Mady has been a very lucky baby in that she's never really had a bad diaper rash and, if she did happen to look a bit red, diaper rash creams really helped the rash go away quickly. Ihle's paste, Penaten, and Desitin all work very well. She had a bit of a rash once when I used Huggies on her - Pampers have always been the diaper of choice in this house since then, and Mady's bum has thanked me.
But she has had a rash for almost two weeks now. It's red and bumpy and some parts of the rash have little blisters, kind of like hives. Some of the blisters are whitish with a red ring around them. Looks so sore. We put cream after cream on it, cornstarch, baby powder, you name it. Nothing helped. Having never seen a diaper rash and not knowing that it should disappear within a few days of applying creams and stuff, I've just let it go, thinking it would heal up and get better. Not so. And then people were telling me that it's diaper rash because she's teething. Well, does she have teeth in her bum? No. Does she have teeth in her mouth? No. It's not a diaper rash from teething. And then people said that it was heat rash. Heat rash would be all over her, not concentrated on her bum. To be fair, she did have a bit of a rash on her tummy, her upper arms, her forearms, and her knees, but it was the red and dry rash of sensitive skin - more like a contact allergy from crawling on the carpet or the change in water since we've moved. It's made everyone's skin a bit dry and flaky. But it shouldn't be doing this to Mady's bum. And it hasn't been that hot out and Mady has certainly not been overdressed. So it's not heat rash, or "prickly heat" as my mother calls it. I can tell she's itchy since she grabs her genitals at every diaper change. And it's not like she's just discovering them - she's scratching them. Enough is enough.
So I did a search on the Internet about types of rashes and came across a website that had actual photos of the rashes. It was: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/baby-rashes/fl00090 From looking at the photos and looking at their descriptions, I am pretty confident that Mady has a yeast infection. A yeast infection is described as: "a persistent, bright red rash on a baby's bottom or other areas where skin touches skin. You might notice small red bumps on the outer edge of the rash. Yeast infections are caused by a microorganism (Candida albicans) that flourishes in a warm, moist environment. If you suspect that your baby has a yeast infection, consult your baby's doctor. A yeast infection is treated with a prescription antifungal cream." (www.mayoclinic.com)
Then I did another Internet search and read a bunch of postings about using Monistat cream on a baby. Now I have a really hard time using adult stuff on a baby, but the child needs some relief. I called the doctor's office in Guelph yesterday and they said they could give me an appointment for next Thursday. I am usually very accommodating, but this time I got kind of angry and I told them that this was an infant with a bad rash that could be a yeast infection or bacterial infection and can't they get me in sooner. She said she'd send a note to the doctor and get back to me. They haven't called back. So it's the weekend and I thought, "The hell with it" and I went into my medicine chest and got out the Monistat. You know what? Mady didn't try to grab at her genitals when I was applying the Monistat - I think she felt relief immediately. So, I'll be applying the Monistat at every diaper change and if the rash goes away within 72 hours, then it was a yeast infection and the problem is solved. If not, then I must take her to the doctor or the walk-in clinic so the poor baby gets the right stuff to cure it. I have to say, rash or no rash, Mady has been a real trooper and hasn't been any fussier than usual, despite the itchy bottom. Gosh I love that little girl!
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