Usually caused by ammoniacal reaction between urine and faeces, or by irritating chemicals in faeces; not thoroughly rinsing soap or detergent out of nappies is another possible cause. Baby's buttocks, thighs, and genitals become sore, red, spotty, and weepy in areas touched by soiled nappies; in boys, foreskin may become inflamed, making urination painful; rash may become secondarily infected with Candida fungus if baby has been given antibiotics or if breast milk has antibiotics in it, or if mother has Oral Thrush or genital thrush (see Vaginal and Vulval Problems).
If homeopathic remedies below produce no improvement, see your homeopath.
Specific remedies to be given 4 times daily for up to 5 days
- Rash dry, red, and scaly Sulphur 30c
- Skin itchy, with little blisters Rhus tox. 30c
- Nappy area very moist and sweaty, baby produces more saliva than usual Mercurius 30c
- Rash area raw and bleeding Medorrhinum 30c
- Nappy rash in a fat baby who suffers from copious head sweats at night Calcarea 30c
Self-help: Simplest and most effective treatment is to allow baby to spend as much time out of nappies as possible, provided room is warm and dry; rash almost always clears up when exposed to air. After washing rash area with warm water only (no soap), pat dry with sterile cotton wool or blow dry gently, and apply Calendula ointment.
If you are using washable nappies, be extra careful about rinsing out all soap or detergent; try rinsing out with vinegar; if rash persists, try disposable nappies, and if one brand doesn't seem to help, try another. At all events, change nappies more frequently. Try giving older infants 50-75 ml of cranberry juice to acidify the urine. |
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