As much as we love sharing our love of the gorgeous SW Florida weather with the kiddos, we do need to extremely cautious with their delicate skin.
Sometimes we think we have them protected, I mean we have sunscreen all over their little bodies, hats, light weight clothing, you name it and we do it to protect them.
And despite being diligent about protecting them, they all get rashes. It happens even when we change them immediately, keep everything clean, use the recommended wipes, etc.
But did you know there are different rashes our babies can have? In order to treat it properly and avoid having an unhappy little one, it’s important to know the differences.
Diaper Rash
Diaper rash is inflamed skin that appears as a patchwork of bright red skin on your baby’s bottom, it is also slightly raised or bumpy feeling and is often scattered across the diaper area and can be caused by several things:
1. Not changing diapers as quickly as needed. Sometimes, life happens and we don’t get to the diaper changing the minute it needs to be done. The irriration of a wet/dirty diaper can cause a rash.
2. If you’re beginning to introduce solid foods to your baby, they effect their digestive system in different ways. Highly acidic foods such as citrus, strawberries and tomatoes can contribute to diaper rash. Some babies are sensitive to different types of protein and that will cause issues, as can dairy, plums and prunes.
3. A new bath soap or detergent can irritate their delicate skin, so be careful when changing soaps.
4. Even your baby catching a cold can contribute to diaper rash, as can teething!
There are many over the counter ointments and some even make their own. It depends on what works best for your child. In addition to using ointments, if possible, leave the diaper off for a bit! If It doesn’t clear up in a day or two, please have your child seen by a health care provider.
Heat Rash
Heat Rash is just what it sounds like. A baby gets warm, starts sweating and because their sweat glands aren’t fully developed, all of a sudden they have heat rash! So many confuse it with diaper rash the first time they see it ( Idid!)
Get them out of the heat, loosen clothing, cool them down! If possible, give them a lukewarm bath to help them cool down. It may not feel that warm to us, but they may have clothing that is too tight or heavier than the weather calls for. Keep them cool and dry. The rash should dissipate in a while. If not, contact your baby’s health care provider on the best way to treat a heat rash.
Yeast Infection
Caused by Candida, yeast infections are a bright red rash, normally in the folds of the skin instead of the baby’s bottom and may have smaller, red, raised bumps along the outer edges of the rash. Diaper rash ointments and creams won’t clear it up. Candida is the fungus that causes Thrush, so pay attention to their mouth if they have a rash that looks like this on their bottoms or on their chins. Even drool can cause a yeast infection around the mouth and chin! A yeast infection can be treated with an anti-fungal cream prescribed by a health care provider.
Information sources: Mayo Clinic
Photos courtesy of www.snappygoat.com