Baby care requires many specific activities, one of which is preventive care with the treatment of diaper rash. Diaper rash in newborns is a very common phenomenon that absolutely all mothers, without exception, have to face sooner or later. This can happen even with careful care and proper quality of the product used. Thus, it is almost impossible to avoid the appearance of such an unpleasant problem. For various reasons, it appears in absolutely all babies. In our article, we will tell you why diaper rash appears in newborns, and also find out how such skin irritations should be treated and what is recommended as part of prevention.
Reasons for appearance
The causes and symptoms of diaper rash in newborns will be discussed below.
It's not a secretthat the skin of newborn babies is very thin, but at the same time also sensitive, and therefore easily vulnerable. It is in this regard that it requires special care with daily protection. Even minimal friction with excess moisture can provoke an inflammation process called diaper rash. As a rule, they occur precisely in those places where the skin is exposed to prolonged interaction with moisture and friction. Usually such areas are skin folds in the groin, neck, between the buttocks, in the lower abdomen and behind the ears. What diaper rash looks like in newborns can be seen in the photo above.
Excess moisture can strip away natural lubrication, making the skin extremely vulnerable to various fungi and bacteria, making it easier for all sorts of infections to enter. During the movement of the baby, friction occurs, which only exacerbates the already unhe althy condition of the inflamed skin.
Degrees of diaper rash
In total, there are three degrees of diaper rash in newborns. Initially, only slight reddening of the skin can be observed without any noticeable violations of their integrity. In the event that the necessary measures are not taken, the situation may worsen and move to the second degree, which is characterized by the appearance of pronounced redness, which is accompanied by small cracks that gradually begin to become weeping.
The third degree of diaper rash in newborns is characterized by a strong redness of the damaged areas of the skin. Pustules may appear in these areas, and if nothing is done in such a situationdo, the skin condition is likely to be complicated by the additional addition of fungal and microbial infections, and at the same time the development of eczema. Diaper rash, in turn, delivers to babies not only discomfort, but also extremely painful sensations in the form of itching and burning. Against the background of such symptoms, the child will become very restless, lose his appetite and will not sleep well.
Types of diaper rash
Specialists distinguish several types of diaper rash in newborns. The most common occurrence is the development of diaper or contact dermatitis, which is expressed in the appearance of a weeping rash that will be red. It is also possible the occurrence of flat and at the same time dry crusts on the surface of the skin in a newborn. Diaper rash can occur as a result of a reaction to a number of chemicals present in diaper fabrics, diapers, and in addition, laundry detergents.
Another type of diaper rash is impetigo. The habitat of this species, as a rule, is located in the inguinal region, where it is always warm, but at the same time humid and regular friction of the folds against each other is carried out. In the event that the child is very often in diapers, the access of air to his ass will be closed, because of which it will begin to spit. And combined with urine and feces, all this will create an ideal environment for the appearance and development of impetigo.
Meanwhile, in addition to everything, diaper rash in newborns can occur against the background of allergic reactionson new products that are introduced by the mother into the diet of the baby. In such situations, the child may experience red rashes on the ass near the anus. This type of rash is also called an allergic ring. It is for this reason that young mothers should be very careful when introducing a new product to a child.
Seborrheic eczema can also result from allergic reactions. It usually looks like a large red spot, which is located in the groin or lower abdomen. The skin in these areas of the baby, as a rule, becomes rough, but at the same time still oily and slightly swollen to the touch.
Diagnosis and treatment of diaper rash in newborns
Diagnosis includes visual inspection and history taking. If there is no positive dynamics, the doctor may write out a referral for a smear test for microflora. It is taken from the affected skin.
Diagnosing diaper rash in newborn babies is usually easy. However, the manifestations may be similar to allergies, which may occur as a result of a reaction to new hygiene products. In addition, diaper rash must be differentiated from atopic dermatitis and prickly heat.
Now let's figure out what should be the treatment in case of diaper rash on the skin.
Many mothers immediately begin to use powders and baby creams in order to eliminate diaper rash, which is fundamentally wrong. Children's cream very often contributes to the fact that the affected skin surface begins to get wet, which causes additionalaccession of various infections. Powders, of course, somewhat reduce the weeping damage, but they do not contribute to rapid healing. It should be emphasized that each degree of pathology should be treated differently.
So, how to treat diaper rash in newborn babies?
