- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- babies today articles
- babies today q&a
- toddlers today articles
- toddlers today q&a
- breastfeed.com articles
- breastfeed.com q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Diaper Rash
Detecting and Treating Diaper Rash
By Lisa Marie Metzler
It is estimated that a baby will use six to 10 diapers each day. This translates to 2,000 to 3,000 diapers each year. With all these changes, your baby's tender skin needs special care.
"It may be difficult to distinguish between a 'normal' diaper rash (irritant) and a yeast (candidal) infection," says Dr. Pamela Phillips, a pediatrician at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside, Manhattan, N.Y. "Irritant diaper rash usually involves the buttocks, lower abdomen and upper thighs. Candidal infections tend to be bright red with sharp borders and satellite papules and often involve the areas within the folds."
According to Dr. Phillips, a diaper rash that lasts more than four to five days despite treatment is usually a yeast infection.
When Joyce Steel's baby girl was 18 months old, she developed a rash. Steel, who lives in Ramsey, N.J., treated the rash, but it seemed to only become worse and more painful, so she called her pediatrician. "It turned out she had a yeast infection," says Steel. "It surprised me because I had no idea babies were susceptible to yeast infections." Her pediatrician prescribed Nystatin cream (an antifungal medication), and within a week, the yeast infection was gone. Steel's pediatrician says yeast infections are not uncommon, and because Steel's baby had spent a lot of time in the pool the constant moisture level created a good breeding ground for the yeast.
"The most important thing is good diaper hygiene," says Dr. Phillips. "Change diapers frequently, use a soft cloth and water to cleanse the diaper area and apply a barrier ointment such as Desitin or Balmex. Keep the area open to air for short periods when possible."
The candida albicans is an organism that lives on the skin of many healthy people. But under the right conditions, a yeast infection will result. Yeast infections thrive in the moist environment of the diaper area, especially if there is already an irritation there.
Sometimes babies will get a yeast infection if they have been taking antibiotics, too. Babies can also be susceptible to yeast infection if the baby is breastfed and the mother is taking antibiotics.
Some breastfed babies who develop a yeast infection may also have thrush. Thrush is the oral form of the candidal infection. Symptoms of thrush in a baby are white cottage cheese-like patches on the tongue and side of the mouth. Symptoms of thrush in the mother include the onset of persistently sore nipples and shooting pains in the breast during or just after feeding. "The mother needs to treat her nipples with a prescription antifungal cream," says Dr. Phillips. "However, if the infant only has a diaper rash without thrush, no treatment of the mother is typically needed."
Diarrhea also can result in a contact dermatitis rash. "This is common with diarrhea, and it needs lots of air," says Dr. Cathryn Tobin, pediatrician and author of The Parent's Problem Solver
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||