the degree of diaper rash in a baby, even slight redness in the folds of the skin of the legs and in the groin or neck cannot be ignored. The situation may be aggravated by the addition of a bacterial infection and treatment will be complicated.
There are several types of disease that differ in etiology:
Therapy
Diaper rash of the first degree of severity, when redness appears on the skin, is treated independently. To do this, you need to follow hygiene rules, take a shower regularly, and lubricate the affected areas with cream or ointment.
In children
The thin, sensitive skin of newborns is often at risk of diaper rash. The butt, the space between the buttocks, the neck, the groin area, and the armpits are especially vulnerable in children. Redness, rashes (sweating rash) often form here, and in advanced cases, continuous weeping wounds.
The main cause of pathology is prolonged contact with wet clothes or a diaper. Excess moisture accumulates on the skin of infants with increased wrapping. In places where sweat is secreted, microbes develop, causing redness and then pimples.
Inflammation of the skin may be associated with the introduction of unusual foods into the diet. Medicines the mother takes while breastfeeding are also a risk factor.
To prevent disease, you must follow the following rules:
- change the diaper frequently, washing the baby every time;
- use children's cosmetics with caution;
- provide only high-quality and age-appropriate products;
- wash and iron diapers and linen;
- use cotton clothes with seams facing out;
- Lubricate skin folds with oil after washing.
Such measures will be sufficient to treat mild diaper rash. If a baby is diagnosed with moderate inflammation, the doctor prescribes mash, which is prepared in a pharmacy . Any pustules that appear are burned with brilliant green or sprayed with Panthenol spray.
In case of severe skin lesions in a child, cotton swabs with solutions of silver nitrate or tannin are used. Dried areas are lubricated with zinc paste and syntomycin emulsion.
In men
In the stronger half of humanity, the armpits, groin area, and interdigital spaces on the toes are most often susceptible to inflammation and redness. Diaper rash is worse in people who are overweight or in those who neglect personal hygiene . Men suffering from diabetes especially need to take care of themselves to prevent the development of a severe stage of inflammation.
If large areas of ulceration appear, consult a doctor. The specialist will rule out the presence of concomitant diseases. For diaper rash in adults in intimate places, it is recommended to use Panthenol.
You can prepare herbal foot baths at home. Oak bark is especially good for healing as it minimizes sweating. The same solution is used to wipe the armpits and groin area. The feet are washed using tar soap, then lubricating the dried skin with regenerating agents.
Among women
The most common places for diaper rash in women are the groin, the area under the breasts, and the thigh areas. The main reasons include obesity, hyperhidrosis, wearing tight underwear, and some diseases.
Inflammation of the skin under the breasts causes a lot of trouble. The symptoms are similar to those of eczema or psoriasis. To differentiate the pathology, you need to contact a skin and venous dispensary.
Diaper rash in the thigh area usually occurs as a result of friction between the thighs. The damaged epidermis creates discomfort when walking, and over time, ulcers form at the site of redness. Failure to comply with hygiene rules and synthetic underwear provoke inflammation in the groin. The associated infection contributes to the formation of purulent, weeping wounds.
Signs of diaper rash in newborns
Parents should examine the baby’s body every day and very carefully so as not to miss the accumulation of moisture in certain areas or the first redness on the skin. Even a completely inexperienced mother can easily identify the signs of diaper rash in a child, after seeing in the photo what such irritations look like:
- At the initial stage, redness is observed in a certain area on the child’s body, but the integrity of the skin is not compromised.
- The second stage of diaper rash in a baby is characterized by severe redness of the skin, roughening of such areas and the appearance of microcracks on them.
- At the third stage, the damaged skin begins to become wet, erosions and pustules appear on it. The child suffers greatly from such irritations, and the risk of infection entering the child’s body increases greatly.
The clinical picture of the disease differs depending on the degree of diaper rash.
Symptoms of the disease
Diaper rash in the groin of a baby has the following symptoms:
Symptoms of diaper rash in newborns depend on the stage of the inflammatory process in the skin.
Let's consider three degrees:
- The first stage is a slight hyperemia of the skin (redness, redness), without violating the integrity. Prevention is needed!
- The second stage is manifested by bright red eroded areas with a mass of microcracks. Sometimes a rash and pustules appear. This is where active treatment needs to begin.
- The third stage is severe: the inflamed areas of the skin are brightly hyperemic, weeping cracks, and possible detachment of the epidermis. The skin of a newborn can easily become infected with fungi and bacteria with further development into microbial eczema.
Diagnosis of the disease
When the first signs of inflammation appear, it is necessary to show the baby to a pediatrician or dermatologist. The diagnosis is made based on examination. If an infected diaper rash is suspected, the following measures are taken:
- culture of discharge from affected areas;
- scraping from the affected area for fungi.
