Q: Thanks Dr for answering our questions. Please, Doctor my baby of about one month plus has a kind of inflamed and reddish rash around her vagina which I thought was a diaper rash. I have been applying baby Tribotan for the past few weeks but no improvement. Please help me with what I can use. I’m a first-time mum and I’m really worried.
A: Congratulations on your new baby and don’t worry, it just looks harder than it really is. In a few months now, you’ll be dispensing motherly advice to other new mums 😀
Diaper rashes are common in babies and they could happen on the butt or anywhere around the area including the lips of the vagina as you have observed. The causes include
• Prolonged contact with urine or stool
• Diapers that are too tight
• Harsh detergents, soaps
• Baby wipes.
• Sensitivity
Prevention essentially focuses on the causes. So,
• Change your baby’s diaper as soon as you realize it’s wet or soiled
• Be sure to buy the right size of diapers and avoid harsh soaps and detergents.
• Keep baby’s butt open to air dry as long as practicable 😀 I hear some of you mums groaning…I know, you’re taking a huge fat risk that he or she will do their business while you’re trying to air dry them 😀
• Ensure that baby’s butt is dry before closing up the diaper after a change
• Pat baby’s butt dry especially if he/she already has a diaper rash to prevent irritation
• Always have a diaper rash cream handy. Creams that contain zinc like Sudocrem or Desitin are good examples. I used the latter for my babies and it always worked like a charm.
Diaper rash that does not ‘sneak’ away after a couple of days (about a week) may be due to a yeast (candida) infection. And before you raise your eyebrows, yes this can in babies and may be due to yeast overgrowth in babies taking antibiotics or breastfeeding babies whose mothers are on antibiotics, poor hygiene when cleaning baby up after a poo (such that baby is cleaned from the back to the front), the moist and warm environment provided by unchanged diapers etc These rashes are usually well defined with raised borders.
If the rashes develop some pus like fluid, then this is the sign of a bacterial infection (impetigo) and needs to be treated with antibiotics.
So rule of thumb is change your baby often to prevent prolonged contact with poo or urine and keep the area clean. Use barrier (nappy rash cream) at the first sign of a rash and if this does not improve after a few days, she should be ideally seen by her doctor to confirm whether this is a fungal infection. Note that other rare causes of rashes are eczema, psoriasis etc
In the case above, I assume that you had used a barrier cream initially (or maybe not) before using the antifungal cream. Since the rashes are not getting any better, please take your baby to see her paediatrician.
For more on diaper-related issues, please click on the links below:
Daily Health Tips: My Baby Is Having A Reaction To Her Diapers!
Have a good night, y’all 😀
chatwithketch 
Hello Dr. Ketch,
Am happy to have stumbled on this topic today. Am a 1st time mum and my baby is 1 month and 3 days old today. My baby has been down with rashes (all over her body) for about 3 weeks now (guess am guilty by letting her sit in her poo/urine for too long). My colleague introduced me to Sudocrem and Agnesia powder when I cried out which helped as those yellow fluid rashes have disappeared though the ugly marks are still on her body. Its 1 week plus since I started using the above mentioned, her crying has reduced and she smiles so beautifully now though her left chic has a mass of dried reddish rashes. Should I try Baby Tribotan on her?
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