One of babies’ loveliest qualities is their silky soft skin. However, this soft skin can be more susceptible to uncomfortable reactions to substances in diapers. These reactions often consist of red, inflamed, or peeling skin, red splotches, and sensitivity to touch. This can be incredibly distressing for both the baby and parents, so understandably, parents want to discover the cause ASAP. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be tricky to determine what the cause of the reaction is.
To help you out, we’ve pulled together the key considerations when trying to determine if your baby is having an allergic reaction to their diapers, and what to do about it if they are.
Chronic rashes. One of the clearest signs that your baby is allergic to their diaper is chronic rashes, especially if you’re vigilant about changing them as soon as you notice a soiled diaper. The regular occurrence of the rash likely means there is an element in the diaper your baby is having a reaction to.
Rashes develop when baby is dry. If you notice a rash developing on baby’s skin, under and around their diaper, when the skin hasn’t recently been exposed to urine or fecal matter, they could be having an allergic reaction to their diaper.
Reactions occur even when baby hasn’t had a change in diet. As some allergic reactions are caused by dietary changes, consider if you’ve fed baby anything new around the time they developed the rash. If they’re primarily breastfed, take note of if the mom has altered anything in her diet. If no potential dietary shifts can be linked to the allergic reaction, this could be a sign that it’s a reaction to the diaper.
You’ve ruled out skin care products as the culprit. Another potential cause of allergic reactions is ingredients in products like lotion, shampoo, soap, and sunscreen. To rule these items out, notice if your baby develops a rash after exposure to any of the products, especially around their groin or bottom. When your baby’s rash doesn’t seem to be connected to any skin care products, and the rash is consistently on the skin under and around their diaper, they could be reacting to their diaper.
If you determine your baby’s rash, or other uncomfortable skin reactions, are not being caused by exposure to fecal matter or urine, diet changes, or ingredients in skin care products, it’s likely that they’re allergic to their diaper. Luckily, there are easy ways to solve this problem.
What To Do
The first thing you want to do when your baby has an allergic reaction to their diaper is treat the impacted area. To learn more about effective remedies check out our post on how to naturally treat diaper rash here.
If the reaction is severe enough, it’s important to contact the baby’s pediatrician to ensure they don’t need professional care.
Finally, you want to ensure this type of reaction doesn’t happen again. The best way to do this is to switch to a diaper that’s free of the harmful ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction. Following are the primary qualities you'll want to look for in a diaper, as they help to ensure the diaper has a very low chance of causing an allergic reaction.
- Dermatologist-tested
- Fragrance-free
- Hypoallergenic
- Totally chlorine free (TCF)
- Antibacterial
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
As your baby is surely one of the most precious parts of your life, you want to ensure they’re in a diaper that won’t cause discomfort. And as most baby’s wear 2,200 to 3,000 in their first year, a diaper will be their almost constant companion. Make sure that companion is kind by selecting a diaper that was made with baby’s safety and comfort as the top priority.
