Who else wants to learn how to treat a rash on their baby? The raw baby rash can be very painful for your little one and usually comes from damp diapers, rubbing, or skin sensitivity.
Even a baby diaper that’s put on too tightly can be a cause of red skin on the bottom. The good news is that with some simple strategies, it’s easy to get the inflammation under control.
You can even prevent them from developing by using best diaper rash cream, but more about those later. Here are some of the best working easy tips to treat your child’s diaper rash.
1. Keep the Bottom Clean and Dry
One of the easiest diaper rash treatments is simply changing the diapers the second they get wet. You may be wondering if this means also getting up at night to change your child’s diapers.
The simple answer is, yes. During the child’s first year, parents can expect to lose lots of sleep hours. There’s no way around it.
Before putting on a new diaper, clean your baby’s bottom gently with a dry washcloth and let the skin air-dry.
Remember though, that your baby should also spend some time diaper-free. This helps to keep the area between the legs dry.
Once the skin is dry, you can apply some cream on it.
2. Applying Creams for Diaper Rash.
A diaper rash cream provides skin with a protective layer. The best part is that most of them come without a prescription. Apply them directly on the rash several times a day to soothe the skin.
For extra protection from the moisture, go for products that contain zinc oxide. A bonus tip is to rub some petroleum jelly on the layer of diaper cream. This prevents the diaper from getting stuck to the cream.
But can you rub any skin cream on your baby? No. The product has to be specifically made for kids. Ingredients like benzocaine, salicylates, and baking soda can be poisonous to babies.
A word of caution: you shouldn’t scrub the layer of cream off when changing diapers. Especially not with a simple washcloth. The harshness of the material can further damage the skin. If you want to wipe the cream away, use soft cotton balls. Or even better: make the wipes yourself.
3. Homemade Wipes Are the Safest
Many doctors would advise parents to not use regular wipes. Most of them contain alcohol which burns the inflamed areas further. Needless to say, applying alcohol to red skin is also extremely painful for the baby.
Simple paper towels that are only slightly dampened with clean water are the best solution. You can prepare your own wipes by cutting the paper towels in half, sprinkling some water on them, and keeping them in Tupperware containers.
These simple wipes are the most effective ones to use with severe rashes. They don’t further damage the skin or cause any additional pain.
But wipes are not the only items that need to be smooth to the skin.
4. Soft Surfaces
When you take the diaper off and let your baby be without it, then every surface it has contact with, has to be soft. Babies love crawling around on the floor, but make sure to cover the ground with soft blankets.
The same goes for highchairs. When it’s time to eat, place a soft blanket on the chair. And if you take your baby in your lap, set the same soft blanket beneath him or her.
Although car seats should also be covered with something nice, you shouldn’t really plan outings, when your baby has a rash.
5. Staying at Home
Once your baby gets a rash, you should try to avoid any visits until the child’s skin is better.
Staying at home enables you to give your baby lots of diaper-free time, which is essential for keeping the skin dry and reducing the inflammation as quickly as possible.
Too much heat or uncomfortable clothes can make all types of rashes only worse. Obviously, your child can be quite troublesome, when having a painful rash.
It’s easiest to deal with that at your home than at a friend’s place for example.
But even at home, your baby still needs to put the diapers on at some point. Let’s look at some guidelines for diapering a child with a red bottom.
6. Looseness Is the Key
Does the rash on your baby’s diaper area keep coming back? This is a clear sign that you should change for bigger diapers.
You can even go for a size that’s meant for much older babies. Just tighten the diapers around the waist. The bigger size gives additional breathing room for the skin. This can help to reduce redness faster.
And we’ve saved the most important tip for last.
7. Bathe Often
Hang on a minute? Shouldn’t you keep your baby’s inflamed bottom away from any moisture? It’s true. But the trick is to get the temperature of the water right.
A bit cooler water than you would normally use for bathing can be very soothing for your baby’s skin. Use only mild soap and don’t forget: when drying the skin after, don’t scrub. Instead, pat the skin lightly until it’s dry.
Conclusion
Treating the diaper rash should be relatively easy with these 7 tips we’ve laid out for you. The main cause of any skin inflammation on a newborn’s skin is moisture.
Excessive wetness can cause a teething rash on your baby’s face or a diaper rash around their bottom. Although the inflammation is mostly not dangerous, it can cause great discomfort and pain for your infant. So do your best to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
What did you think of our tips for baby rash treatment? Did the article give you some guidance on how to help your little one? Leave comments below, we’d love to hear about your experiences. Your opinion is important to us!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Betti Wilson is a proud mother of three sons. She runs a small baby clothing business which was inspired by seeing how fast her own children were outgrowing their clothes.
Parenting can be challenging and Lea’s been through a lot with her sons. She loves sharing her experiences through blogging.
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