Nappy Rash

The way nappy rash looks varies from one baby to another. Generally speaking, nappy rash is an area on the skin where it’s red and sometimes puffy and is sometimes warn to the touch but clearly itchy and makes the baby irritated.
Your baby may have a mild case of nappy rash having just a few red spots in area or your baby may have it encompassing a large area and it is threatening to spread to other neighbouring parts of the body. There is no cause for alarm, but it should not be simply dismissed as it you can take some action against it.

What Causes Nappy Rash?
The cause of nappy rash can be anything from your baby's urine to newly introduced food to your child's diet.
Here is a list of the most common causes of nappy rash:

• Introduction of new food - when a baby's diet changes i.e. normally from liquids to solids then this may increase the baby's bowel movements. Changes to diet leads to changes to the baby's faeces composition, and this can cause a reaction with tie baby's soft and soft and sensitive skin. If you are still breastfeeding then it could be something you making the habit of eating
• Excess moisture - using the market's premium branded nappies is not 100% effective at completely eliminating all the wetness from your baby's skin. When urine and stool react ammonia is produced and this is the same as the stuff you probably clean your oven with. You can imagine what sort of damage this will have on a baby's skin. The longer a baby is left in a wet or soiled nappy the greater the chance that he will develop nappy rash. If your baby has sensitive skin, then this increases the chances too, and in Such a case, the baby is prone to nappy rash even if its parents are frequent nappy changers
• Chemical/Chafing - sometimes baby nappy rash can be caused by perfume that manufacturers impregnate into their nappies or by the detergents used to wash non disposable nappies. Baby lotion or powders used on your baby may also irritate delicate baby skin
• Bacterial/fungal infection - when a baby wears a nappy, the conditions between the nappy and the baby are ideal for a yeast or other bacterial infection to flourish especially within cracks and folds in the skin of a baby.
• Antibiotic treatment - when a baby is on antibiotics, the antibiotic decreases the number of the good bacteria in the body that keep yeast infections and also other no so friendly bacteria in check. Antibiotical treatment can also cause diarrhoea which can allow ammonia penetrate baby's skin more easily

Babies can develop an oral infection called thrash which can lead to a yeast infection in the nappy area. Your doctor or general practitioner may prescribe an anti fugal cream to use topically  on the nappy area.

Nappy Rash Treatment
Keeping your baby by changing their nappy as soon as it get dirty even if it means waking him up in the night will help against nappy rash quite a lot.
When its time to change nappies, washing the nappy area making sure not to miss any easy missed areas and then drying out the area using a towel used for this purpose and some cotton buds too. Remember not to rub but instead pat the area dry. Once you have dried out the area use a liquid petroleum based cream as this helps form a barrier of protection against stool and wee and can stop any irritation that could otherwise have occurred.
Fitting your baby into a slightly larger nappy size can allow air circulation inside the nappy helping to prevent the onslaught of a bacterial infection. Avoid plastic based materials as these can hold in unwanted moisture when they are close to skin due to perspiration.
On days when the temperature is warmer, you could allow your baby to sleep without any nappy on to help a speedy recovery from nappy rash. It is always a good idea to place a plastic sheet under the sheet above the mattress.

Nappy Rash Prevention
Here is a list of ways that can help prevent nappy rash:

• Keep your baby's bottom dry as much as possible. This means cleaning and checking the nappy often. Try to avoid using talc (talcum) based powders. Remember to pat areas dry and avoid rubbing.
• When cleaning the nappy area, check the areas that usually get overlooked, and carefully around the genital area
• Use protective ointment in areas that are susceptible to nappy rash. Vaseline and other petroleum jelly do have a habit of coming off and may need to be applied often
• Allow air circulation by fitting a slightly larger nappy size. Use natural fibres as these allow the body to 'breathe'
• When washing baby clothes, use mild washing products that are designed for baby clothes. You could rinse out clothes using plain water after the wash. Using a cup of diluted vinegar in the clothes to neutralize the alkaline, and wash out to remove the vinegar smell
• Breastfeeding for as long as possible will help build up your baby's natural defences -its immune system can become less dependent on antibiotics
• Emphasize the importance of nappy rash avoidance with others how have a part in the care of your baby