HORRIBLE Diaper Rash! HELP :(

Updated on October 03, 2011
3.B. asks from Tampa, FL
47 answers

My one year old has developed terrible diaper rash. Bright red, lots of bumps, raw. He has been having diarrhea for a few days. I think because he's teething, with a running nose etc. No fever, no vomitting. Just diarrhea, which seems to have made his little bottom just raw.
I was using a desitin creamy, and the white A&D ointment. That didn't seem to be helping so I went and bought a very expensive, organic ointment that says it's treats sever diaper rash, and rawness. It's really doesn't seem to be helping either. He SCREAMS when we change his diaper. I'm not using wipes, I'm gently blotting him w/ a soft cloth and warm water. I'm not sure what else to do. Between teething and his bottom, he's a cranky, screaming terror :( I really don't want to take him to the Dr. for them to tell me a remedy I can do at home. Our deductible is so high. Of course I will if necessary, but thought I'd ask you momma's first. Hope you have some ideas!! TIA :)

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So What Happened?

Thanks Ladies! You are awesome :) This board is such a savior sometimes LOL
You'd think after three babies, I'd have it all down pat! But my oldest and middle, NEVER had anything like this!
Thanks again, I have so much great advice to go with :)

Featured Answers

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A.F.

answers from Houston on

Sounds like yeast. My daughter will get a yeast infection every time she has a BM if we don't clean her with soap and water. So, I've dealt with a LOT of diaper rashes.

For immediate relief, do the oatmeal bath. Have her sit in it as long as she will.

Then, apply an over-the-counter antifungal like Lotrimin or the ***3-day monistat*** (it has to be the 3-day kind). The generic name is Clotrimazole. Generic works just fine. To start, I'd do it at every change.

Also, whenever you change, I'd use a soft cloth with soap and water - soap is the only thing that will actually clean the yeast and bacteria from the skin. I actually send a zip-loc bag to daycare with quartered microfiber cloths soaked in soapy water for them to use. It's the easiest thing - to just have a bag of rags ready to go.

Yeast feeds on a lot of different types of things - vinegar, cornstarch, etc. - a lot of the "normal" diaper rash treatment suggestions, so be careful.

Just keep slathering on the Clotrimazole until it starts to clear up - then I combine it with Calmoseptine (I can find it in the adult diaper section of Walgreens - some keep it behind the counter).

It usually only takes a couple of days and her little tush is good as new! If we catch it early enough, an overnight treatment of the anti-fungal is usually all it takes and she's perfect by morning.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.D.

answers from Dallas on

What worked for me was using a generic anti-fungal cream and then slathering aquifor over that as a barrier...worked like a charm!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.M.

answers from Cleveland on

I'd bet that it's a yeast infection. My son gets them after bouts with diarrhea as well as when he's teething. They look very similar to a diaper rash, but you need the Nystatin ointment and it'll clear right up.

More Answers

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

Ok here is my tried and true fast acting treatment ... Mylanta, yes the tummy stuff ... cotton ball Mylanta onto the effective area then slather your zinc cream or vaseline over so it stays on the skin and by the next diaper change you should see a change ... continue until rash is gone probably 24-72hrs depending on just how bad it is. Also add luke warm baths with baking soda and air dry as well.

3 moms found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Try Bag Balm, available at Walgreens. It's in a green square can. It's the stuff farmers put on the cows udders so they don't crack and bleed. I use it for all kinds of skin issues. It's great on burns too.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.F.

answers from Utica on

I have been thru this with my daughter when teething and it feels horrible to see your little one in so much pain so I truly feel for you. After trying every damn diaper cream on the market and trying at home recipes and remedies I finally found one that I swear up and down will work (so long as this is actually a diaper rash and not a yeast infection). Lanolin nipple cream for breastfeeding mothers. It sounds crazy but this stuff will protect and shield your babys raw bum like no other. And this stuff is safe enough to eat so you know that its safe. Its a bit pricey for tube ($14) but you only need the smallest amount and hey if it works I think any parent would shell out the extra cash to make their child better
Good Luck

2 moms found this helpful
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J.R.

answers from Miami on

So sorry. Here is what we did:
1. Wash each time with tepid water in the sink. Blot dry with towel washed with fragrance free....

2. Put on weleda diaper cream. I swear by it (sorry for swearing). It is based on calendula and instantly cools and calms. i even used it sparingly for facial rashes, and on my husband's psoriasis! It is a miracle cream.

3. try to let your little one run around as much as possible iwth a naked tushy to let it air out...

4. As far as diapers, I heard Pampers put in a new dry max technology which can be irriating to little bottoms...so if you use it, I would switch at least temporarily.

5. if you need to wash the bottom with soap, i would use cetaphil...which is so gentle...

