New parents often worry about caring for their newborns because babies have delicate and sensitive skin, especially regarding “diaper rash” which many families encounter.
What is Diaper Rash?
“Diaper rash” (Diaper dermatitis or Nappy rash) is an inflammatory skin rash that occurs in areas where the baby wears a diaper. It is commonly found in infants, especially between 9-12 months of age. Diaper rash can be caused by various factors, but the most common cause is inflammation from irritant contact dermatitis.
Factors Causing Diaper Rash
The main trigger is prolonged contact with urine or feces, which causes the skin to become moist and changes the skin’s pH balance. This, combined with irritating substances in feces such as lipase, protease, or ammonia in urine, leads to friction that causes skin inflammation, redness, sores, and can result in secondary bacterial and fungal infections.
What are the Symptoms of Diaper Rash?
Red, swollen rash appears in areas that experience friction and contact with the diaper, especially on raised skin areas such as the buttocks, genitals, inner thighs, and lower abdomen. Rash is usually not found in skin folds such as the crease of the buttocks or groin. In the early stage, there may be only slight redness. As inflammation worsens, redness increases, the affected area expands, and may develop into abrasions. In some cases, severe redness or deep ulcers (ulcers) may occur. Babies may be fussy due to pain. If untreated properly, secondary infections from Candida albicans fungus or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria may develop.
Preventing Diaper Rash is Not Difficult…
The principle of preventing diaper rash is to keep the skin area where the diaper is worn clean and dry at all times, such as
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- Change diapers every time they become wet or immediately after the baby urinates or defecates.
- Clean with plain water or gentle skin cleansers that do not contain fragrance or alcohol, then pat dry.
- Avoid using powder to reduce friction, as powder can also cause respiratory irritation.
- If using disposable diapers, choose those with good absorbency (super-absorbent diapers).
- Use skin barrier products (Barrier ointment) containing zinc oxide, titanium oxide, lanolin, dexpanthenol, petroleum jelly, and avoid preservatives, fragrances, or any antiseptics.
Treatment of Diaper Rash
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- Treatment depends on the severity of the rash. For mild redness, cleaning, frequent diaper changes, and appropriate use of barrier products will improve the condition.
- For more inflamed redness, consider using a low-potency topical steroid cream applied twice daily, morning and evening.
- Treatment should be combined with prevention measures to ensure faster recovery and prevent new rashes.
- If there is no improvement within 3 days, be cautious of secondary infections from bacteria and fungi. Consult a specialist for proper prevention and treatment.
