Diaper Rash Treatment: Home Remedies for Diaper Rash

Diapers have been used for long by mothers to keep their babies dry and prevent them from soiling their clothes. Though the initial diapers were mainly made out of cloth, disposable diapers are also available in the market. There are incontinence pads for adults who have a problem in controlling their bladder. Though diapers have eased out the inconvenience associated with incontinence, with it comes the problem of diaper rash. If the diapers are not changed regularly or cannot absorb moisture well, the skin of the baby remains wet for long. This might result in the skin breaking into diaper rash. The affected skin may become red and cracked. It may become puffy and also have blisters on it. Diaper rashes are painful. If your baby cries for no apparent reason, you should check for diaper rash. There are certain ways of carrying out diaper rash treatment at home itself.

How to Prevent Diaper Rash

Diaper rashes are very common for babies, especially in the first two years of their lives. However, if a mother is careful, she may be able to minimize the chances of her baby developing diaper rashes. The best way to beat this problem is to ensure that the skin is dry. Check regularly if your baby requires a diaper change. Ensure that your baby's skin is absolutely dry before putting on a new diaper. You could pat the baby's bottom dry using a soft towel. What would be even better is to let the skin get air-dried. Be careful while choosing baby diapers as they are a very important component of baby care. In case you are using disposable diapers, choose the right ones. While a certain kind may absorb fluid very quickly, the baby might be allergic to it. However, if you use cloth diapers, do not use bleach or hard detergent to clean them as these might rub on the skin of the baby and cause irritation. Instead, wash cloth diapers in very hot water and mild detergent. In case you have to use bleach, then be sure to rinse the cloth diaper twice in 1 cup vinegar after the bleach has been used so as to remove any bleach residue.

Diaper Rash Treatment

Home Remedies for Diaper Rash
If your baby suffers from diaper rash you could resort to the following home remedies for diaper rash.

• Applying vegetable oil to the diaper rash can help heal the skin. However, before doing this, ensure that the area has been cleaned with warm water and dried well.
• Mix a tablespoon of olive oil with 5 drops of water. Whisk the mixture until it gets a smooth foamy texture, and apply it to the afflicted area.
• Putting unwrapped tea bags in the diaper could also help in curing the mild rash in a day. However, this treatment may turn the baby's bottom brown.
• You could also make a paste of corn starch and Vaseline, and apply it to the rash area.
• Take enough flour for a couple of applications. Put it on a frying pan and heat it on middle flame. Stir it while you heat it till it turns golden brown. Apply a light dusting of the slightly burnt flour on the diaper rash every time you change your baby's diaper.
• Smear Vaseline generously on the afflicted area on the baby's bottom and the diaper. This will form a waterproof layer between the baby's skin and the diaper, and will prevent worsening of the diaper rash due to further contact with wet surface.
• While giving your baby a bath, add some oatmeal to the water in the bath tub. Put the baby in the bath tub and wash the area with the water for 15 minutes.
• Applying milk of magnesia and cod liver oil obtained from cod liver oil capsules is an effective way of treating diaper rash.

Medical Treatment
Although home remedies for diaper rash are effective, some parents might refer to a doctor in case the rash becomes severe. Depending upon the type of infection, the doctor may refer ointments for diaper rash. In case the rash is due to a candidal infection the doctor may prescribe anti-fungal ointments. In case of a bacterial infection certain antibiotics may be recommended. The doctor may also prescribe a short course of mild steroid cream or ointment.

Other Measures
While you are treating the skin for diaper rash, there are certain things other than remedial measures that should be kept in mind. Take care that the skin is dry. Make sure that the skin is not in touch with urine or stool for too long. Check the diapers if they are wet and require to be changed. Make this check once every 3 hours, even in the night. Avoid using soap on the affected area. If you have to use a soap, use a mild one. Check if the baby wipes you use have propylene glycol or alcohol in it. If they do, then avoid using them until your baby recovers completely from diaper rash, as these compounds may burn your baby's tender skin. Do not put the diaper very tightly on to your baby. This may further irritate the skin. Try to keep the baby without a diaper on for as long as you can.

Although diaper rash is a common problem, diaper rash treatment is easy to be done. The simple home remedies are very effective in treating diaper rash. However, as the old age saying goes 'prevention is better than cure', take proper care that your baby does not have diaper rash at all.