*Change the baby as soon as he wets! This applies whether or not you are using cloth or disposables. Customers who switch from disposables to cloth often call us and say "It's only been 2 hours, and already he's soaked!" These comments made us realize that people are leaving their babies in disposable diapers for long periods of time.

A newborn may urinate more than 20 times a day. If the diaper (cloth or disposable) is not changed soon after EACH TIME the baby wets, the rash-causing bacteria have perfect conditions to multiply--warmth, darkness, moisture. One of the advantages of cloth diapers is that you can easily feel if the baby is wet, and change him immediately. Checking the diaper gets to be a habit each time you pick baby up. Cloth diapers are not meant to hold urine from several wettings, and it is not healthy for your baby to wear a wet diaper for several hours. (If your pants were wet, you'd change them very soon....the wet fabric chafing on your skin would soon give you a rash!)

*Wash baby's bottom carefully after each bowel movement, using plain water. Do not use soap, which is very drying to the skin. Do not use commercial baby wipes, which contain alcohol, scent, and other chemicals which are drying and irritating to the skin. Do not wash baby's bottom too often, as this will dry the skin. Usually washing after each bowel movement is often enough.

*Skin that is too dry will easily succumb to rash, but skin that is too wet can also create a problem. Skin that is filled with liquid from sitting in a wet diaper is more easily damaged by irritants like the friction of the diaper, chemicals, or bacteria and yeast microbes.

*Do not use scented detergent or fabric softener, as these leave residue in the fabric, which irritates the skin. Chlorine bleach can also be a skin irritant--if you insist on using bleach in your laundry, limit it to 1/4 cup of chlorine bleach, or use hydrogen peroxide bleach (President's Choice in the green bottle is one brand.)

*If baby has a rash problem, put diapers through a second rinse, with 1 cup of vinegar added to the rinse water to remove detergent residue and to lower pH of the diaper.

*Expose baby's bottom to air as much as possible. Cloth diapers and breathable diaper covers are ideal as they allow air circulation and keep the skin cool. Heat increases the growth of bacteria and yeast, and rashes such as impetigo may result. If the skin is damaged due to heat, friction, or other reasons, this gives a toehold to organisms such as yeast, to develop and cause rash.

*Diarrhea is a common cause of diaper rash--if baby has runny stools, change the diaper immediately. The mixture of urine and feces produces ammonia, which increases enzyme activity in the feces, causing skin irritation.

*If baby has a bright red rash with clear edges, mainly in the creases of the skin in the diaper area, it may be a yeast or fungus infection--if it doesn't clear up, see your doctor. Candida yeast is an organism found in feces (baby’s “poo”), especially if baby has been on antibiotics. The rash may have small red spots or pustules close to larger red patches.

*If baby has a red rash on skin that is in contact with the diaper, and NOT in the skin folds, the rash could be due to friction of the diaper on wet skin. Change baby more frequently.

*Other forms of rash on baby’s bottom are: seborrheic dermatitis (may be accompanied by cradle cap on the scalp), intertrigo (from skin rubbing on skin, in the creases), impetigo (caused by bacteria), psoriasis, scabies.

*Plastic, scent, and other chemicals found in disposable diapers can irritate baby's skin. Try switching brands or use a diaper service or home-laundered cloth diapers.

*Most diaper rash creams contain ingredients, such as paraben, that can not only IRRITATE the skin, but are actually TOXIC! Read the ingredients, and investigate their safety. Pure olive oil (yes, the same kind you eat), or other edible oils (such as safflower), pure aloe vera (available at health food stores), or ointments with a beeswax base (some people develop a sensitivity to beeswax), are good choices.

*Studies show breastfed babies have less rash than formula fed babies. When baby starts eating solids, some foods can raise the pH of baby’s feces, causing rash around the anus. Teething and colds can make baby more susceptible to rash.