Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

Yeast infections that work on a baby's diaper area not the same thing as diaper rash. Unfortunately, many well meaning parents use regular diaper cream and baby powder on the yeast infection and this will do nothing to cure it.

Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

A yeast infection is dissimilar from a diaper rash in that it appears as a flat, red rash with scalloped edges that have any tiny rashes colse to it. A yeast infection rash may enlarge along the pubic area and onto the lower part of the baby's abdomen.

Baby Diapers

Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

The yeast infections that work on babies are called Candidas albicans, which is the most coarse cause of all types of yeast infections. A pediatrician can decide either a rash on the groin or a thrush in the mouth of babies is a yeast infection. To get a definite pathology the doctor may inspect the scrapings of a yeast infection under a microscope.

Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

Babies who are on antibiotics or who are being breastfed by mothers who are taking antibiotics are at higher risk for yeast infections. That's because antibiotics kill the good bacteria in the body that keep yeast in check. Without these bacteria around, yeast and grow more abundantly.

While applying diaper cream may bring your baby temporary relief from the itching and soreness it will not heal the infection. Without proper treatment, a yeast infection in the baby's diaper area will get progressively worse.

Anti-fungal medications are the only types of treatment that can get rid of yeast infections. Some pediatricians might write a prescription for Nystatin while others may suggest and over the counter treatment like Lotrim Af to treat the diaper yeast infection.

Using antifungal cream, soaking the baby in warm water two times a day and frequent diaper changes will commonly clear up a yeast infection within a few days. While you are treating the yeast infection make sure that your baby's diapers are loose adequate to let air in. When changing your child's diapers, make sure the skin on his buttocks and groin area is clean and dry.

Some holistic healing practitioners advocate the use of a diaper cream containing tea tree oil to help clear yeast infections in the diaper area. Others suggest using aloe or pressing damp chamomile teabags directly on the baby's rash. If the yeast persists for more than a week or if your baby has fever or chills you should consult with your pediatrician.

Yeast infections in baby's can occur despite our best efforts. However, frequent diaper changes can decrease the chances of an infection occurring. Children with yeast infections in the diaper area should not be excluded from daycare because these types of infections are not contagious.

If your baby recently had thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth), her or she may end up with a yeast infection in the diaper area, too. That's because yeast passes through your baby's digestive system when he eats and winds up in his stool, which finally lands in his diaper right next to his warm, damp skin. Yeast thrives in warm, damp environments.

Don't Confuse Your Baby's Yeast Infections With Diaper Rash

Rustic Pergola