Diaper Rash Causes

There are many rashes that may occur and that could affect your baby in so many ways. Diaper rashes occur on theUnderlying Causes of Diaper Rash buttock of your baby making your baby skin scaly and also reddish in colors. There are many creams and lotions that are available on the market today that can help treat diaper rash. Make sure you check with your pediatrician before you buy any products over the counter so as to know the one that is best for your baby. Most of the over the counter remedy do cause more harm than good to many infants babies, not all the chemicals used in making these remedies are good for all babies.  You can as well see your baby’s doctor’s in person just when you noticed that the rash case is different or severe.

It can sometimes be hard to tell when a baby is allergic to something. The type of diaper you used can be the culprit of the skin rash i.e. it can be a cause of diaper rash. That is why it is always good to make a background check on diapers before you use them. Diapers may cause severe skin rashes if they are not cleaned. No matter what kind of diaper you use, do make sure it is not too tight on the baby. Most importantly the bundled areas around the leg must be semi-loose. It is understandable that you do not want to see seepage, but I’d rather clean up a mess than have rashes on my precious baby. Some parents still believe in a cloth diaper, if you are still using cloth diapers, do make sure you use a non-allergic detergent when washing it. Not all detergents are meant for babies so do make sure that you use the detergent that is specifically made for babies, also avoid using fabric softeners on diapers, most times the chemicals used in making this detergent can sometimes be harsh on your baby’s skin.

What Causes Diaper Rash:

Here is an in-depth cause of rashes you need to know. There are various causes of diaper rash on babies but these are the most common ones.

The primary cause of diaper rash is irritation which is as a result of prolonged and increased exposure of moisture to the skin. If the baby’s diaper is not changed frequently, the skin will be in contact with urine and feces, urine will release ammonia, which increases the pH of the skin and thus allows enzymes present in the stool to react with the skin, which leads to irritation and possibly skin damage and infections.

The combination of moisture and ammonia in the urine, stool and rubbing against the diaper material can irritate the skin of your baby and cause it to look very red. If the more protected folds of the skin are not affected, then it means the condition might just be a simple irritation or contact diaper rash. The longer wet or soiled diapers that are left in contact with the skin of the baby, the more likely to diaper rash can develop.

Another thing that can cause irritation is when you rub your baby diapers against your baby skin, most times when this occur the diaper is tightly fitted. This is most common when using a disposable and cloth diapers, usually, diapers are designed to fit tightly around a baby’s buttocks, this inevitably causes small air to get into the diaper area, and also keep the baby skin warm and moist. Also note that when the skin is excessively moist, it becomes more penetrating for irritants and more susceptible to swelling. The reactions of cloth diapers to this is worse, especially when it is worn with waterproof or plastic pants, that increases the warmth and moisture which is a favorable condition for the development of diaper rash.

Causes of Diaper Rash

Candida infection:

This is a fungus that is in form of yeast, hence the term yeast infection. This same organism causes thrush. Yeast infection is usually found only in the skin folds area and also often found around the anal region which appears in clusters or red spots also if other bacteria come in contact with this affected area it can lead to a more severe skin rash. Candida infection is a very common and its fungus can be found anywhere in the environment. This is a Yeast-induced diaper rash which occurs in babies when they are not kept clean and also dry, this yeast infection generally grows best in a warm, moist places like under a diaper. It is easy to distinguish between yeast infections from irritation because unlike simple irritation, yeast redness is caused in the folds and creases of a baby’s skin.

Allergic reaction:

The skin rash can occur in response to diaper wipes, diapers, detergents, soap, and also lotion or the elastic in plastic pants. Most allergic reactions are less common cause of diaper rash, but it is sure we have them. When you are using cloth diapers, the detergent or fabric softener used in washing can sometimes remain in them even after a full wash, when you have babies that have sensitive skin they tend to react to these chemicals used in producing this detergent. Also, note that babies have more sensitive skin, therefore their reaction may be different to varying degrees

 

Your baby diaper rash can also develop as a result of the baby’s antibiotics. Also for nursing mothers who are on antibiotics, the baby can also get rash through breastfeeding.


 

Bacterial Infection:

Once you observe your baby is having a yellowish, fluid-filled bumps and also honey-colored, crispy areas, these are the symptoms of bacterial infection and require antibiotic treatment.

Seborrhea:

In some cases, a diaper rash can be a part of a more common skin rash. This type of rashes normally occurs on the scalp, and when necessary care is not taken it can affect other areas like creases of the arms, legs, and groin. This type of diaper rash makes your baby skin to look a little greasy and scaly.

Note that babies that stay in a dirty diaper for a long time, has a higher chance to develop a skin rash, any baby that has a more sensitive skin can easily get a skin rash, even if the baby parents do change the baby diapers regularly.

New Food:

Changing your baby food can sometimes lead to diaper rash. If you just start to feed your baby solid foods this may lead to baby diaper rash. The change in food which the baby eats can affect the composition of the stool and can also lead to an increase in the baby’s bowel movements.  Also, a baby can have skin rash due to what the mother eats. A breastfeeding mom that eats something that troubles her baby system can lead to rash when the baby breastfeed.

Research has proven that diaper rash is lower in breastfed babies because the baby urine is less acidic in nature and also the baby tend to urinate less often. Food with high protein raises the level of acid in urine and stool causing a high level of diaper rash.

To be able to prevent and treat your baby diaper rash, make sure you are knowledgeable when it comes to causes of diaper rash. When you noticed that your baby rash has taken hold and it appears to be more severe, then it is very advisable to see a doctor immediately.