With winter upon us, many parents and guardians have begun wrapping their adorable newborn in layers of clothing to fight off the brisk chill in the air. While this is a cute way to welcome a child into the new season, there’s an underlying component that goes unchecked by many new and seasoned parents — diaper rash.

If you want to prevent diaper rash as the months become colder, here are some steps to keep your baby’s skin happy and healthy!

 

What To Look For

 

Before you can begin crafting a productive routine to protect your newborn, you must understand the warning signs that present themselves with diaper rash. While each baby is unique, here are the common symptoms to keep an eye on when changing your baby’s diaper:

 

• A reddish hue surrounding their bum and inner thighs

• Sensitivity around their groin region

• The baby looks agitated and irritable

• Increased crying and erratic movement

• Light bleeding

 

Once these signs have begun to manifest themselves, it’s time to get to work! To start things off we recommend, specifically in colder weather, to change your newborn more often than normal. 

 

Even though it may seem like a mild inconvenience to change diapers frequently, excess moisture, urine and other materials can exacerbate diaper rash and create infection quickly.

 

Similarly, we encourage you to minimize clothing layers when the weather permits. When your child is lounging around the house or lying down for a nap, remove unneeded layers as these can cause chafing and rash around their diaper region. 

 

The final preventative measure to ensure diaper rash remains at bay is to perform diaper checks every 2 hours. There are even diapers that will change colors when they get wet. When checking your baby, look for signs of bathroom accidents, moisture buildup, wetness or ill-fitting diapers rubbing against their skin. Following these steps will help ensure that your baby remains happy and healthy as the year moves forward.

 

Dealing With an Existing Rash

 

Your best bet to treat a rash that has already presented itself is to use an all-natural ointment that soothes your child’s skin. Apply a generous amount of product to the affected area and keep the rash clean at all times. As stated before, check your child’s diaper region every 2 or 3 hours to ensure optimal recovery, and to re-apply diaper-rash ointment if needed. If the rash is resistant to treatment, give us a call. We are here to help.