Diaper rash is a really annoying
baby problem. It can get out of
control easily, and can make your
baby miserable. Luckily, it can be
controlled with a little effort on
your part. Following are some
remedies that worked well with my
children.
Some babies are just more prone
to diaper rash than others, and if
yours is prone, you’ll really have
to keep on top of the problem. The
most important thing you can do is
change your baby’s diaper regularly.
Diaper rash is caused by the skin
being constantly exposed to wetness,
so changing frequently can prevent
the problem. Most of the diaper rash
ointments on the market are designed
simply to protect your baby’s skin
from wetness, so they are great at
preventing diaper rash. If your baby
is diaper rash prone, you might want
to use an ointment at every changing
as a preventative measure.
But, what if your baby already
has a raging case of diaper rash? As
I said, most of the products labeled
as diaper rash ointments are best at
preventing diaper rash, not healing
it. There are a few concoctions that
can help cure a bad case of diaper
rash.
The first is Maalox – yes Maalox.
Put some liquid Maalox on a cotton
ball and apply to baby’s sore
bottom. Let it dry a bit before
diapering. For obvious reasons,
don’t buy the mint flavor, and don’t
use this bottle of Maalox for
anything but treating diaper rash.
A second helpful treatment for
diaper rash is an oatmeal bath.
There are some good oatmeal bath
products on the market, even some
designed especially for baby. These
work wonders on diaper rash. Usually
one or two baths is all it takes.
Finally, I had great luck when I
mixed diaper rash ointment with a
little bit of hydrocortisone cream.
About 3 parts diaper rash ointment
to one part hydrocortisone. One
caution here- check with your doctor
before you try this one, since
hydrocortisone cream is normally not
recommended for use on children
under the age of two years.
If these remedies don’t work,
check with your pediatrician. There
may be some prescription products
for extreme cases. But, the most
important measure to take for diaper
rash seems to be persistence.
Keeping on top of the problem is
your best bet for keeping the rash
at bay.