Diaper Allergies?

I had a friend whose son was allergic to a particular brand of diapers. I don't remember now which brand, but I know she traced it to the diaper, after eliminating other possibilities.

I don't think you are crazy!!
My son, who is now almost 8, could use ANY diaper with no problem even the super cheap ones but could NOT use Huggies wipes. He'd get these weird blister type sores.
When my daughter came along, she was the opposite. It had to be Pampers or Luvs diapers only!! Anything else & she'd get diaper rash. I never had trouble with any wipes with her, but after what happened with my son I didn't even think about Huggies wipes. I've never been a fan of Huggies anyway.
So I'd have to tell you just to stick with Huggies or Luvs. Why mess with perfection,right?
Myself for example am allergic to Baby Magic baby wash but not to any other. I break out in hives.
Sorry if I wasn't any help. I just wanted to tell you that I have been there done that!! Good luck!!

Hi, my niece had the almost exact same story, she was allergic to the pampers. My niece could use the Luvs or some store brands, but not one kind of pampers. You are not crazy!!!!

not crazy at all. My niece is devastatingly allergic to Luvs diapers. Has no problem with Huggies or Pampers, only Luvs. It could just be something that they use in the paperms.

I can remember my Mom having that problem with my younger sister. But that was almost 30 years ago. And it was the Huggies and Luvs she was allergic to. But if your son has super sensitive skin than sure, it can happen.

I have found that pampers do not stay as dry as huggies which could make the rash worse. My son used to get real bad rashes i think it is the acids in urine. His poor bum would look like he had been burnt. Huggies has always been my favorite. (or bj's brand)

You are not crazy! As a small baby my DD was in Pampers Swaddlers, then when she was bigger we tried Cruisers and voila- A RASH! I tried other mainstream brand but had leak issues. So now we also use chlorine-free 7th Generation and she has never had a rash. They are more expensive but it's worth it for a rash-free baby!

It is most likely the diapers. I had been using pampers since my daughter was born and it was making me broke, so I switched to the Walmart brand when she was about 3 or 4 months old. The next day when she got up she was red on her but and crotch in the exact shape of the diaper she was wearing! I immediately switched back to pampers and the rash went away. So you're not crazy! good luck

the very same thing happens to my son EVERY time i use pampers. he always breaks out in a red bumpy rash! we have used huggies since birth, but for budget reasons i sometimes bought pampers if there was a sale. each time he wore them he got a bad rash. i was told there is perfume in pampers diapers and apparently our children are allergic to it. stick with huggies =).

My twin girls could never ever use huggies, and even pampers were questionable. My pediatrician told us that sometimes the kids are allergic to the absorbant gels used in the diapers, and that some kids with such allergies benefit by using "cheaper" and even store brand diapers because they don't contain as much "absorbant" material and do contain more cotton in the liners. Supposedly they can be allergic to the wetness absorbers themselves or since they contain so much that the wetness being held in the diaper can irritate their skin. Hope this helps!

Hi there. I saw your post and had to respond. My son has severe reactions to diapers as well. We have to use the cheaper Walmart or Target brands ( which work well for the checkbook) because any of the others make him break out in a rash as well. My pedi said that some manufacturers use certain perfumes or additives to try to control the smell of the diaper. Your son is probably allergic to something in the diaper. Stick with what works for you. You are NOT crazy!!!!!

Before my daughter was born, my sister in law told me to never change diaper brands or wipes. She always used the same wipes and diapers and said my niece never got diaper rashes. I did the same thing and found it to be true. She did have just a few minor diaper rashes that would clear up with desatin almost immediately, and were usually attributed to something dietary. Babies have very sensative skin and I am sure that their systems must get used to a certain chemical or ph and if you switched diapers that put it off somehow. I believe you and good thing you switched back.

yES! tHINK ABOUT IT, SMELL THEM,THEN SMELL THE GERNERIC ONES. THERE IS SOMETHING IN THEM (DONT KNOW WHAT). I HAVE HEARD OF KIDS HAVING FLARE-UPS JUST BY USING CERTAIN DIAPERS, AND WIPES FOR THAT MATTER. AS A PARENT WITH EXCEMA ON MY HANDS, I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, SOME OF THE WIPES BURN MY HANDS. IMAGINE HOW THEIR LITTLE BUMS FEEL! DONT FEEL BAD, YOUR NOT CRAZY. DOES YOUR SITTER HAVE/HAD KIDS?

L., If your crazy then I was crazy also. My daughter had the same problem when she was a little younger. We always used Pampers Cruisers, then once I decided to try another brand, I think it was huggies. As soon as I put that diaper on her she got a bad diaper rash. When I stopped using them it totally cleared up. Its just one of those things I guess that leaves you scratching your head...lol. Needless to say I have stayed with the papmers, now its potty time.

Hi L.

You are not crazy. I got lucky with my daughter and she has had very few rashes (only rashes associated with teething). However, my best friend has 4 kids (2 girls and 2 boys). Both of her boys were allergic to Pamper brand diapers and we rash free when she switched them to Luvs. Her daughters (now 9 mo old) are doing just fine with Pampers. Her Pediatrician actually told her that boys are more likely to have diaper rashes or allergies to Pamper Brand, while girls seem to have that same reaction to Huggies or Luv Brand. Ask your pediatrician, will probably let you know that it's fairly common.