In particular, against the background of the first degree of diaper rash, treatment as such is not required. To eliminate redness, it is enough to follow the hygiene of the child. To do this, you need to systematically change diapers and prevent the newborn from being in wet diapers. Alternatively, you can turn to the use of disposable diapers, changing them every two, maximum three hours.
What else is the treatment for diaper rash in newborns?
Immediately after each diaper change, it is important to thoroughly wash the baby, then dry his skin, paying special attention to wrinkles. Dry with wetting movements. In addition, air baths should be carried out for fifteen minutes, which are especially good for the treatment of diaper rash. Air baths should be done five times a day. At the end of the procedure, the skin folds of the baby are lubricated with a special diaper cream. Preference should be given to high-quality cosmetics that are designed for delicate and sensitive baby skin.
In the event that the appearance of redness has become a reaction to diapers, you should try to replace the manufacturer of these products. And if within a couple of days the skin condition does not improve in any way after the measures taken, it will be requiredrefer to the use of medicines. For example, Panthenol Spray is suitable. This is a time-tested medical product that contains dexpanthenol. In the body, this active ingredient is converted into "Vitamin B5", which stimulates skin regeneration.
Treatment of diaper rash with Panthenol Spray
"Panthenol Spray" is considered an original drug that is approved for use in infants. It is produced in Europe and does not contain any potentially dangerous ingredients for the delicate skin of children. Unlike any cream, the spray can be easily applied to the skin, it absorbs quickly and does not leave greasy marks.
Given that this drug is very popular among mothers, today it has a lot of fakes on pharmacy shelves. Most of these counterfeits are not drugs, so such drugs may contain substances that are dangerous for the skin of children, called parabens.
In this regard, when choosing a spray in a pharmacy, it is extremely important to pay attention to the packaging: a smiley face is drawn directly next to the name of the original spray. It is very important to consult your doctor first before using these medicines.
What to do and how to treat diaper rash in newborns, all parents should know.
Treatment for extreme diaper rash
In the event that the process of treating diaper rash in babies is successful, then rednessdisappear on their own on the second day, leaving behind only thin crusts, which will disappear on their own very quickly.
But if diaper rash persists and does not disappear for a long time, moreover, they tend to further spread with the development of pustules and cracks, you should consult a doctor, since such symptoms indicate the development of the third degree of skin disease. Such diaper rash is extremely difficult to treat, in this regard, prevention plays an important role along with the timely treatment of mild degrees of skin irritation. Usually in such situations, infections of various etiologies are added to skin lesions, which requires the use of anti-inflammatory ointments along with antibacterial agents.
All young parents should be familiar with the causes and treatment of diaper rash in newborns. In severe cases, in addition to the above measures, the so-called "talkers" are widely used, they are prepared in pharmacies by prescription. Typically, the composition of such mixtures includes drying components in the form of zinc oxide and talc along with a softening component - glycerin. In addition, in case of weeping lesions, the doctor may prescribe the application of lotions using solutions of tannin, silver nitrate and rivanol. Such solutions are sold in pharmacies by prescription.
It should be emphasized that in no case should drugs that are made on a fatty basis be used on a weeping wound, as they contribute to the appearance of a film that inhibits the healing process. Induring therapy, you can not use the old recipes of grandmothers. You should especially not turn to the use of starch, as it hardens and rolls into lumps, thereby causing even more damage to the skin. In addition, it can create a favorable environment for pathogens to thrive.
As part of additional treatment, the doctor may include a course of procedures using ultraviolet radiation on the affected areas of the skin. Pustules, as a rule, are treated with a solution of brilliant green. Immediately after the diaper rash on the skin stops getting wet, the affected areas can be lubricated with zinc paste. A bactericidal emulsion is also suitable for this. In addition to external treatment, the baby must be provided with good nutrition.
How else to treat diaper rash in newborn babies? The preparations are shown below.
Other drugs
Here are a few names of creams that can lubricate the baby's skin:
- Drapolen is effective in light forms of damage. It has a disinfectant, soothing, softening effect on the epidermis.
- Universal Baby Cream - Weleda. Suitable for daily care, nourishes and protects the skin from dryness.
- Composed of chamomile and calendula extracts, sesame seed oil, lanolin.
- Successfully destroys microbes and renews cells "Pantestin".
- Relieves irritation, dries the dermis Sanosan.
- Also, daily skin care can be done with diaper rash cream - Bepanthen. You can choose from the same lotion orointment.
Treatment of diaper rash: how should bathing be?
