As a parent, you want to make sure your child is healthy and happy. You may have heard that diaper rash can cause bleeding, but do you know how to prevent it?
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the causes of bleeding during a baby’s diaper rash and how to treat it. We’ll also provide some tips on preventing diaper rash in the first place. Keep reading for more information!
Does a diaper rash cause bleeding?
No, it doesn’t. But severe diaper rash might result in a bleeding diaper rash. Babies often experience diaper rash. An infant’s skin becomes irritated when it is wet or soiled from urine or poop, friction from a diaper or irritation from the diaper itself. Sometimes the irritation is severe enough to cause bleeding. In this case, bacteria or fungus living on their inflamed skin could be causing the mild rash to have severe irritation.
A baby may suffer from this type of diaper dermatitis if he or she spends a long time wearing a wet or dirty diaper.
During irritant contact dermatitis, red spots or bumps may appear in the affected area. Occasionally, there can also be welts that bleed and crack open. Secondary infection is more likely to occur if fungi and bacteria can penetrate the skin through open sores.
When should I be concerned about diaper rashes?
Most diaper rashes are usually harmless. If your baby has a severe diaper rash, it might indicate a serious health condition that requires medical attention.
Bleeding diaper rash can sometimes be treated by your child’s pediatrician rather than at home. Contact your baby’s doctor if you notice the following symptoms:
- a persistently high temperature
- swollen neck glands
- fluid-filled blisters
- cough and cold symptoms
- spreading of the rash from the diaper area to other parts of the body like the face, head, skin folds and arms
- irritated ulcers and blisters on the skin
- restlessness due to irritation and discomfort
Call your doctor if you have tried everything and your baby’s bleeding diaper rash hasn’t improved. It may be necessary to prescribe stronger topical or oral medicines to permanently eliminate the rash. Your child’s doctor will also diagnose if the rash is caused by a bacterial infection or fungal infection.
How to treat and prevent diaper rash that is bleeding?
When treating bleeding diaper rash, your first priority should be to keep your baby’s bottom as dry as possible. You may help in the healing of the rash; it may simply take some time and care to your baby’s bottom.
Treating diaper rash that is bleeding is also important to avoid future outbreaks. Here are a few home treatment options that can help avoid diaper rash:
- Change diapers right away, especially if they’ve pooped or peed. This could imply changing your baby’s wet diaper once a night, even if they’re already sleeping through the night. More frequent diaper changes help treat the rash.
- Make sure your baby’s skin has had time to dry before putting the diaper back on. Let your baby lie naked on a towel for some “tummy time.”.
- Put your baby’s diaper on loosely. Tight disposable diapers or cloth diapers cause friction. To help your baby’s skin dry while napping, you can place them on a towel or loosely cover them in a diaper. By doing so, yeast is less likely to grow.
- Avoid using baby wipes or replace them with ones made specifically for sensitive skin. There are some diaper wipes that have fragrances or cleansers added that can irritate a diaper rash. A soft washcloth and water are a better alternative. To remove extremely hard stools, you may use mild soap.
- Don’t use baby powder because your baby might inhale it.
- Reduce irritation by applying ointments at every diaper change. Petroleum jelly and zinc oxide are both good choices.
- To kill off germs, wash cloth diapers in hot water with bleach and rinse well. To eliminate all bacteria from a diaper, you can boil it for 15 minutes in hot water on the stove.
- Put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in warm water and soak your baby’s bottom three times a day. This helps with the healing process of the raw skin.
- If you suspect the rash is caused by yeast, apply an over-the-counter antifungal ointment.
If you start home treatment of your baby’s bleeding diaper rash within three days, you can expect to see some improvement. If it doesn’t see a doctor right away.
Additional information
- The diaper rash may cause your child to be fussy every time they pee, but this could also indicate a urinary tract infection.
- It may be that your child has a yeast infection called thrush or candidiasis if you see white patches inside their mouth that look red after they are wiped with a clean cloth.
- Seborrheic dermatitis can cause a yellowish rash in the diaper area and elsewhere on the body, such as behind the ears or under the arms.
- The anti-inflammatory properties of witch hazel are well known. This may be helpful in treating diaper rash in babies. Using a cotton ball, brush the witch hazel onto the baby’s bottom after it has been diluted with equal parts water.
- You may need antibiotics if your child’s diaper area is covered with blisters that leave shallow red sores.
- The rash may evolve into something more serious in which case you need to call your doctor immediately.
Takeaway
While diaper rash does not directly cause bleeding, it can become severe to the point where blood is visible. If your baby experiences a diaper rash that becomes severe and results in bleeding, it is important to take them to see a doctor right away. This could be a sign that the irritation is being caused by bacteria or fungus on their skin, which will need to be treated with prescription medication.
