How do babies get a diaper rash in the first place?

Question

My daughter is 3 months old, but she hasn't gotten a single diaper rash because I change her every 2 hrs. If she smells urine then I give her a quick bath (warm water + Aveeno wash) and bathe her so that she'll stay clean and make her stay happy and fresh. Since I've never seen my daughter with a diaper rash I didn't know what they looked like until I searched it under yahoo images. My question is, "How do babies get a diaper rash like the ones shown under yahoo images?" Please explain.

Answer 1

My daughter got a few because she has slept through the night since she was 7 weeks old.  Now we load her up with diaper rash cream.  My sister was allergic to her own urine when she was a baby, and would get rashes left and right.  Sensitive skin is more prone to it also.  Its not because a baby is "dirty" or the parents are to "lazy" to change the diaper.  Hot weather with the moisture can trigger it also.

Answer 2

my son got diaper rash all the time at first, even though i was changing him just about every 2hrs. as well. his got really really bad at one point. he even had a yeast infection.

yes leaving a baby in a dirty diaper forl ong periods of time can cause it, but thats not the only reason. as in my case it just happened.

for us they actually stopped when we switched wipe brands.

Answer 3

I changed my boys every 1 hr for the first 4 months then switched to every 2 hrs.  They got diaper rash from allergies to the diapers, stuff in my breast-milk a couple of times then from a reaction to the formula when i stopped pumping.  They also got it from reactions to some baby foods.  My boys got yeast infections because of antibiotics they were on for ear infections and other problems.  I always said I would never allow my babies to get a rash but sometimes you can't always avoid it.  Now some of the most severe cases I have seen though are from parents not changing often enough.  I know someone that didn't change her newborn for 4 hrs sometimes 5 then wondered why her baby always had a diaper rash.  

Answer 4

when they mess their diaper and you leave it on them...their skin gets moist and with the pee and the moving and heat it irritates the skin causing a rash

Answer 5

it is due to the urine left in the diaper, too much moisture, and long periods of time with dirty diapers. if left alone they can get pretty irritated and red sometimes even blister. the first signs of redness just let your baby "air out" for a few minutes after you clean her and use destin cream.

Answer 6

Both of my boys ended up often with yeast infections and it took me months to realize it was because of their chronic ear infections and the medicines they had to take made them more prone to that and it gave them diarrhea.  My youngest had diarrhea a lot and no matter how frequently I changed it, all of the moisture was just asking to become a rash.  It helps if you let them air dry if they only urinate though, especially boys.  I learned that after my oldest had so many it was driving me crazy.  It also took me a while to find the right diaper that kept the moisture away from their skin.   I did my best to prevent it, but sometimes you can't.  

Answer 7

The only time my son got nappy rash was when he was cutting a few teeth all together. The doctor told him his urine was most probably more concentrated at that time than normal - hence the rash. I was like you always changing as I don't like the smell of urine; especially stale urine! We were given some prescription cream that was a little stronger than over the counter nappy rash lotions and he cleared up like a dream. Keep your fingers crossed that your baby doesn't develop it. Some cases I've seen are dreadful!

Answer 8

Prolonged exposure to urine or f***s is how they get usually get it. Sometimes babies have extra sensitive skin and can get a rash only being in a dirty or wet diaper for a few minutes. Skin changes, growth spurts, teething can all make babies more prone to rashes. My daughter is five months and has had a couple of small minor rashes that cleared up between diaper changes because I caught it right away. Every baby is different and some are more susceptible to rashes while others are not. Hopefully what you're doing will continue to work and you'll never have to deal with a bad rash like the ones in the yahoo images.

Answer 9

Loss of barrier funciton of the skin due to maceration (because its so moist down there), coupled with irritation from faecal enzymes or applied preparations such as soaps etc is the main cause of nappy rash. Some babies may have a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis which has nothing to do with hygeine. It could be atopic dermatitis or seborrhoeic dermatitis which again has nothing to do with hygeine. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is idiopathic i.e there is no known cause. Hot weather can predispose a child to getting nappy rash. Plastic pants over the nappy can cause it as the area can't breathe. Using cloth nappies can make it worse as the candidia organism which is the most common infecting organism may live in them and re-infect if they are not cleaned properly. Not allowing the child any "nappy-free" time can also cause nappy rash. It could also be due to tinea, or zinc deficiency. Some types are bacterial caused by staph or strep which live on the skin. Some can be caused by allergies. Some can be caused when the child is ill and has gastro and so has increased exposure to the faecal enzymes. Baby wipes and soaps can also predispose a baby if they are sensitive to it.

So there are many causes, some which can be prevented and others that can't. Most can be prevented by good hygeine but some babies are just more prone than others. Just be thankful you have been lucky so far, you must be one of the lucky ones!