Among other things, as part of the treatment of diaper rash, it is recommended to bathe the baby in a solution of potassium permanganate. In this case, the water should have a pinkish color. It is best to dilute a certain amount of potassium permanganate in a glass dish and wait for it to dissolve completely. Next, the product, previously filtered through several layers of gauze, is added to the bath for bathing a baby.
In the event that the child does not have allergic reactions to plants and herbs, instead of potassium permanganate, it would be better to use a decoction made from oak bark. To prepare it, pour four tablespoons of the bark with a liter of boiling water and keep the product in a water bath for thirty minutes, after which it is filtered and added to the bath. Use this decoction for sitz baths, while the water temperature should not exceed 36 ° C. The procedure is carried out within eight minutes. Then you need to dry the skin thoroughly, paying special attention to the folds. Then be sure to carry out air baths. It should be noted that air baths with the development of the third degree of diaper rash should be performed as often as possible. Causes of diaper rash in newborns should be considered.
In the event that they appear against the background of an allergic disease that affects the skin, it will probably be necessary to prescribe desensitizing medications in the form of "Suprastin" or one percent hydrocortisone ointment.
With the treatment of diaper rash in a child, you should not pull. Also needignore the various ways of fighting that supposedly “knowledgeable” people suggest. In this situation, it is very important to correctly determine the source of diaper rash in order to conduct appropriate treatment. Against the background of diaper rash, it is necessary to ensure regular and proper skin care for the baby, along with complete and competent nutrition, which is especially important if the child is allergic. After all, food allergies, combined with diaper rash, can greatly worsen the condition of the baby. Often in such situations, you need to go to a consultation with an allergist or dermatologist.
We reviewed a list of the best remedies for diaper rash in newborns. But in addition to therapy, prevention of the appearance of such irritations on the skin is equally important. Consider the basic prevention measures.
Prophylaxis
Careful, but at the same time regular hygiene is the best prevention of diaper rash. The main measures to prevent the occurrence of diaper rash in babies include the following recommendations:
- Having five to ten minutes of daily air baths.
- Carrying out daily bathing of the child in warm water with the addition of potassium permanganate.
- It is obligatory to carefully iron the child's linen with an iron.
- Use special detergents for rinsing and washing children's clothes.
- It is best to dry baby's clothes in the sun.
- Hygiene products must be of high quality, whether it be powder, cream, and so on.
- Need to change diapers regularly. Do not allow the baby to stay in wet diapers for a long time. Diapers should be changed at least eight times a day, and diapers should be changed every three hours.
- You should try to use gauze diapers.
What else does it mean to prevent diaper rash in a newborn baby? Mention should also be made of wipes and creams. You can not replace the full washing of the child with the use of wet wipes, especially if the baby went "by and large". It is important to note that the composition of some wipes can cause allergic reactions. Therefore, such a hygiene product should be used only in exceptional cases and with extreme caution. In addition, you should not lubricate the skin with cream very often during the day, otherwise it may “forget” about its natural protective functions.
To prevent the appearance of diaper rash that occurs on the background of allergies, and is also the result of dyspepsia or dysbacteriosis, often occurring during teething or complementary foods, in addition to following the above recommendations, before or during pregnancy, you need to be tested for the presence of allergic intolerance food products. In the course of such a study, experts study immunoglobulins, which are antibodies that trigger acute allergic reactions.
According to the results of this study, a sheet with three columns is issued. The red column will include foods that are prohibited during pregnancy and lactation. The yellow column will contain food that is allowed to be consumed a couple of times a week, and ingreen usually includes all allowed products. This analysis will make it possible to prevent the appearance of an undesirable allergic reaction in the child, because what the mother eats will also affect the child, since he will certainly receive all this with her milk. Such an analysis is also done for babies, but not earlier than at seven months. We have described in detail the nature and causes of diaper rash in newborns. What do doctors say about this?
Expert Tips
When diaper rash appears (when there are no weeping lesions), you can bathe the child in baths with the addition of chamomile, thyme, celandine or string. But before that, you will need to consult a doctor, as such herbs can worsen the condition of children if they are allergic to them.
Any therapeutic ointments can also be used only after consulting a specialist, since self-medication can provoke even more severe inflammation. In especially neglected situations, doctors may prescribe an ointment with an antibiotic effect. And it is very important to remember that only accurate, and at the same time regular observance of elementary hygiene standards for the care of babies will help prevent unwanted diaper rash on the skin.
So, the article presented the causes and treatment of diaper rash in newborns. Take care of the he alth of your babies!
