How to spot diaper rash

You can often quickly detect diaper rash by looking for these effects:

  • A slight redness in the diaper area (This tends not to affect the skin folds.)
  • Your baby’s bottom and upper thighs can become red and moist
  • Skin can also become sore, spotty and hot to touch
  • Patches of dry, flaky skin may also develop
  • In more severe cases, blisters and pus filled spots may appear.

 

Diaper rash can be soothed, healed and prevented from coming back by using the Sudocrem range at every diaper change.

 

Types of diaper rash

While you might think that diaper rash is all the same, there are actually three main types of rash:

 

Normal diaper rash

The most common occurrence of diaper rash is when the skin looks red and sore, and can almost appear shiny. This is usually caused by your baby’s bottom being in contact with a dirty diaper for a prolonged period or if the baby has a bout of diarrhoea. It is often the combination of wee and poo which causes the most irritation. Mild diaper rash should disappear after a few days of following the steps above — sometimes it can go over night.

 

Fungal diaper rash

Different types of diaper rash require different treatments. A fungal diaper rash is a form of thrush and treatment is often an anti-fungal cream which your doctor will need to prescribe. This should be applied thinly to the affected area. The fungal rash shows as tiny red spots and the genitals can appear swollen and can sometimes occur if your baby is on antibiotics. It is important that, if the diaper rash is fungal, you avoid your usual barrier cream as this can make the condition worse. If you are unsure, ask your doctor or Health Visitor for advice.

 

Bacterial diaper rash

A bacterial diaper rash shows as infected spots or pimples and your baby is likely to have a fever. It can develop from a normal diaper rash when the skin has broken and an infection has developed because of bacteria entering the broken skin. This type of diaper rash may well need antibiotics so you should see your doctor for treatment advice and monitoring as soon as possible.