What is it like to find red spots as numerous as the stars in the clear night sky on your precious bub’s bottom?
Heartache!
Although diaper rash is a common occurrence, it still feels like an arrow to the heart when you discover it. Your baby is crying in pain, and you appear to feel the extent of their suffering, too!
What Causes Diaper Rash?
All babies have fragile, delicate skin, especially during their first three years. Unlike adults, the top protective layer is still very thin and responds quicker to the elements like moisture, temperature, and friction. Several factors are behind the cause of diaper rash. These include:
1. Leaving the wet or dirty diaper on for too long: Bacteria and fungi are ‘party animals’ that love dark, damp, and moist environments.
Urine changes the skin’s pH levels – making it the perfect breeding ground for these microorganisms; causing blisters, pus, and red bumps on the skin. Substances that prevent diaper leakage also contribute to poor air circulation.
2. Skin allergy to chemicals on the diaper: If you see a red line across the belly or the thigh, where the skin creases, it is most likely due to the elastic of the disposable diaper.
3. Wrong sizing of the diaper: You cannot squeeze an ‘S’ or ‘M’-sized diaper on a growing baby because there is still some leftover from your previous buy. Friction from the diaper on the skin can lead to diaper rash – made worse if the skin is wet.
4. Types of food consumed: Once your baby transitions to solid food or formula milk, there is a chance that a diaper rash might happen because they poop more frequently, with bigger stool size.
5. Sensitive skin: Babies with extra sensitive skin are prone to rash. Chemicals from soap, detergent, dyes (from diapers), and wipes can cause diaper rash.
When this happens, do not feel guilty!
We spoke to a few mothers, and they admitted to feeling guilty when they first found out about their babies’ diaper rash. Questions like, “Why didn’t I take better care of him/her” and “Am I such an incompetent mother?” ran through their minds.
For most first-time mothers, worry and helplessness will set in.
When this happens, do not fret.
We have tips to prevent and help ease diaper rash!
Tips to Trash the Rash
The idiom ‘soft as a baby’s bottom’ is only correctly implied when there is no diaper rash. To revive that smooth, soft, and plump bottom, you will have to follow these tips closely.
1. Change the diaper often: You would squirm at the idea of having pee or poo in your pants. Your baby would do, too – if they could put it into words.
Check the diaper often to see if they have wet or soiled it. Replace it with clean and dry diapers. Changing their diapers every 2 hours or so is also advisable.
2. Air dry for a few minutes: After a bath, be sure to wipe them dry, put on some powder, and air dry the buttocks for a few minutes.
There is a chance that they might spew golden rain (remember to place an absorbent mat where you lay them), but it is definitely better than handling a diaper rash.
3. Check product labels: Before you buy soaps, detergents, wipes, and anything that will be in contact with your baby’s skin, READ THE LABELS!
If there is perfume or alcohol present, do not buy them. In fact, using a washcloth soaked in warm water is a better alternative than wipes.
4. Give it some space: When you are strapping your bub into the diaper, remember to give it some room. We understand that you are afraid of leaks, but you want to put it on snugly without suffocating the bum.
5. Trial and error: Not all diapers are created the same. Sometimes, absorbent disposables trap moisture that might contribute to diaper rash.
You can experiment on cloth diapers or pull-up diapers and see which works better for your baby.
6. Use products with calamine: A thick protective cream that stops irritation and calms the skin will improve rash issues instantly. Calamine cream has been the go-to remedy mothers trust.
But What is Calamine Cream?
It is an over-the-counter medication that contains zinc oxide; an active ingredient that has mild antiseptic and astringent properties.
Identified by its distinctive pink hue, calamine cream has had a long history in terms of usage.
Calamine’s origins in medicinal history cannot be traced, but it is believed to have stemmed from folk medicine. It was mentioned in Greek history – appearing sometime during the first century.
For years, many have been using it to treat acne, burns, and stings – it is also gentle enough to be used on babies.
Get Dermoplex
If you are looking for calamine cream, look no further than Dermoplex
It comes in a 25-gram tube, easy to carry around and apply. Because of its properties, it does not just soothe diaper rash, it relieves prickly heat, minor skin irritations, insect bites, and sunburn, too.
Dermoplex
DISCLAIMER: Do not use this product if your baby is allergic to calamine or any of the ingredients in Dermoplex