Modern parents often prefer disposable diapers, which greatly simplify the life of them and the child. Some of them are faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as an allergy to diapers. Pampers in this case does not become an element of comfort, but the culprit in the deterioration of the baby's well-being. However, it is still not worth completely abandoning this product, it is enough to simply follow some rules of its use and know about the causes of allergies.
Benefits of Disposable Diapers
The advantages of using diapers are undeniable: they simplify the care of the child, save mom’s time and keep the delicate baby skin from moisture. If the product is really high-quality and it is changed in a timely manner, then it does not cause redness and irritation. In disposable diapers, the baby sleeps longer than in diapers, because the discomfort from stool does not bother him.
Allergy to diapers most often occurs when using products of dubious quality. What features should a good diaper have? First, it should remain dry even after significant swelling in volume. Secondly, it is better if the product has minimal fragrance (or aromatization is completely absent). Thirdly, all the materials of which the diaper is made must be certified and safe for the child. All these points ensure product quality and reduce the likelihood of increased sensitivity of the baby's skin.
What increases the risk of allergies
Good quality diapers rarely cause unwanted acute skin reactions. Their untimely replacement can lead to diaper dermatitis, but this is not at all allergic to diapers, as many think. Inflammation of the skin in this case occurs due to prolonged contact with feces and overheating, which lead to redness and the appearance of weeping painful elements.
So can there be an allergy to diapers, or any redness and rash are just symptoms of dermatitis? In most cases, the discomfort is caused precisely by the prolonged stay of the child in the diaper and his untimely replacement. However, there is still an allergy to diapers, and it manifests itself almost immediately after the product contacts the baby’s skin.
How to change diapers correctly
The skin of the baby, especially in the first three months of life, is very delicate and prone to irritation when the slightest provoking factor appears. During this period, a child needs to change diapers every 2-3 hours, regardless of the degree of his fullness. At an older age, this can be done a little less often, making sure that the surface of the product is not wet. After the act of defecation at any age, diapers are changed immediately.
To avoid the development of redness and allergies for a hygiene toilet of intimate organs, it is better to use clean running water without soap and cosmetics (even children). It is undesirable to use wet wipes, since their impregnation can react with the diaper filler and cause an allergic reaction. The skin can not be rubbed with a washcloth or towel, it only needs to be gently wet so that it dries. Ideally, during a diaper change, arrange a 10-minute air bath so that the genital area is free and “breathes”.
Allergy to diapers: symptoms and signs
The first sign of any discomfort in a newborn is irritated behavior and crying. This is a protective reaction of the body, which allows the child to "inform" the parents that something is bothering him. When examining the skin under the diaper, you can see the following symptoms:
- redness and slight swelling of the skin in places of contact with the diaper;
- small rash of red color;
- flaky spots that can be replaced by weeping inflammatory elements.
Knowing how allergic to diapers is, you can quickly navigate in a similar situation and seek help from a pediatrician.
First aid
If parents noticed alarming signs of an allergy, first of all, the baby's skin should be freed from the diaper. After this, the affected area should be carefully considered in order to understand the nature of the rash and evaluate the overall severity of the condition. It is advisable to immediately wash the child with running water in order to wash off the residues of allergens. After this, it is important to leave the skin briefly open in fresh air.
In no case should you use the same type of diapers, since repeated contact with an allergen can cause a more serious reaction. Before consulting a doctor, you can treat the skin with universal remedies that will not harm in any situation (for example, Sudokrem, Desitin). On this day, when bathing the baby, you can not use herbs and cosmetics, since they can cause a cross-response of the body.
Action plan
If any rash, swelling and redness of the baby occurs, you need to show the pediatrician. He will examine the child and confirm (or refute) the diagnosis of allergy to diapers. Timely prescribed treatment avoids serious complications and the protracted course of the pathological process.
To dry the inflammatory elements, the child may be prescribed external funds based on zinc. They must be applied after each diaper change during an air bath. Before you put on a new diaper, you need to wait for the complete absorption of these drugs. To restore overdried skin, a pediatrician may recommend Bepanten or an ointment with similar properties.
In some cases, with pronounced symptoms, local treatment with hormonal ointments is required (only a doctor should select them). In order not to harm the baby, self-medication with such drugs is unacceptable.
Allergies in children: are diapers to blame?
Manifestations of allergies arising from various factors are very similar to each other. But if on the day of the symptoms that occurred, the child did not try new food and his skin was not smeared with unusual cosmetic products, then, most likely, this is a diaper. An allergy to diapers can occur even for the type of product that parents have been using for a baby for a long time. This may be due to 2 reasons:
- purchase of fake or defective products;
- change of manufacturing technology of old original diapers.
A trivial moisturizing lotion, which the manufacturer can add as an innovation for the regular version of diapers, often causes allergies or skin irritation in children.
What can not be done
An allergy to diapers with the right treatment and further preventative care is not a big deal. But there are things that can aggravate its course and seriously affect the health of the baby. Therefore, with allergies, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations:
- you can not squeeze pimples and comb the inflammatory elements on the skin;
- no need to treat the affected areas with iodine, potassium permanganate and brilliant green (this will not speed up the treatment, but only bring pain to the child);
- it is important not to self-medicate (this is especially true for antibacterial and hormonal drugs for external use).
It makes no sense to refuse disposable diapers from other companies that the child is not allergic to. They provide much more hygienic conditions than similar products from gauze and cotton, and also allow the baby to stay dry longer.
The difference between allergies and diaper rash
Noticing redness on the baby’s pope, probably, any mother wondered at least once what an allergy to diapers looks like and is it it? Young parents often confuse this condition with diaper rash, although there are clear differences between them:
- with allergies, a small-point rash is most often observed, and with diaper rash, the skin is wet, red and hot when touched;
- the appearance of weeping crackings of the skin with minor ulcerations is rarely a symptom of an individual reaction to the diaper (most often this condition is a result of overheating of the child and skin irritation from contact with urine and feces);
- if redness is localized only in the folds of the skin, then, most likely, we are talking about diaper rash.
Prevention
It is difficult to predict everything and protect the child from various dangerous situations. But in the case of diapers, you can minimize the risk of allergies. To do this, it is advisable to rarely change the brand of the product. If the child is comfortable in diapers, and they suit their parents for the price, then do not experiment. It is advisable to purchase them in trusted locations (and even better - in stores of the same network). This will protect against the purchase of counterfeit goods. Low-grade and suspiciously cheap diapers cause allergies and irritations much more often than high-quality counterparts.
In any, even the most comfortable diapers, the child should not be around the clock. It is advisable to carry out air baths at least 2 times a day, which, in addition to preventing diaper rash and allergies, contribute to hardening of the body. Water procedures should not be neglected and the child should not be overheated. These actions increase the risk of allergic reactions to various factors, including diapers.