My nephew is 8 months old and for a few stressful months he had the same problem (severely) with all the popular brand diapers. My sister's doc recommended she use 7th Generation clorine free diapers. I think you can get them at Stop and Shop. They are free of everything and a natural brown-ish color. Within 24 hours of using them he was fine and has never had a rash since. On the note of excema...my 2.5 year old daughter has suffered from it since she was a couple weeks old. Her hands face and legs and knees have had continueous breakouts. The face breakouts went away on their own before she was a year. But up until a couple weeks, ago when she went to see an allergist, my poor girl had red, cracked hands and knees (front and back) that were constantly itching her. We'd tried everything from A to Z and what worked one week, stopped working the next. Creams, lotions, hydrocortizone, benadryl, you name it. Most things she complained burned her skin, even if it was meant for sensitive skin or children. So, to make a long story shorter, we were prescribed Mometasone Furoate by a pediatric allergist at Mass General and my daughters skin has NEVER (I mean NEVER) been smoother. We were told to use it a couple days after it all went away and it still hasn't come back. We are awaiting allergy test results to see what had been possibly triggering it, but I can tell you that for a topical remedy, this was by far the best!

My 10-year-old had the same problem with Luvs when she was a baby, but she was fine with every other brand (even the cheap walmart brand). I always thought it had something to do with the way they were made in 1997-98, they were still "plastic-like" then. You're not crazy!!

It's possible, my daughter had reallly bad diaper rash that cleared up when i switched to all natural diapers and used Burts Bees diaper rash cream. Good luck!

nope, your not crazy. my daughter has a very sensitive rump as well. i have tried 3 different types of diapers, and the only ones i can use are huggies diapers. anything else gives her a terrible rash. i got an amazing deal on regular pampers diapers when she was a few months old. i brought them home all excited, and put my lil' darlins bunz in them. by late afternoon her bum was all red, and by the next morning the diaper rash was so bad. i had never seen a bumm so red and raw.

so, i think its possible. lets put it this way, i may not be right, but am not going to risk my lil' girls discomfort in a test to see if it does it again. huggies are what i'll use from now on!!

hope i helped!!

Hi L.,
You're not crazy, my brother and I were both allergic to pampers when we were kids. My Mother had to buy luvs cause that's the only one that wouldn't irritate our skin! Also, my friends son has had problems with really bad diaper rash, she has told me that Boudrou's Butt Paste works really well on it! Good luck!

L.,

You are definately not CRAZY. I have a friend who had the exact same problem with the same diapters. Her daughter had a problem with Pampers as well. She ended up switching to huggies! Good Luck!

My daughter, now 20 months is allergic to certain kinds of diapers too. She can wear the loves and the generic Walmart kind but if I put her in any other type of diaper, her crotch and her butt becomes so red and soar that she just cries while I change her. We have learned to stay away from these types of diapers. Hope this helps.

M.

yes it is most likely the diapers!! i worked in a daycare for 15 years and i saw that happen to a few children.

Hi L. -

I don't use Pampers diapers on my son Peter(also 18 months old), because one of our nurses told us they have a higher ammonia content - especially when wet - and can really irritate the skin. They also have a tendency to get a really weird chemical smell once any liquid hits them (even water does this, if you test them).

I have very sensitive skin myself, so I have never liked using scented diapers - the perfumes and dyes can cause rashes. We use the White Cloud diapers (available only through Wal-Mart, unfortunately) and the Pampers sensitive skin wipes, along with Aveeno diaper rash ointment as needed on Pete. The White Cloud diapers are less expensive, are unscented, have the John Lennon "Real Love" designs (which I think are cuter than Sesame Street or Disney, personally!), and have all the features of the more expensive brands. I don't think you're nuts at all - I would agree that your son's diaper rash was directly related to his being in Pampers brand diapers!

Try the White Cloud diapers - they don't cause rashes, promise!

B.

P.S. We use the Huggies Overnight with Pete at night - also unscented - and have never had a problem with them either.

Nope, you are not crazy. If I were you, I'd skip the disposables all together. You can't go wrong with a cloth diaper. No gel, no chemicals (and much, much better for the environment, too!). You'll be happy, baby will be happy and evironmentalists world wide will be singing your praises!

Good luck!

L.

Trust your instincts. If your precious one is doing better with Luvs instead of Pampers, stick with Luvs. Its not at all nutty to think that there may be some toxin in Pampers that is bothering his little bum! Remember that you're the Mom - and Mom knows best!

Hi. When my son was born (almost 9 yrs. ago now) He had very sensative skin. The only diaper his bottom could tollerate was Huggies - the kind that was most like cloth. He, too, would break out into a bad rash if we used any other kind of diaper. If I hadn't found the Huggies I would have gone to real cloth diapers. He still has skin issues. He constantly gets unexplained hives and is itchy a lot. I've had him to the dr's and an allergist and he was found to only be allergic to alternaria mold. So, to make a long story short, don't let your babysitter change your mind. He is your child and who else would know him the best if not his mama?! Let her know, under no circumstances, is she to use any other kind of diapers on him except the ones you tell/provide her with. All that rashing can get really bad and bleed and possibly scar if not kept in check. Been there, tried that, bought the T-shirt.