Additionally, a consultation with an allergist may be prescribed.
How are diaper rash treated?
At home, you can use ready-made pharmaceutical ointments to prevent and combat diaper rash. All these remedies relieve inflammation quite well and prevent damage to the deep layers of the epidermis.
Effective ointments:
• Zinc. Has an antiviral effect and quickly heals wounds• Nystatin. This external antibiotic is prescribed if there is a suspicion of fungal infections.• Syntomycin. Relieves inflammation and kills pathogenic bacteria and viruses
Folk remedies do a good job of treating inflamed skin. But if you choose herbs for treatment, then do everything very carefully. A fragile body may react negatively to some plants.
Therefore, before you start making compresses or putting your baby in the bath, be sure to conduct a test on a small area of skin. If everything goes well, you can start treatment.
Popular means:
The first thing a mother who notices signs of skin irritation in her child needs to do is determine whether it is really diaper dermatitis, and not signs of an allergy to food or hygiene products.
Next, without delay, they begin treatment for diaper rash in newborns so that they do not progress to a more severe stage. An important step in this matter is to eliminate as much as possible factors that contribute to skin damage.
Only minor redness can be removed with fresh air and hygiene; in other cases, comprehensive treatment of diaper rash in newborns is necessary. Naturally, in the early stages you can resort to the help of chamomile decoctions and a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
After each washing and drying, it is recommended to use Desitin cream. This is a very good product, although it has a very unpleasant odor. All due to the fact that the composition includes cod liver oil. Despite this, the ointment perfectly protects the baby’s skin during sleep.
Diaper rash in the groin in children is treated using the following methods:
- medicinal;
- alternative.
It is necessary to take into account the tender age of the child and not use aggressive drugs or hormonal ointments for treatment.
As a rule, the prophylactic use of baby creams or oils can prevent diaper rash, provided that other preventive measures are also followed.
You can treat diaper rash in a child at home at the initial stage of development of skin inflammation.
For treatment use:
Below we will look at how to treat diaper rash and what preventative procedures to use.
Baths for diaper rash
For infants, baths are recommended daily.
Bathing procedure:
- For bathing, take water slightly above room temperature. To determine the water temperature, there is an old woman’s method - lower the arm bent at the elbow. The sensitivity of the skin on the elbow is equivalent to the sensitivity of a baby's skin.
- Manganese is added to the bath, a few grains are added to the tip of a knife.
- Manganese has a drying property, so it is useful for preventing inflammation.
- Bath the child for 5 to 10 minutes without using soap.
Every other day, use a decoction of chamomile, string and manganese. Chamomile and string are a natural antiseptic.
Powders
For comfort and dryness of the groin area, powders created specifically for babies are used. They are applied to clean skin after bathing to prevent irritation:
- in the groin;
- on the neck;
- under the baby's arms.
An alternative to powder is potato starch.
Baby body oils
Oils used are created specifically for babies, on natural bases:
Treatment of diaper rash in newborns with folk remedies
Traditional medicine has many remedies that help cure diaper rash in a child’s groin. In particular, it is proposed to use vegetable oils, which are slightly heated in a water bath and then evenly applied to the baby’s skin.
However, it is worth remembering that if the irritation is severe, the oil may worsen the situation.
A more common method is baths prepared using herbal infusions. The principle of their preparation is approximately the same: a herbal mixture is brewed in a small container, which is then poured into a bowl of warm water.
Moreover, herbal baths help get rid of diaper rash not only for babies, but also for adults.
Opinions of mothers on forums
Mothers on forums often share their experiences in caring for children. One of the frequently discussed problems is how to treat severe diaper rash. Here we would like to list the means that, judging by the reviews, are the most effective:
- Sea buckthorn oil, lubricate diaper rash at night. The reviews are very good.
- Bepanten for the night.
- Desitin, Boroplus, Sudocrem.
- “Grandma’s remedy” for diaper rash: fucorcin and zinc ointment (zinc paste) are cheap remedies that have been used since the times of the USSR. Sold in a pharmacy. It should be used with caution - fucorcin stains very strongly and is difficult to wash off hands and clothes. First, a small amount of fucorcin is applied to a cotton pad, the diaper rash is treated, and dried. Then apply a thick layer of zinc ointment (preferably at night), dry it and put on a diaper. The method is relevant when neither creams nor powders help.
- A mixture of 10% streptocide and baby cream (cat and dog on the package) in a 1 to 1 ratio.
- Sterilized vegetable oil.
- Panthenol is medicinal, safe for children (with a smiley face on the packaging).
We hope the cheat sheet will help mothers answer the question “What to do if a child has severe diaper rash, how to treat it?” Share your experience in the comments - your experience will be useful to everyone