Nappy rash: prevention and cure

The Skin Health Alliance offers help and advice on dealing with nappy rash.

aring for a young baby

Cin pain with nappy rash can be distressing for parents. And it can be made worse if the information parents use to help and remedy the situation is inaccurate. For example, the confusion between nappy rash and chemical burns illustrates how seemingly similar conditions can sometimes complicate parents' best efforts to fix things.

In its recent research, the Skin Health Alliance discovered that even though more than 90% of parents used disposable nappies, 76% confirmed that their babies had experienced nappy rash.1

“Our skin ensures our body has a delicately balanced ecosystem. However children don’t really develop mature skin resilience until at least around one to two years of age. Up until then, baby skin remains sensitive and delicate. Therefore, striking the right balance between taking care of a baby’s skin and allowing it to mature its own defences naturally remains a complicated area for many parents to navigate successfully – especially when it comes to nappies, and nappy rash,” explains Dr Susan Mayou, paediatric dermatologist at London’s Cadogan Clinic. "Nappy rash typically occurs when the sensitive area of skin around a baby’s nappy becomes irritated by contact with urine or faeces. The skin becomes red, hot or sore in patches, which can become confluent and sometimes spots or blisters develop. With proper treatment, it will usually clear up within three or four days.”

The Skin Health Alliance survey also found that 52% of parents recognised nappy rash was more likely to occur when a nappy went unchanged for too long. More worryingly, however, was 30% believed that nappy rash is a chemical burn caused by materials used in disposable nappies – a widespread misconception.

In order to address these misconceptions and help allay parents fears the Skin Health Alliance surveyed 263 dermatologists about the issue; 93% of them agreed that despite the excellent drying and comfort properties of disposable nappies, it was still possible for babies to develop nappy rash. 76% of dermatologists also reported that when parents presented their children with a complaint of ‘chemical burns’, it was in fact simply nappy rash.2

Pulling together advice from dermatologists and nappy manufacturers, the Skin Health Alliance is seeking to reassure parents that nappy rash is commonplace and educate them as to what they can do to help reduce the risk:

Wet or dirty nappies should be changed as quickly as possible. For newborn babies this can mean as many as eight to 12 nappy changes a day.

Gently cleaning a baby’s nappy area with warm water or unscented, alcohol-free wipes at each change is gentler to the skin. As is then patting the skin gently to dry it with a clean towel or, even better, leave them nappy-free to air dry.

If possible, allowing babies time without a nappy will help reduce chafing and contact irritation.

Applying a very thin layer of barrier cream before putting a nappy on can also help protect the skin.

Check the nappy brand’s fitting guidance on the packaging to ensure a good fit.

When the skin is sore, avoid fragranced soaps, bubble baths, lotions or talcum powder as they can cause further irritation.

Matthew Patey, managing director of the Skin Health Alliance concludes: “Over recent years, social media reports have incorrectly linked disposable nappies with chemical burns on babies’ skin. By highlighting the scientific facts, we hope to reassure parents as to the safety credentials of disposable nappies and provide some simple steps to avoid their loved ones suffering from nappy rash in the future.”

The Skin Health Alliance (skinhealthalliance.org) awards dermatological accreditation to products, services, and brands. It only partners with disposable nappy brands that can scientifically prove skin safety to its independent panel of dermatologists.

SOURCES

1. 2021 Skin Health Alliance Parents Survey. 250 UK parents of children up to 5 years old. 2. 2019 Skin Health Alliance Dermatologists Survey. 263 Dermatologists attending the British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting in Liverpool.

Good for baby and the planet

Georgina Probert trys out Kit & Kin's cloth reusable nappies with her 17-month-old daughter Florence to see if they will convert her from disposables.

s much as I try to make

Aeco-friendly choices in all aspects of my life, I have never got my head around using reusable or cloth nappies. I told myself that the extra washing (water, electricity etc) negates the fact that disposable nappies end up in landfill, but a large part of me simply chose disposables because they are convenient.

I used disposable nappies with my older daugher, who is now well and truly potty trained at five years old, and when I think of how many nappies we got through in the first few years of her life it horrifies me.

So when I was given the chance to try out Kit & Kin's (kitandkin.com) reusable cloth nappies, I jumped at the chance. First, these cloth nappies are much less bulky than I was expecting. The choice of designs are all gender neutral and very sweet – we chose the Fox design.

Made from sustainable and plantbased materials, the nappies are good for the planet in lots of ways. The outer layer is made from recycled polyester, which rescues two bottles from landfill. The inner layer and core are hemp and tencil (which are soft on babies skin and absorbant), whereas most cloth nappies use polyester.

The Kit & Kin cloth nappies are one-size-fits-all, meaning they grow with your baby and save you money as you don't need to buy a larger size. The nappies have a double gusset, so you can use them alone or with a booster (made from the same material as inner layer). Boosters are ideal for heavy wetters and for use at night. You can also buy disposable liners that go on top of the inner layer, which are handy for keeping poo in the nappy and protecting it from getting too dirty.

Following Florence's trial, are we cloth nappy converts? My daughter seemed to find them comfortable and they are certainly much easier to use than I first thought. While they do create extra washing, it is 100% worthwhile when I think about how many nappies are being kept out of landfill.

WASHING AND DRYING TIPS

Wash your cloth nappies before use! This help absorption and maintains their lifespan.

Fasten the hook and loop before washing.

Never use fabric conditioner and try to use a non-bio laundry powder.

Air dry the nappies if you can and pull out the inner layer when drying.