baby newborn

When a little baby starts getting uncomfortable and cranky during peak hours of the day or suddenly bangs in middle of the night, first thing that needs to come to mind is to examine the Nappy. More often than not, it is the nappy that has gone damp, and that’s what could be causing obvious discomfort to the baby. And if the uneasiness persists, the baby might have caught the dilemma of Nappy rash.

What is Nappy Rash?

Nappy rash is something very common among little babies. It can occur after your child passes repeated urine or stool in the nappy, or due to tight cloth covering onto the genital areas. The first sign of Nappy rash will be a red patch on the skin of the child’s bottom and genital organs. It may also occur due to sensitive skin. Along with redness, there is itching, inflammation and sometimes even blisters on the otherwise soft and smooth bottoms of the baby, which makes them cry out for help. The rash is usually caused by wearing unchanged nappy for longer duration, which gets damp and dirty within no time. Yet, there could be other reasons for these rashes to appear, including food allergies, skin problems and digestion difficulties. Sometimes, the diapers are not comfortable and do not fit very well, thus again causing uneasiness and irritation.

How to Relieve the Nappy Rash?

The first rule is to keep your baby’s Nappy clean and dry. It has to be only gently fitting, and you should use baby soap or some mild medicated soap. However, there are few simple suggestions that should be practiced in order to prevent these rashes from occurring in the first place.

  • Make sure you change your baby’s diapers at frequent intervals, so as to avoid exposing it to dampness for too long.
  • As and when possible, remove the diaper, clean and wash the area and let it stay Nappy-free for some time, so that the skin can breathe.
  • Also, whenever you can, do use a nice soft cotton-cloth based Nappy.
  • Moreover, do not use any harsh, highly commercial toiletries or baby-care products on your baby’s soft, sensitive skin. This is because sometimes the chemicals contained in them can also lead to or even worsens the rashes.
  • As far as possible, only use mild soap and shampoo for a healthy, happy and rash-free skin of your little ones, and a comfort that’s there to stay.

Herbal Remedies for Nappy Rash

Other than following these practices, there are simple herbal remedies which can be tried at home.

  1. Vinegar – Rinse the reusable Nappy in vinegar solution. Stale urine has acid-like presence, and can be very harsh for your baby’s skin. Therefore, as urine is fairly acidic in nature, when a baby’s skin is trapped in a damp nappy for longer periods, bacteria start building up and release ammonia which leads to an extremely uncomfortable, burning sensation. In order to adjust the acid-alkaline ratio of the baby’s sensitive skin, and neutralizing the effects of a Nappy rash, vinegar has proved to be very effective. You can also wipe baby’s skin with cloth damped in vinegar solution (in measured portion). For another application, take one spoon of vinegar and eight parts of water, and apply it on the freshly cleaned baby’s bottom, before changing the Nappy.
  2. Yoghurt – Apply plain yoghurt on your baby’s bottoms. Do it in a consistent manner, covering portions of the bottom in thick paste of yoghurt. You can do this procedure every time before changing the diapers.
  3. Coconut Oil – Coconut oil massage is very useful for your baby’s skin. It significantly reduces risk of any infection. Coconut oil can be directly applied after your baby suffers from rashes.
  4. Breast Milk – Yes, mother’s milk is also very good for your baby’s gentle skin. Few drops could be rubbed on the baby’s skin, and your baby would be safeguarded from the skin allergies.
  5. Oatmeal – It helps in retaining softness of your baby’s skin. Oatmeal has natural agents, which removes dirt and oils from skin pores.

 

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About the Author:

Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.

www.drsonicakrishan.com

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