Any miracle cures for chronic nappy rash ?

[WSM]

DD is 14 months old tomorrow, she is and always has been a disposables wearer. We've never had any nappy rash problems before apart from the odd little red spot when she had a particularly mean tooth coming through. Over the last couple of days her bottom has become very sore, inflamed and is red raw. It is all over her genitals and goes right up to the top of her bum crack. The poor little mite also has diarrhoea and I am now having to change upwards of 8 nappies a day!

We have never used wipes on her as she is very sensitive to them and they bring her skin out in a tight red rash (though we have tried her with them at reg intervals). She screams in pain when I wash her bottom with plain lukewarm water and cotton wool, no matter how gentle I try to be . I pat her dry with a towel and apply metanium ointment to her skin, covering the rash, and out a clean napy on her. We usually use sudocrem but metanium seems to be a thicker more effective barrier against the nasties in her nappy. The rash itself is tight, red, dimply and raw in places.

I'm pretty sure that the rash is due to her cutting her last set of teeth. Does anyone know of a miracle cure ???

Thanks

'put a clean nappy on her'

Metanium worked for my dd. Are you putting it on thickly? It does say very thinly on the instructions. Hope poor sore botty is better soon.

ps is acute not chronic

Am applying it so that skin is covered but you can still see the skins texture, as per instructions.

Am paranoid about it getting infected I'll take her to see the GP if she's not improving by Friday.

Some of the cloth nappy users swear by chamonile tea. Will try to find the recipe.

Ds had this a month ot two ago also with diarrhoea. I used Drapolene which has a much lower Lanolin content than sudocrem. If you spread it quite thinly, then the skin can breathe better.

It went away within 3/4 days of switching creams and ditching baby wipes (but you're already just using water anyway.) I'll be back...

WSM do you have a wooden floor so you could leave her nappy off for a while to let the skin breathe without ruining the carpet?

I should go to the doc if you are worried. It's horrible isn't it?

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It could be a fungal infection. dd had one at 6 months and it came on really quickly and looked nasty. It thrives in damp conditions and could be aggravated by the diarrhoea plus more acidic wee from teething. If so you need special cream from the pharmacist or gp to clear it up if metanium hasn't.

btw have you changed type of nappy recently - we found Pampers Active Fit didn't agree with dd's skin but Huggies, Baby Dry and Easy Up pants have been fine.

Ok - got this from Plushpants:

"But for a teething rash, or an overdue nappy change rash, by far the most effective solution is, bizarrely, chamomile and honey tea. Even if the bottom is quite raw, this is a very soothing and healing concoction. Simply make up a mug of chamomile and honey tea (teabags are commonly available in the supermarket), allow it to 'stew' so it's good and strong, and allow it to cool. Then soak a booster or a muslin in the tea, wring it out slightly so it's wet but not absolutely dripping, and put it in the nappy - preferably overnight - so that it's directly against the baby's skin (ie don't put a liner on top of it.). Repeat this if necessary until the rash has disappeared, but in my experience one application overnight usually does the trick. This is also very soothing for eczema in the nappy area (or anywhere else if you can keep a wet cloth applied)."

The rest of the nappy rash info is on this page

Hope your dd's bot improves soon

WSM - this was us on Sunday. DS (15 months) had an upset stomach (teething?) for 5 days and very bad nappy rash with open sores.

I searched on MN and found a tip that said to put Sudocrem on all over and then Metanium thinly on top. It worked for us, better than either on it's own. Although his bottom still looks sore he's stopped screaming and I've stopped weeping too.

When it was at it's worst we dunked him in the bath and played with some toys to get his bottom clean. Not every time obviously but it made a change for everyone from trying to get him clean on his changing table.

Like everything with babies it seems endless at the time but it will get better soon.

She has always been a Pampers baby and we've never had any probs with them. She went from the New Baby range straight to Active fits.

Countess - We do have hard flooring in the kitchen, bathrooms and the hall. Everywhere else we have carpet. I do try and let her wander about with no knickers on IYSWIM but she sits on the hard floor (which is cold) and squeals ! Perhaps I'll have to risk a carpet accident or 2 and let her have 10-15 mins of bare botty time after a nappy change.

Thanks for all your help

Um, we may have Dinosaur, I'll have a look. Is it ok to put on her even though I'm not sure it is thrush ? Will it make it worse if it isn't ?

You can get silk nappy liners, that are supposed to be great for nappy rash - they are designed for washable nappies, but there is no reason you couldn't pop them in a disposable as an extra barrier between the nappy and the skin.

It sounds to me like the real problem is the diarrhoea though - the times my son got nappy rash coincided with diarrhoea. So it is probably just a matter of changing the nappy as soon as she squits, putting something soothing on the bottom (calendula cream is nice - smells yumy too) and when the diarrhea goes the rash probably will clear up too. But do keep an eye out for infection.

I am trying to be extra vigilant with the nappies and change them the minute she fills them. I'll have a look for calendula cream too.

WSM - meant to add that we rang NHS Direct about it on Sunday (after a pharamacist made me cry by asking why I hadn't taken him to the doctor - he was eating and sleeping fine though) and they assured us it was completely normal and to keep going with the 2 creams.

If you have the 'Birth - 5' book the HVs give out on their first visit check out thrush under nappy rash in there. It gives a description of the type of rash and spots you should look out for. If DD doesn't have them I wouldn't go putting Canestan on it, it might not help and it might even sting.

Do try and let her wander round without a nappy or cream on for a while. Try when she's just had a dirty nappy as you've hopefully got some 'safe' time then. We had several accidents but it is the number one remedy for nappy rash.

I don't think Canestan will do any harm. My son ate a whole tube of it when he was 2, with no ill effects, so I don't think the odd smear on the bottom is likely to cause problems!

I second the camomile tea idea, and you can put a camomile tea bag in the bath, too

cornflour/ cornstarch.

liberally sprinkle on bottom & a bit in nappy for luck.

worked for me - I had tried sudocreme etc & antefungal from doc, but still no better, but as soon as I used the cornflour it cleared up.

she'll be a bit squeaky when she moves though!

Bicarbonate of soda in bath water - good few tablespoons and nappy-off time as much has possible

Lots of wonderful advice already. Oatmeal bath is great also. We have a cream here called Aquafor that is also wonderful, vitamin E and D with some other things. I would make sure it isn't thrush as Twiglet mentioned. Keeping her diaper off and letting the air get to her bum would also be so good for her. Good luck to you,I know how helpless I felt at that stage.

A thin treatment with Metanium cream always worked wonders with both of mine.

WSM - DS's has got worse again

Took him to the GP tonight and he has advised stopping milk (he has cow's milk) as the lactose is burning his bum. Just given him some soya milk - didn't think much to it - but went off happily to bed. Will try him on goat's milk tomorrow.

Just wanted to say really not to leave it too long if you are concerned. I felt a bit foolish for calling it bad nappy rash when the GP was calling it burns.