Has anyone seen this kind of rash before?

[writermama]

DD has had a stubborn diaper rash for several weeks -- it gets better and worse but doesn't go completely away.

It started off looking like a ring of hives around her legs where the diaper cover rests. I thought it might be caused by or aggravated by her wool covers, so I discontinued using them and switched to fleece or nylon. It seemed to help, but the rash has never completely gone away. Night-time Benadryl use doesn't appear to help, or only using it at night is not enough to make the rash go away.

There is almost no rash (or just occasional mild, smooth-edged redness) in the middle, but there are irritated, hive-like patches around her legs and on each bum cheek. I thought it was prickly heat, so I focused on trying to change her frequently and use breathable diapers and covers.

Last night I noticed that they had suddenly become more pronounced individual red dots that look like pimples, including white heads -- of course, this would happen after doctor's hours on a Friday. Grr.

Last night I treated the center-line of redness with desitin and put lotrimin on the red dots. The centerline is gone, the pimply red dots remain.

Does anyone know what this rash is?

TIA,
Karen

Edited for spelling.

[JBaxter]

I just had Nathan to the ped last week for a rash and I am not sure where you live but in our are there is a summer virus going around. Basically a rash mainly on the torso comes and goes for a week + gets worse when over heated. Can but not always have mild fever. Its been 10 days and Nathan still has some around his inner thigh/goin area. My doc said he has been seeing it for about 7 weeks in this area. Dont know if that what she has but we have it :(. It was mildly itchy for the first few days and I gave Nathan a little
benedryl at night.
Jeana

[terrapin_mon]

Karen,

My DD had the same kind of rash for the last one week. Started out as a circular patch of red raised pimples with smooth edged redness as well - one on each bum cheek. I thought it was a heat rash too, so I stopped using my Fleece lined dipes and since I don't have too many non-fleece types I started using disposies (also coz I was using diaper rash creams like desitin and did not want my CDs stained) It got worse (like she got more patches all over the diaper area and it seemed to be increasing) so I took her to the doc who said it was contact dermatitis. And suggested we change the dipes, the wipes and use Triple Paste. I was using Pampers temporarily so I switched to Huggies Supreme.I was not convinced but I tried it all.

Nothing worked, then I called another doc (in the family) and she said it was eczema. And suggested tons of aquaphor, Eucerin etc. and cloth wipes. I did that and voila it started getting better. I thought it had to do with my consumption of dairy (eczema may be food sensitivity related I believe) so I stopped that too since DD is BFed. It seems much better now.

Now I am thinking of going back to my swaddlebees and FBs but waiting for the heat to die down a little. It is sweltering hot here.

Jeana, did the Doc say how this virus spreads? Or what causes it?

I would be happy to exchange more notes, Karen, if it would help. Since I only spent 5 hours a day for the last 10 days trying to figure it out!!

Ritu

[writermama]

Ritu,

Thanks for the tips. DD has had eczema before, and the rings around the legs could be eczema, but the pimply hives really don't look like the same thing at all. I meant to pick up some aquaphor at the store today, but I forgot, so maybe i'll try that tomorrow.

DD's rash seems to be getting better ... or maybe it's just staying the same and not getting worse now. I can't figure it out. It might be clearing up because:

1) it's a yeast rash and the lotrimin is doing the trick
2) it isn't a yeast rash, but the lotrimin is acting like a barrier cream/lotion
3) it's something I ate/haven't been eating
4) more frequent diaper changes are keeping wetness from irritating it
5) it's a virus and it's getting better in spite of anything I do

She had some really messy diapers and was fussy on monday, so I think she had some kind of virus, but I don't know if it is related to the rash at all. I had her in snappied prefolds for a day while I waited to see if the messy diapers were over, so maybe going a day without fleece helped ... or maybe it had nothing to do with it at all. Arraugh!

Is your DD better yet?
-Karen

P.S. Does "terrapin_mom" mean that you're a U. of Maryland Alumna?

[writermama]

This is a photo of the pimply part of the rash taken the day after my first post. The "white heads" had dissapeared overnight.

Can anyone identify this rash?




http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/28515.jpg

[squimp]

Did you end up going to the ped? I'd go have any rash checked out if it lasted more than a week. If it's yeast, they can give you a cream to help clear it us ASAP. We've had a bad yeast infection once, and our ped gave us something (cortisone?, not sure) that cleared it up in a few days. The clotrimazole should work on yeast too, albeit slowly.

It looks and sounds a bit like yeast - reddish pimples, yellow centers, isolated patches. Have you looked at askdrsears.com for their diaper rash detective" advice.

I also use a barrier cream with Zinc oxide, like Burt's Bees when DD has a rash - it protects her skin, especially after she poops. Poop has all those digestive enzymes in it - so harsh against the skin.

[mudder17]

I really does look fairly yeast-like. A pede would be able to identify it for sure--does your pede's office use e-mail? I usually e-mail my questions and pictures to our Nurse Practioner first and she's pretty good about answering. But prescription stuff would probably clear it up faster than Lotriman, if it is yeast. The other thing is that if it is yeast, you want to stay away from the cortisone type things because they'll feed the yeast. Maybe you could e-mail Tarah throught the boards? She might be able to identify it.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catca..._4_Kaya+is.png

[terrapin_mon]

Karen,

Yes, I am from the Univ of Maryland... GO TERPS! :)

Hope your DD's rash gets better. My DD's rash seems to come and go and from all my reading, it seems the cause is very dificult to pin down. Hope the dairy elimination works though. She does seem so irritated by it sometimes that I feel so bad for her. Poor baby. :(

Ritu

[writermama]

I didn't go to the ped -- I was going to call today, but it loooks like it has almost cleared up now. I was going to take another photo, but the rash is now so faint, it wouldn't show up. So I'm going to continue with the lotrimin for a few more days.

I was really hoping it wasn't yeast -- isn't there a special cleaning/boiling routine you have do do after a yeast rash? I've got company arriving any minute so I don't have time to search right now.

I just got a gorgeous Bijou that I haven't used on DD yet because of the rash. And we should be getting some new Tykies any day now, too. Oh the frustration of lovely new fluff I can't use yet! :(

Thanks for all the help!

-Karen

[mudder17]

I don't do anything special after a yeast rash. It doesn't seem to make a difference and I just make sure everything is washed on hot, as usual. I tried adding bleach one time, but it just made everything smell funny, so I quit doing that. You could maybe try a couple extra hot cycles just to make sure it's all gone.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif , 17 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catca..._4_Kaya+is.png