Diaper Rash

It is estimated that a baby will use six to 10 diapers each day. This translates to 2,000 to 3,000 diapers each year. With all these changes, your baby's tender skin needs special care.

Diaper rash is caused from urine and stool contact with the skin. It's not usually painful to a baby, but it can look a little scary to a parent. However, if the rash isn't treated, it can become raw and painful for your baby and even become infected. If a rash persists after initial treatment or starts bleeding, oozing or blistering, then it's time to call your physician.

"It may be difficult to distinguish between a 'normal' diaper rash (irritant) and a yeast (candidal) infection," says Dr. Pamela Phillips, a pediatrician at Columbia-Presbyterian Eastside, Manhattan, N.Y. "Irritant diaper rash usually involves the buttocks, lower abdomen and upper thighs. Candidal infections tend to be bright red with sharp borders and satellite papules and often involve the areas within the folds."

According to Dr. Phillips, a diaper rash that lasts more than four to five days despite treatment is usually a yeast infection.

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