My son loves tomato based sauces and ketchup. He also loves fruit and fruit juices. It seems that when he eats ketchup, pizza, spaghetti, etc., he has a really bad diaper rash with raw areas. He also seems to have "leakage" with his bowel movements that may not be noticed when it occurs so it may sit a while in his diaper. He is 2 1/2 and not potty trained yet. I have tried cutting way back on these foods, but he really loves them and when he sees the other kids at day care eating them, of course he wants them also. Does anyone have any suggestions?
44 and first time mom? Right on sister!!
We have had that too with tomato based meals and really bad with strawberries.
We had to keep the babies from eating that stuff until they got older. Maybe 3 or 3 1/2.
Acidity can definitely be affecting his diaper rash. My son is much younger (15 months) and while he has no problem with tomatoes (his favorite), I cannot give him even watered down fruit juice without getting diaper rash. Regular fruit is fine, though.
Have you had him tested for food allergies? It sounds like a food irritation or allergy to me.
What about trying to use non tomato based sauces...
fetticine sauce, cheese sauces, salad dressings, etc.
M.
Because you mentioned both tomato products and fruits and fruit juices, I suggest you check out www.feingold.org which is a link to the Feingold Program, an eating plan that cuts out artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. When starting the program, families also eliminate salicylates.
From the website: "In addition to certain additives, foods believed to contain "salicylates" can cause unwanted effects for sensitive people.
It appears that some plants create a chemical similar to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). These plants include many common fruits and a few other foods. Aspirin sensitivity is well known, but most health care providers are not aware that certain fruits and other foods can also trigger problems."
My sons, particularly the oldest, had a significant intolerance for ketchup, pizza sauce, apple juice, strawberries, and grapes. It was much easier to cut way back or eliminate these foods for a while than to deal with the rashes and hyperactive behavior. Some kids (this is more apparent later) may also wet the bed after eating or drinking these foods. Now that he is older and bigger, he can eat these foods although he goes back on the Feingold Program before big tests so I know that he feels the difference.
Food intolerance is different than an allergy. There is no test - you just eliminate certain foods and see if there is an improvement in the symptoms you've noticed. Moms are the best detectives.
Good luck.
K.
LouAnn,
Speak to his pediatrician about having him checked for gluten sensitivity (gluten is a protein found in wheat/rye/barley/some oats)...especially if he seems to have loose or leaky bowels....believe it or not, that may be the problem as opposed to the ketchup and tomato products.....the rash may be secondary to that issue so I'd want to rule that out...
Good luck!
G. S
Nutritionist
Hi LouAnn
My name is D. and I am a mother of 5 daughters and 3 granddaughters. I have found that the best thing is to first make sure you put on a good diaper ointment. I have used Balmax brand for all of my girls and find it to be one of the best. Just make it a part of your normal diaper change. Also make sure your child eats yogurg daily. Yogurt is great for the digestive system with it's live and active cultures to cut back on the acid in the sauces. I would also try and water the sauce down a bit too. Hope this helps!
I think you should put those foods aside for now and let some time pass. He might be allergic to it. It's too early to tell.
Offer him something else when the kids are eating what he loves. ( my son was allergic to eggs for the first 4 years of his live and we learned to adapt to the changes) now he's 5 and can eat eggs with no problem.
Also, it's not uncommon for boys to not be ready to potty train at 2.5 Try in the summer to get him started with the toilet, it's easier for all parties involved, less clothes to remove.
We have had this same trouble in the past. I use a VERY good, all natural lotion as prevention. When I would change his diaper, I would put this lotion all over his bottom. This worked so much better than ANY of the diaper rash creams that I had tried on him. It acted as a barrier when there would be some poop in a diaper that I didn't know about until the next change. As long as I kept this on him, he didn't get those poop-burns on his bottom area. In fact, he had no diaper rash at all.
I order it through a private company and would be glad to share the details with you anytime.
Take Care,
N. :) SAHM homeschooling 3 boys and married to my Mr. Wonderful for 15yrs. I love to help other moms any way I can.
My daughter (now 13) had the same problem as a toddler and still does with anything tomato based (pizza, spaghetti, etc.) I know it may be hard to eliminate those foods from his diet because that is what he is craving. I have always found it strange that the foods that hurt us are the ones we crave the most. My daughter loves those foods but must eat them in moderation or she will get sick with an upset stomach and possibly diarrhea. Also, when she was little I had a problem with keeping her clean and not getting a rash. The bowels she had were so strong and irritated her skin so much that one time she formed a skin infection on her bottom because of it. Using a cream as a barrier for your son's bottom as one of the moms mentioned is a good idea. Take care.
LouAnn,
Congratulations I'm sure you are enjoying every minute of being a first time mom!!! Just like adults, children who eat foods that have too much acid in it can have adverse reactions. It's tough to stop eating those foods we love. My suggestions are these:
If you can add a little sugar to the tomato sauce it will cut down some on the acids. Of course this only works if you're opening the jar or making the sauce; and
If you put some diaper ointment and cornstarch on your child about 30 minutes after they eat the food and then check them just a little bit more frequently adding the ointment and cornstarch for about 24 hours, this should prevent most if not all of the diaper rash.
Good Luck!!
LouAnn,
I am glad that you have taken it upon yourself to look into what is causing the irritation for your child. It may not be the tomato based products but it may be what he is eating with the sauces. I have two children that are gluten intolerant. One had horrible diahrrea w/ this. I also have gluten intolerance, intolerant to wheat, rye and barley protein, and if we get any of these products, we have problems with our bowel movements being runny. I am trying not to gross you out here, but trying to be of help. Pizza, spaghetti, and even some fries have wheat which can cause major irritation and diaper rash if their is an intolerance or allergy. The only way to find out is to avoid any wheat, rye, or barley for at least a week and you will know if that is the culprit. All fast food places serve fries that contain wheat so keep that in mind if you decide to try this. Plus since your child is so young, you can really monitor what he eats and you can tell what is causing him irritation if there is something else going on. But I would definitely start with wheat and if it is not that then move to something else. Tomatoes may or may not cause the leakage but wheat definitely would! Best to you! I know you can do it! A.
Other than getting rid of the diapers, there are several natural remedies that you can use. Foods can be an irritant as well as an underlying yeast sensitivity. Eliminate any talc powder if you use that. Use arrowroot or clay if you need to use a powder. Plantain ointment or comfrey root ointment both sooth and heal the skin. You can get these at MOM's or Whole Foods.
Good luck,
L.
My son love juices like apple juice! I've noticed the difference when I give him the juices, maybe once a day you give him the full cup of his juice, then the other times in the day you dilute it with 1/2 water with the juice. I've notice the difference and the changes in his bowel movements and it is better. This way once you give him his full cup, you can look out for the diaper change as soon as he does his bowel movements.
Aside from trying to elimate each kind of food to a couple days to see what he is allergic to or how he reacts, I'd try with the apple juice/juice first.
Good Luck!
This is a good age to get him allergy tested. My three kids also have problems with those same items. I used canned diced tomatoes and cheese sauces. This way they still get some tomato sauce but it's not concentrated. I believe it's the concentrated form that is the problem.
You definitely need to talk to your pediatrician and get him tested for allergies