Hope this helps.
jilly

1 mom found this helpful

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

So many ideas and opinions.

Here is what I swear by: (Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment)

http://www.diapers.com/p/Aquaphor-Baby-Healing-Ointment-1...

I like you tried multiple brands. Someone suggested this, brand. I tried it and never looked back. I would cake it on at night and the diaper rash would be 90-100% better no matter how bad it was. We've used it for quite a few other things as well....

1 mom found this helpful

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Stop using medicated creams, and let him go bottomless, preferably in the sun... then soak his butt in epsom salt water (just a little salt, warm water), wipe with a cool damp washcloth, apply aqua fore, then diaper... if it's not gone in 2 days, call the doc for steroid creme... but that usually works :) Also, give him some yogurt to help his poor belly!!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.O.

answers from New York on

I didn't read all the answers... but try Triple Paste

You can get it at CVS... I've even seen it in grocery stores.

I can also get it at the BJ's near me, I get twice the amount for the same price as buying it at CVS.

When my son got his first real diaper rash I asked the teacher's at daycare which they found worked best and they said hands down Triple Paste. Since they have dealt with it many more times and with many kids I decided to trust them. They said destin and the other ones are good to help prevent but once it gets bad those don't do anything to help.

S.R.

answers from Kansas City on

If there are lots of bumps, it is probably a yeast rash. He will have to go to the doctor for this. Some will say to just get an over the counter fungal cream, but with my kids we couldnt use those, it made them more red and more raw. You could try it and see how it works for him though.

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H.D.

answers from Cleveland on

You have LOTS of good answers & remedies. One thing we were told was to use wipes instead of a wet wash cloth. The dr. said to hold the wipe under warm water (even unscented/hypoallergetic), wring out a BIT, & use it. He said the wash cloth (as soft as it may be) will irritate the rash even more. I felt so bad for using a wash cloth then, I thought I was helping!

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K.N.

answers from Cleveland on

california baby diaper cream treats yeast as well. Not sure what you bought but it's the first thing I thought of when you said organic and expensive. lol. It's what we use because it's also cloth diaper safe and we use cloth diapers.

It does however sound like yeast. keeping it dry is about the best thing you can do, let him run around without a diaper as much as possible between changes and the lotramin.

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K.C.

answers from Youngstown on

I had this experience and for my dd it was a yeast infections. Plain white yogurt worked wonders! I kept it in the fridge, but would warm it in my hands a bit before applying. Someone gave me this advice and it was great, so I am passing it on as well! Good Luck!!!

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

Goop him up really well!!! Also, add a probiotic(florastor kids) to help with his intestine. I would coat him really well with vaseline and then put Bourdeaux's butt paste all over it. You can sit him in an oatmeal bath too that will help and then let air dry for a bit before you put his diaper back on. They key is keeping that area really coated from being irritated.

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A.V.

answers from Indianapolis on

Using the warm wash cloth is the way to go to wipe his bottom. Also, after his bath or when dressing him in the morning, let him have a little time to run around with a naky bottom to air it out a little. I found that while my son was still having diarrhea, I just used aquaphor, because it provided the best barrior. When the diarrhea stopped, I found balmex to be the best at healing the diaper rash. And don't be afraid to use tylenol or ibuprophen.

good luck, those are tough times!

A. V.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

My Ped said to use Vaseline. With diaper pastes you can actually create more discomfort due to the rubbing trying to get it off at changing time, but with the Vaseline the poop never even touches the skin, and it is easy to clean off.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

This could be a yeast infection. Take him to be seen so you know what you're treating.

Here's a good site with some info for you:
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/skin-care/diaper-rash

Hope he's better fast!

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B.B.

answers from San Antonio on

We use Desitin for normal diaper rash, but if it gets bad our ped recommended Calmoseptine (?sp). They sell it behind the pharmacy counter at Walgreen's and CVS. It is AMAZING!! Word of warning though, it spreads like frosting on a cake, so once you put it on his bottom, leave it, don't try to spread it or you will pick it back up.(I hope that makes sense).
Good Luck!

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E.M.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with some of the other posters that it could be a yeast infection. My daughter had frequent occurrences of it until my ped and I figured out that when she ate mandarin oranges the acid in her poop made her bum raw, which led to a yeast infection. As soon as I cut the oranges from her diet, she stopped getting the infections.

So, watch what your son is eating, it might make a difference.

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

Go easy on the milk, it makes diarrhea worse. To slow it down, do the BRAT diet for awhile if you can get him to eat. You can actually use Neosporin on any open areas, and otherwise, my pediatrician said you need something with at least 40% zinc in it to clear it up. Desitin creamy has a lower zinc concentrate, as does the Desitin Clear...you need the Desitin Original (purple tube). Call your ped just to be sure he can use the Neosporin, but that combination has always worked wonders for us. And a little motrin to calm down the inflammation and take the edge off the pain for him.

