As a mom, your heart sinks when your baby has nappy rash. Your heart also ache when your baby is unsettled, especially when they pass wee that comes into contact with rash. Many babies with nappy rash do not sleep well, waking often due to pain.

Your baby’s skin is very sensitive. Nappy rash is commonly caused when a baby’s skin is exposed to wet or dirty nappy for too long. Most cases of nappy rash can be treated successfully at home.

Here are some tips to prevent and treat nappy rash:

• Change your baby more frequently. Use a light dusting of Natural Powder after bathing Baby and at every nappy change time to assist in the absorption of excess moisture. For a natural organic baby powder, try using Miessence’s Baby Powder. It is a pure and natural edible grade cornstarch powder which is completely talc free and contains only pure essential oil of Organic Chamomile and Calendula to soothe and soften Baby’s skin and refresh the nappy area.
• Check your baby’s diaper after he or she wakes up from sleeping as many babies will urinate after falling asleep.
• Use disposable nappies, which absorb the urine quickly and leave the surface of the nappy (that is next to the skin) dry. If your baby has developed a diaper rash using disposables, consider using cloth diapers with a breathable wool or cotton cover to see if the rash improves. Many people believe that babies who wear cloth diapers get fewer diaper rashes because cloth diapers allow more air to pass over the skin thus keeping it drier.
• Use only soaps made for babies and baby wipes that do not have alcohol in them ( Alcohol stings badly on damaged skin.)
• Clean your baby’s bottom with plain water at nappy changes. If this does not clean the skin well enough, try sorbolene cream – a simple and soothing cream.
• Apply barrier cream such as zinc and castor oil cream a few times a day, especially before long sleeps – or at every nappy change if baby’s bottom is slightly red. This is to keep wetness away from baby’s skin.
• Make sure you change cloth nappies often and, whenever possible, do not put plastic pants over them.
• Rinse thoroughly all washed nappies to remove traces of detergents and other chemicals. Then, if possible, dry them in a tumble drier – this makes them much softer than drying them in the sun.
• If it is feasible, letting your baby go without a diaper during the day will allow a rash to heal faster.
• Break open a 400 IU capsule of vitamin E and apply it directly to the diaper rash area. Vitamin E contains powerful antioxidants helping the skin to heal much quicker.

Remember to see your family doctor if your baby’s nappy rash looks severe, is hurting your baby or doesn’t clear up within a few days.

Nappy rash is common and can happen no matter how careful you are about looking after your baby’s bottom. Some babies may have very sensitive skin and rashes on other parts of their bodies. Some babies only get nappy rashes when they have a cold or some other viral illness. Others may have infections, such as thrush, which make the rash worse. Almost all children who wear nappies will get nappy rash at some stage.

Common causes of nappy rash include:

• Sensitive skin
• A trigger factor or ‘agent’.

Sensitive skin
Babies who have rashes on other parts of their bodies, such as cradle cap or eczema (on the face or under the chin), are more likely to get nappy rash. This tendency is often inherited.

Trigger factors or ‘agents’
Some things can trigger nappy rash, including:

• Ammonia – chemicals in urine may be changed into ammonia, which ‘burns’ the skin.
• Thrush (candida) – thrush exists in faeces (poo) normally but the levels rise sometimes without obvious causes. This can occur when a baby needs antibiotics for another infection. Thrush can make a nappy rash much redder and more painful.
• Chemical exposure – chemicals in nappy-soaking solutions, laundry detergents and fabric softeners can irritate the skin of very sensitive babies. Some baby wipes may cause irritation if they contain alcohol. Some scented soaps or baby lotions can also irritate the skin of some babies.
• Plastic pants – these may keep the baby’s clothes clean and dry, but they prevent airflow. Because the clothes do not get wet, a baby may be left in a wet or dirty nappy for a long time and this keeps the baby’s skin wet.
• Friction or rubbing – rough nappies can rub and chafe at the baby’s sensitive skin.