I'm sorry, I just thought I wasn't communicating well. I'm a nerd, we're bad at that.Originally Posted by Joolsplus2
But the redness and bleeding she described in her last post really bug me, so I took a little time this morning to explore the vast amount of reference material available to me at work:
I remembered that heat is the most effective way to decompose urea. What I didn't consider is that bacteria will eat urea as a nitrogen source and produce ammonia as a byproduct. Jana, you didn't mention if the diapers were dirty, or just wet. If they're dirty, bacteria from the stool can cause the ammonia smell.
If the diapers are just wet, my gut feeling is that bacteria are still getting at that urine somehow. They could be living in the diaper, but it could be a UTI or another infection. I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV, but here's what I would do:
1) Call your pediatrician and make an appointment. The symptoms you describe deserve to be looked at no matter what is causing them. You might ask your oldest what pee-ing feels like. Don't lead him by asking for specific symptoms.
2) Put your two boys in disposables for the time being, at least until you get in to see the doctor. They're not sterile per say, but if it's something in your diapers, the odds of the disposables having the same problem is very, very low.
3) Give all your boys' fuzzibuns and inserts a really good cleaning. I've never heard of cloth diapers causing something like this, but my experience is limited (not to mention theoretical). A good thorough cleaning won't hurt them. And wash them separately from your daughter's diapers, just in case.
4) For your oldest, I'd just bite the bullet, put him in undies, and work on night-time potty training. I don't know if this is feasible for you.
I really hope they get to feeling better, it makes me wince to just read the symptoms in your second post.