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M.C.

answers from Cleveland on

On the recommendation of our doctor, I used neosporin to help heal the raw skin and then a diaper cream over that. We did end up having to get a prescription diaper cream. It seemed my daughter had a diaper rash from the moment she was born. She is almost 4 now and only wears a pullup at night and her butt still breaks out.

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D.S.

answers from Terre Haute on

I always use just plain cornstartch and a product called ButtPaste. My son is usually cleared up in 24 hours.

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C.T.

answers from New York on

Oh my, I've been down this road way too many times to tell (and I am only on child number 2's events, I am dreading my youngest getting to this stage...)

Use some anti-fungal/anti-yeast (nyastatin, I think) treatment. We have a triple cream we use that was a script. We recently used a powder version on my son and this was what worked best. I think you could start with a foot cream/powder. We did find that the powder worked best for my son.

Also, if you have any left, use the spray that the hospital gave you when you came home. It is a topical numbing spray and feels better to the kiddies. Once we applied that, we could throughly wipe down the tushy and then apply some bacitracin on the really raw areas and the anti-fungal/anti-yeast cream on the reest. We topped the whole thing off with baby poweder.

Good luck.

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M.S.

answers from Washington DC on

We always used the brown A&D and it worked REALLY well, like in just one or two applications. Good luck to your little guy!

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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I would probably try an antifungal cream at this point as well. It's hard to know if it's a fungus since you said he's been having diarrhea, but I'd try it. Only apply it 2x/day and the rest of the time use the other creams. I would also cover it with Vaseline or Aquaphor to help it stay on there and have a barrier longer. In fact I often covered the diaper rash cream with Vaseline too b/c I felt it was a better barrier. Good luck, sounds rough!!!

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M.S.

answers from Kansas City on

If it is yeast, over the counter, Lotrimin is a good choice and they have just come out with a "spray" that goes on dry, so you don't have to rub the area. I think maybe my daughter in law found it at Target. Nystatin powder works wonders for yeast, but must have prescription for it.

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B.W.

answers from Dayton on

He might need a prescription steroid creme. See your pediatrician. Good luck.

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J.K.

answers from Milwaukee on

My pediatrician recommended Balmex or Triple Paste (it's expensive but there is a money-back guarantee--and you can buy it from Wal-greens.)

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B.R.

answers from Columbus on

I agree-yeast, and also get some air on his bottom regularly.

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H.L.

answers from Cleveland on

The bumps are due to yeast. Mix up polysporin (not neosporin, some kids are allergic), antifungal ointment, and bacitracin. Try to get the ones that are ointment, not creme to make a protective layer. Then, keep this on hand: Weleda Calendula Oil (can order on Amazon, get the 7-8 oz bottle, this stuff is MAGIC) and CJ's Butter (contains coconut oil, naturally clears yeast, Google it), I'd get the tub. I use CJ's daily and if there is a flare of rash, I first coat with the calendula oil followed with CJ's.

Also up the cereal with probiotics and DHA, try the Happy Baby brand at Target. Skip fruit other than bananas. Cut slits in the diapers to vent them or better yet, switch to cloth. We have few rashes now with cloth diapering unless due to new food, illness, etc.

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N.S.

answers from Chicago on

Once you get this particular situation straightened out, I used resinol ointment. You have to ask the pharmacist for it, but don't need a prescription. It's awesome for redness and itch. I still keep some on hand for my boys who are 5 and 7 when they have tummy troubles and they get sore. they just put a little dab where it hurts and voila! all better. It does sound a lot like a yeast infection, and you've got tons of repsonses for that. I just went to the doc and got yeast medication, because nothing else worked for very long. And the florastar will work wonders, too. Good luck!

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R.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Didn't read all the responses...With our bad rashes, we alternate between these 3 items: Desitin, antifungal cream (like the stuff you'd use for athlete's foot - clotrimizole), and hydrocortisone cream. One at each diaper change. Usually gone in a day or so.

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S.R.

answers from Cincinnati on

I haven't read anyone else's answers, so you may have heard this before. But I have a lot of experience with diaper rash, unfortunately, with my two sons, ages 4 and 2.
Here are the only things I've found that really work (though we do use Desitin regularly as a preventative measure):
1. Bath with baking soda.
2. Naked time.
3. ILEX. You can buy it at some pharmacies and most medical supply stores, and online. Hospitals use it to prevent bedsores. It's powerful and it works within a few hours. You must use petroleum jelly over it, so make sure you have some.
Good luck!

