If you’re noticing your baby’s diaper area looks a little red or irritated, chances are it might be diaper rash. Pampers is here to support you when it comes to protecting your baby’s skin and treating diaper rash.
What is diaper rash?
Diaper rash is a common form of inflamed skin that may appear red or bumpy surrounding the area of your baby’s diaper.
What does diaper rash look like?
If your child's diaper area looks irritated and red, chances are it's diaper rash. The skin may also be a little puffy and warm when you touch it. Diaper rash can be mild – a few prickly red spots in a small area – or extensive, with tender red bumps that spread to your child's tummy and thighs. For examples of what diaper rash can look like, visit the Mayo Clinic website at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM01928.
How can I prevent diaper rash?
While diaper rash is pretty common, here are some tips to keep your little one’s bottom rash-free:
What if my baby gets a diaper rash?
To treat diaper rash, it’s important to change your baby's diapers frequently to reduce moisture on the skin. Here are some other tips to help treat your baby’s bottom:
What else can cause a rash in the diaper beside diaper rash?
What you think is diaper rash on your child's bottom may very well be another mild childhood skin condition. For this reason, it's important to recognize the difference between diaper rashes and other common ailments so you can treat each one effectively. Impetigo, seborrheic dermatitis, and prickly heat are the conditions most commonly mistaken for diaper rash.
Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection that shows up in the diaper area and on the face and hands, with pimples and scabby, honey-colored sores that blister and itch. Because this condition is contagious, all family members should wash their hands often with antibacterial soap to keep it from spreading. If you see this type of sore, call your pediatrician, who will likely prescribe an antibiotic cream or oral antibiotic.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that affects infants in their first year. You'll find raised, rough red patches covered with thick white or yellow scales on your baby's groin, genitals, and lower abdomen; when similar patches appear on the scalp, the condition is known as cradle cap. Try applying an over-the-counter cortisone or hydrocortisone ointment to the affected areas, and keep your baby clean and dry. If the condition doesn't clear up soon, see your pediatrician, who may prescribe a stronger cortisone cream.
Heat and humidity can lead to prickly heat, caused when perspiration builds up on the skin and is unable to evaporate. Less common after 3 months, this condition looks like an acne breakout, with very small pink bumps, and can show up in the skin folds in the diaper area, especially where the plastic lining of a diaper or diaper cover touches the skin. Moisture and humidity are the main causes of prickly heat, so make sure your child is not overdressed and that his skin remains dry. If prickly heat seems severe, it's time to contact your health care provider.