If you are a first-time parent, you might have been surprised by the sheer amount of care that your new baby requires. You are solely responsible for its ability to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom in a clean environment. You might be alarmed if you see red splotches around your baby's diaper region and worry that you are not doing a good enough job. There are several different reasons why a baby might get a diaper rash. These reasons could include a breastfeeding mother taking antibiotics, new foods, diapers that are too tight or that are worn while wet for a long time, and sensitive skin. If you find that your baby has a diaper rash, here are some tips that you can follow to help treat it.
1. Keep Your Baby Dry
The first thing that you need to do is try to keep the diaper area as dry as possible most of the time. The reason for this is that diaper rashes grow in warm, moist places, which describes your baby's diaper perfectly. Consider allowing your baby to spend some time without a diaper on in order to allow their skin to dry off a little bit. Ensure that the diaper is not wrapped so tightly that it is leaving dents in the skin in order to prevent excess moisture. Finally, pat your baby dry after you change his or her diaper and clean him or her up with water. This will help reduce the chances that your baby will develop diaper rash.
2. Use Topical Creams
If your baby does develop diaper rash, you can help soothe his or her discomfort by covering the rash in topical creams. This prevents feces from further infecting the rash and prevents the diaper from rubbing too harshly on the area. Be sure to cover any area that you apply topical cream to with petroleum jelly in order to prevent the cream from sticking to the diaper and being pulled away immediately. This will allow your baby to heal without being in too much pain.
3. Change Diapers Often
Finally, be sure that you are being vigilant about when your baby goes to the bathroom. Babies sitting in wet diapers are at an increased risk for developing a diaper rash. If you change your baby's diaper as regularly as possible, you can keep it from becoming a problem.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in diaper rash and baby care, such as Kitsap Children's Clinic LLP.
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