As a Mom, diaper rash is just one of those things we deal with. What do you do when it seems like your butt cream isn't helping the problem?! Perhaps you just took some antibiotics, or your baby did. Maybe your baby just got over diarrhea? Anytime you are having problems with diaper rash, you may have to consider that yeast could be the culprit. Yeast is a very common form of diaper rash, and it doesn't usually respond very well to your run of the mill butt creams! In fact, they can even make it worse. Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments.
How to tell? A yeast rash is going to look like little red spots around the diaper area. The number one, best possible treatment for this... AIRING IT OUT! Take your little one and lay him/her on the floor. Change baby's diaper as per usual, but instead of fastening up the new diaper, leave it open underneath their bottom (just in case nature calls!). You will be amazed at how much better that little red bottom will look after some fresh air exposure. If you have persistent yeast rashes, make sure that after each diaper change that baby's bottom is dry before you fasten up the clean diaper. Change baby frequently and promptly after every bowel movement.
Still having trouble? My favorite remedy for a yeast rash... Go to your local drugstore and purchase some cortisone 10 and some over the counter, antifungal cream (Lotrimin is usually the one I use). Purchase an empty lotion container (or wash out a used one from home really well). Dispense some cortisone and antifungal cream into your new container, you want to make a 50/50 mixture of the two. The cortisone takes down the redness and irritation, and the lotrimin kills the yeast! Works like a charm :)
Some prophylaxis for yeast? If you are breastfeeding, and need to take an antibiotic or if baby needs to start on antibiotics... It's a good idea for you and baby to take some probiotics, you can usually find probiotics for babies at your local health food store. Antibiotics are not specific to just the infection you are treating, they also kill off the good bacteria in other places of your body known as the "natural flora". This is particularly the case with the intestinal tract. When the natural flora is gone, it gives way to other things like yeast (Candida Albicans) to grow. This is what commonly causes your little one to experience diarrhea while taking antibiotics. Taking the probiotics helps to repopulate the natural flora. One important thing to remember when giving probiotics in conjunction with antibiotics is, if you give them too close together, the antibiotics will kill the live cultures in the probiotics. It is a good idea to keep at least a 2 hour window between the two, to give the probiotics a chance to do their job.