Not sure if I can be of much help. But everytime someone walks into my daughters room, they say "it smells like a baby in here" It is the stack of diapers sitting on her changing table. If you smell a clean diaper, they are so highly scented no wonder why they get rashes. I personally like Luvs and use a bit of vaseline on her bottom after changings. As far as the on going eczema, my son has had it for years. After seeing a dermatologist I was told to use All "free and clear" laundry detergent and absolutely no dryer sheets at all. It has really minimized the problem for him.

Hi L.!

You are not crazy-my nephew also had allergies to a certain diaper. I think there is a chemical to help the "gel" the wetness so that they don't leak!

Good luck!
M.

Yes, it is possible to be allergic to diapers. Or rather, to the stuff they put in diapers to make them more absorbent, and also to cover the smell.

Some companies don't scent or put excessive chemicals in diapers, one parent I knew found that the BJ's wholesale club brandname, berkeley and jensen, had the least chance of causing adverse skin reactions of disposables.

My older brother had to have cloth diapers growing up according to my parents, he couldn't tolerate disposables at all.

I don't think you're crazy at all. One thing I can tell you is that a few months ago (maybe more?) Pampers changed their Cruisers and now they have a mesh liner that allows the gel in them to leak out when they get really wet and heavy (like overnight). I had one friend whose daughter had to stop wearing them when they changed.

Stick with what works for your sweetie's bum. Oh, and I've had really great results with Aveeno diaper creme -- clears up most anything in a day or so.

We had that problem with my son when we used Target's Diapers and cvs's Pull ups. So you aren't crazy :)

No you are not crazy. All the children in my family is allergic to that brand and JJ baby products. I've nerve complained about I just strop using the products.

i have heard of that problem with pampers before, i dont know what they put in them, but they even smell different, almost powdery, than luvs or huggies, stick with what you know, but i would suggest calling the company with a complaint, maybe if they receive enough, they will stop "perfuming" our babies bums! YOU are his mother by the way, of course you know you baby better than the babysitter...you are not crazy!

You're not crazy at all. We found that when we switched FROM Pampers Baby Dry to store brand, our son got a horrendous rash.

Yes! My 9 mo. old baby girl cannot where pampers either. Every time we have put them on her the same thing happened. Red and raw. I think pampers may be more heavily perfumed than the other ones and it is a sensitivity to the perfume.

Hi L.,
I raised my 6 children and 3 step kids.My granddaughter has allergies the Luv.so you are not crazy.
I think they have something in the diapers that the kids break out.I would try a little baking soda in her bath water for the eczema.For diaper rash a little cornstarch.It wouldn't hurt to try it.
let me know if it works.

I know someone whose baby is allergic to the chlorine in diapers. I would say that different brands have different levels of chlorine. There are diapers that are "chlorine free"...but they are pretty expensive compared to luvs or huggies. If luvs and huggies worked for you then stick with those. Good luck :-)
My 1 year old has struggled with eczema since a month or so old...it's so hard and frustrating for both him and me. If there are any tips you can give me, I'd LOVE to hear them!

Hi L...... I swear my daughter was allergic to huggies...every time i would use them she always ended up with a rash that became blisters and then burst open to make it a bleeding rash. I switched back to pampers and havent had a prob. With my youngest daughter-she can wear any type of diaper....so yes it is possible.Now my daughter is 3 and she can wear any type of diaper. So your 18 month old may grow out of it. When they are young like that-anything can irritate sensitive skin, especially urine/poop saturated skin.

Hi L.,

Pampers Cruisers give my daughter a terrible rash. It was awful. After trying all different types of butt ointments and antifungal Rx's nothing worked. So my mother suggested switching diapers, I got Stop & Shop hypoallergenic diapers (cotton tails) and she hasn't had the rash since. About a month ago we were in California and I couldn't find a hypoallergenic diaper, so I bought Cruisers, and the rash came back - so I'm certain it is the diapers. You are not crazy!

I've heard of this before. Several of my friends have had trouble using one type of diaper or another. I know that the more expensive doesn't always mean the best for your child. I used to use the White Cloud (Walmart)on my son because others would leave a "gel" on his bottom when they got wet. My daughter uses whatever. Good luck.

WIth my daughter we had to switch to cloth diapers, it was no harder than disposable and cheaper. she was that allergic.
Also gold bond medicated lotion is a good one for rash :)

Hello,

I haven't hear of that happening with a paticular diaper brand but I thought it sounded like an alergic reaction to the diaper before I got to the end of your story.

~A.

It's very likely that your son is allergic to the diapers. Disposables are full of toxic chemicals which are being placed on the most sensitive areas of babies' skin, including dioxin. Before disposables, diaper rash was nearly unheard of, as were potty training issues that lasted past 3 years of age. If the Luvs keep the rash at bay, definitely stop using the Pampers.