Diaper Rash

Home Treatment

Home treatment is generally all that is needed for most cases of diaper rash. At the first sign of a diaper rash, try the following steps:

• Keep the skin dry, and make sure the skin is not in contact with urine and stool.
  • Change the diaper or incontinence brief every time it is wet or soiled. During the daytime, check the diaper or brief every 3 hours. You may need to change the diaper or brief during the night to prevent or clear up a rash. It is not unusual to change a diaper or brief 8 times in a 24-hour period.
  • Use a superabsorbent disposable diaper.
• Gently wash the diaper area with warm water and a soft cloth. Rinse well and dry completely.
  • Do not use any soap unless the area is very soiled. Use only a mild soap if soap is needed.
  • Do not use "baby wipes" that have alcohol or propylene glycol to clean the skin while a diaper rash is present. These may burn the skin and spread bacteria on the skin.
  • You may use a blow-dryer set on warm setting to get the diaper area fully dry on adults. Do not use a blow-dryer on babies or small children.
• Leave diapers and incontinence briefs off as much as possible.
• Protect the healthy skin near the rash with a cream such as Desitin, Diaparene, A&D Ointment, or zinc oxide. Do not apply the cream to broken skin, because it can slow the healing process.
• If you use a disposable product, fold the plastic area away from the body, and do not put the diaper on too tightly. Do not use bulky or many-layered diapers or incontinence briefs.
• Do not use plastic pants until the rash is gone.
• Give more fluids to make the urine less concentrated.

If the diaper rash does not get better after several days, try the following steps.

• Soak in a warm bath for 10 minutes, 3 times a day, if the skin is very raw.
  • For babies and young children, add 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of baking soda to a baby tub, a basin of warm water, or a bathtub. Remember, do not bathe a baby until the umbilical cord has fallen off, and never leave a child alone while he or she is in the bath.
  • Have older children and adults sit in a bathtub with a few inches of warm water or use a sitz bath.
• If you use a disposable product, change brands or switch to a cloth product. Try a superabsorbent disposable diaper or brief with absorbent gelling material (AGM), which pulls moisture away from the skin. Some people are less likely to develop a rash with one diapering product than another.
• If you use a cloth product, switch to a disposable product. The cloth or the products used to clean the cloth diaper may be causing the rash.
• If you use cloth and do not want to switch to a disposable product, change detergents.
  • Rinse diapers or briefs twice when washing.
  • Use vinegar in the final rinse at a strength of 1 fl oz (30 mL) vinegar to 1 gal (4 L) of water.

When treating a diaper rash:

• Do not use a nonprescription adult vaginal yeast medicine on a baby or child. Check with your doctor before using any product made for an adult on a baby or child.
• Adults can use a nonprescription adult yeast medicine to treat diaper rash. Follow the instructions on the package.
• Do not use baby powder while a rash is present. The powder can build up in the skin creases and hold moisture. This may help bacteria grow and cause an infection.
• Do not use cornstarch on a rash in the diaper area. Cornstarch also allows bacteria to grow.

Symptoms to watch for during home treatment

Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:

• A rash in the diaper area looks like a rash on other parts of the body.
• Signs of infection develop.
• Symptoms become more severe or frequent.