What causes diaper rash?

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What causes diaper rash?

Diaper rash can be caused by any of the following:

  • Too much moisture
  • Chafing or rubbing
  • When urine or stool touch the skin for long periods of time
  • Yeast infection
  • Bacterial infection
  • Reaction to diaper material
  • Reaction to food

When skin stays wet for too long, it starts to break down. When wet skin is rubbed, it also damages more easily. Moisture from a soiled diaper can harm your baby's skin and make it more prone to chafing. When this happens, a diaper rash may develop.

More than half of babies between 4 and 15 months of age have diaper rash at least once in a two-month period. Diaper rash occurs more often when:

  • Babies are not kept clean and dry
  • Babies have frequent stools, especially when the stools stay in diapers overnight
  • Babies have diarrhea
  • Babies begin to eat solid foods
  • Babies are taking antibiotics or mothers of nursing babies are taking antibiotics

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