A Rash Decision

When toddlers begin to talk, more than likely they will declare that freedom is not wearing a nappy. Being nappy-free is not only comfortable, it’s good for the skin that is normally covered up.

If you have a baby at home it’s a good idea to allow them to go without a nappy as much as possible. Of course, that’s much easier during the warmer months of the year. When the sunny days of summer have faded, the chance for the very young to walk on the wild side disappears as well.

Winter naturally means more nappies, and more nappy rash.

A baby’s skin is much softer, thinner and more sensitive than that of an adult, and can easily become red and irritated when left wet.

Preventing and effectively treating nappy rash is the subject of one of the cards in the Self Care range of health information now available from many pharmacies around the world.

The nappy rash card details the causes, signs and symptoms and the simple self-care remedies to put into place.

The irritation from a wet nappy may be caused by a number of things. Urine is most often a problem, especially when the nappy is left on too long or when plastic pants cover the nappy - the plastic pants keep the baby’s skin warm, wet and airless.

Bowel motions, especially loose bowel motions caused by certain foods or medicines, can also cause great irritation; and sometimes the cause could be chemicals in the nappy-change creams, wipes or in nappies themselves which haven’t been thoroughly rinsed.

Changing wet or dirty nappies straight away is of course the best action to take. This may be difficult with newborn babies who can urinate up to 20 times a day and may have many bowel motions each day as well.

Fortunately, things get easier as babies get older but the procedure remains the same: wash the area with warm water and soap substitute such as sorbolene cream, wiping from front to back. Allow the area to dry completely and if necessary apply a cream to help heal the rash.

If rash is severe, a cream might be recommended by the pharmacist; or if candida infection is present, an anti-fungal preparation, will be recommended. Check with the pharmacist about which type of cream is appropriate.

However, see your doctor if the rash spreads outside the nappy area, if the rash is worse after 2 days of treatment, or if the baby also has a fever, is not eating well or seems ill.