Babies Everyday Care Common Diaper Rash Causes and Treatments By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on April 21, 2020 Print Credit: Paul Bradbury/Caiaimage/Getty Images Table of Contents View All Overview Causes Prevention Treatment Have you noticed a rash on your infant's rear end? Some parents confuse this for eczema. Overview It is usually recommended that you avoid using steroid creams or ointments under a child's diaper. Steroids are absorbed much more readily under occlusion, like from a diaper, and can increase a child's chances of having side effects. However, although steroids are commonly prescribed to treat eczema, eczema is not very common in the diaper area. Eczema more typically causes a red, itchy rash on a child's cheeks, arms, and legs. Still, if you think that it is eczema, you can ask your doctor if you can use a mild potency steroid, like those sold over-the-counter, for a few days. So if it isn't eczema, what might be causing your child's bad diaper rash? It could be caused by drinking too much juice or eating a certain fruit or some other food. Citrus fruits and citrus juices are notorious for causing bad diaper rashes in sensitive kids. Causes The most common thing to cause a persistent diaper rash, which isn't getting better with routine diaper rash treatments, is a yeast infection. This type of diaper rash is caused by Candida albicans, which also causes thrush. Yeast diaper rashes appear as a bright red rash with small red bumps around it and it requires treatment with a topical antifungal cream. When a diaper rash persists and is not easily treated, it may be time to see a pediatric dermatologist for further evaluation. Some of the less common conditions that can cause a diaper rash in children include: Seborrheic Dermatitis: with greasy, yellow or salmon-colored scales that also occur on a baby's face, behind their ears, and on their scalp and armpitsPsoriasis: which may also involve a child's scalp and nailsZinc Deficiency: includes a poor diet, diarrhea, hair loss, and a rash around a child's mouthAcrodermatitis Enteropathica: a genetic cause of zinc deficiencyHistiocytosis XWiskott-Aldrich Syndrome: with bleeding, serious infections, and eczemaCongenital Syphilis Keep in mind that these conditions usually have other symptoms besides a simple diaper rash and most are not very common. Prevention Although frustrating for parents, most children get at least one diaper rash and many get them over and over. If your child gets frequent diaper rashes you might change the type of diaper you are using (cloth vs. disposable diapers). You can change brands of disposable diapers and/or baby wipes. You can apply a barrier cream after each diaper change, like Aquaphor or cream with zinc oxide. Keep a symptom diary to see if you can link the rash to something that your child is eating or drinking. Other things that parents do to prevent diaper rashes include: Frequent diaper changesLetting their infant go without a diaper as much as possibleUsing unscented wipesUsing warm water and a mild soap instead of wipesUsing a squirt bottle to clean without rubbingLetting the diaper area fully dry before putting another diaper onGet your child potty trained, which is the only real 100% way to prevent diaper rashes Treatment To treat a diaper rash, you can do many of the same things but try to avoid vigorous rubbing of sore areas. A squirt bottle and then gently patting your infant dry can be less irritating. Next, after allowing him to dry completely, let him air out a little longer if possible, and put a generous amount of your favorite diaper rash cream or ointment to cover the rash completely. You can repeat this at each diaper change and see your Pediatrician if the diaper rash isn't getting better after a few days. If your child has raw and irritated areas of skin with his diaper rash, you might ask your pediatrician if you can use a mild, over-the-counter strength brand of hydrocortisone. Some parents like to use Maalox topically in this situation. In addition to using an antifungal cream to treat yeast diaper rashes, the following diaper rash creams and ointments can be helpful: Triple Paste Medicated Ointment: a premium diaper rash cream that 'works fast to relieve raw, irritated skin' with zinc oxide, white petrolatum, corn starch, and anhydrous lanolin.Boudreaux's Butt Paste: with zinc oxide, Peruvian balsam, castor oil, mineral oil, boric acid, white wax, and petrolatum.Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment: a Petrolatum based ointment, like VaselineBalmex Diaper Rash OintmentDesitin Creamy Diaper Rash OintmentBurt's Bees Diaper OintmentAveeno Diaper Rash CreamA+D OintmentMustela Dermo-Pediatrics, Stelactiv Diaper Rash Cream Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Track your baby’s most exciting moments with our milestone checklist. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. KidsHealth from Nemours. Eczema (atopic dermatitis). Updated September 2019. American Academy of Pediatrics. Common Diaper Rashes & Treatments. Updated January 2020. Pinson R, Sotoodian B, Fiorillo L. Psoriasis in children. Psoriasis (Auckl). 2016;6:121-129. doi:10.2147/PTT.S87650 Gupta R, Vora RV. Congenital syphilis, still a reality. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2013;34(1):50-2. doi:10.4103/2589-0557.112941 Cleveland Clinic. What’s really causing your baby’s diaper rash?. Farahani LA, Ghobadzadeh M, Yousefi P. Comparison of the effect of human milk and topical hydrocortisone 1% on diaper dermatitis. Pediatr Dermatol. 2013;30(6):725-9. doi:10.1111/pde.12118