OK, have to edit something in here. Now i took a glance at some other answers. If it is yeast, the corn starch others are recommending will make it WORSE. Yeast is a fungus, and fungi like the organic matter in corn. Seriously. If you think it's yeast, skip the corn starch and use lotrimin (or generic) as recommended.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

don't use desitin!! it BURNS when you have a diaper rash. get some triple paste from your local drugstore and use that instead. air out whenever possible, continue not using wipes. my son is getting a bad diaper rash too from the diarrhea he's been having so I understand. It sucks when they're so little and in pain :(

M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Get him on a probiotic to cure the diarreah. Florastor will clear it up in a day, no joke.

When my kids had bad diaper rash, I'd use Dermoplast spray to numb their butts first, and then to the ointments and diapering. Kills the pain at least.

And of course, as much as you can, let him go bare. Open air is the best medicine for diaper rash!

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

I hope I'm not repeating...our son would get terrible diaper rashes (we all have severly sensitive skin)...

At one point I was so tired of the screaming when I would clean him up I just let the kid run around in cotton shorts (and I went and bought a pack of underwear) and let him have accidents. yes I had to clean up a mess but it was so worth the peace it brought. The air just seemed to help.

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K.I.

answers from Indianapolis on

Plain corn starch. Not corn starch baby powder. The kind you find in the baking aisle. It works wonders!

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S.O.

answers from Cincinnati on

Our doctor told us to use these three items: antibiotic ointment, lotrimin antifungal cream, and desitin. I would apply them all at once in the order 2-3 times a day, not every diaper change. Also try to "air out" your child's bottom at diaper changes for a few minutes.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

If diaper cream hasn't cleared it up in a couple of days, it's probably yeast. I am going through this right now with my 1 yo daughter. She has been having diarrhea too. :( You can try putting a little Lotrimin on it. You should start to notice an improvement in a day or so. If it's not yeast, it won't hurt him.
However, also check in his mouth. Yeast on the bottom can be secondary to thrush in the mouth. If you notice white spots on the inside of his cheeks or on the tongue, call the ped for some prescription meds.
Finally, let him soak in a baking soda bath. My son had allergies and a terrible, awful bottom. That seems to sooth it better than any special bath additives.

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J.R.

answers from Toledo on

Sounds like "airing him out" is warranted. Keep him home, keep his dipaer off, keep an eye on him, and keep plenty of cleaning supplies around. Hang in there!

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L.S.

answers from Cleveland on

I used luke cotton balls soak in luke warm water to wash my baby's bottom and wipe it with dry clean clothe afterwards and she never have any rash.

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J.K.

answers from Columbus on

Use 1/2 cup Aquaphor and 2TBSP Maalox. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. It works wonders.

J.S.

answers from Hartford on

That actually sounds like a yeast infection to me. Especially the "bright red, lots of bumps, raw" plus him screaming. The only thing you didn't say is if the bumps are weeping and open.

Are the bumps little white, flat topped "caps?" That's your final tip that it's yeast.

You can treat it with a homemade paste of PLAIN Phillips milk of magnesia (which helps neutralize the acid), Balmex diaper cream, and Lotriman Clotrimazole 1 percent Athlete's Foot Antifungal Cream. If you don't want to make it into a paste then you can do this:

Bathe your child in plain water, no soap.
Gently pat his body but let his rash AIR DRY.
Once his skin is dry, apply some Phillips with a cotton ball and let it dry.
During all of this drying you can let him crawl around or walk around. Once it's dry:
rinse it off in clear, clean water and again let his skin air dry.
Apply a thin layer of Lotriman.
Apply a thick layer of Balmex (or Desitin).
Diaper him.

The diaper cream and Lotriman act as a barrier until his next change. Then go through the whole thing again. It WILL improve.

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E.W.

answers from Cleveland on

Whatever you do stick to washing his butt and not using wipes at all. Try aquafor. Give the little guy some air time on his little bottom. I would also stick to plain food.

S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

Since my kids are grown and I'm not into grandchildren I don't know about these products that weren't available when my kids were young. You might have a doctor check it out and see if it is yeast or other problem but if not I used plain old Vaseline on my kids who got this diaper rash from diarrhea or antibiotics, etc. At least it's worth a try unless you need something for a certain type rash. I put it on thick so no urine got on the area and when possible let him 'air out'. It needs to not have that continual urine on the skin on top of everything else causing it. Call the doctor's office and see what they tell you over the phone so you may not have to take him in.

M.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

my son just went through this and his rash was so bad that he had ulcers on the skin. I once got this stuff called Poop goop from the pediatrician but that didnt work. Seriously the only thing was to wash his bottom in cool water, pat dry, air out for 10 min, then Aquafor... seriously Aquafor creme worked miracles. His ulcers healed and closed in two days and the rashy part gone in one.

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