'Nappy Rashes'

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How to treat, prevent and when to seek medical advice

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First Line of Treatment

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  • Ensure the nappy fits properly (too tight increases skin occlusion; too loose minimizes absorption of fluids).

  • ‘Air time’. Leave nappies off for as long as possible to help skin drying of the nappy area.

  • Clean the skin and change the nappy every 3–4 hours, or as soon as possible after wetting or soiling, to reduce skin exposure to urine and faeces.

  • Use water, or fragrance-free and alcohol-free baby wipes.

  • Bath the child daily — avoid excessive bathing (such as more than twice a day) which may dry the skin excessively.

 

Nappy rash usually clears up after about 3 days if you follow these hygiene tips

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If it does not clear

  • Your local Health Visitor or Pharmacist can recommend a nappy rash cream to treat it.

  • You should apply the cream first and wait a few minutes before you apply the barrier cream.

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When to seek medical advice​

  • If the rash doesn't go away or your baby develops a persistent bright red, moist rash with white or red pimples that spreads into the folds of their skin, they may have an infection.

  • Follow your Prescriber, Health Visitor or GP's instructions on whether and when to apply barrier cream as well as the prescribed cream.

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[CHC 2.3.2021  National Health Service: Choices https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/nappy-rash/

The recommendations on management are largely based on a Cochrane systematic review Disposable nappies for preventing napkin dermatitis in infants [Baer et al, 2006], and expert opinion in review articles on nappy rash [Lund, 1999; Visscher, 2009; Ravanfar et al, 2012; Ness, 2013; Coughlin, 2014; Stamatas, 2014; Merrill, 2015; Atherton, 2016; Van Gysel, 2016; Cohen, 2017].