After childbirth, the body of a small child begins to gradually get used to a new habitat, adapt to a huge variety of viruses, bacteria that inhabit it, as well as allergens. That is why allergic reactions at an early age are so widespread.
Most often, allergies manifest themselves to food, to plants and their pollen, to medicines. But there is also a separate type of allergic reaction - an allergy to diapers much needed by the child. How it manifests itself and how to treat it, we will tell you in this article.
How does it manifest?
Large diaper manufacturers try to control every stage of their product manufacturing. Special attention is paid to dermatological approvals and examinations. Only diapers that have passed a series of tests are entitled to put the mark “hypoallergenic” on the packaging.
We hasten to disappoint the parents who are used to trusting what is written on the packaging. There is no unified system for standardizing this parameter in the world. Each manufacturing company has its own laboratories, which conduct tests for hazardous components that can cause allergies. Therefore, no mark on the packaging can guarantee that these products will not cause an inadequate reaction in the child.
If the baby's delicate skin comes into contact with substances that are allergenic to him, then the reaction will not take long. It will manifest itself locally - where the skin is in contact with the diaper, and therefore it quite closely resembles ordinary contact dermatitis. When allergy symptoms are ignored for a long time, a deeper, systemic sensitization of the body is possible with the spread of characteristic signs of an allergic reaction to other parts of the body.
The inadequate reaction of the child's body to diapers is difficult to confuse with something else. Irritation occurs in the area of the diaper cover. Most often, rash, peeling, redness are observed after long-term wearing of a diaper, for example, after a night spent in it. The severity and intensity of the rash will depend on the degree of sensitization caused by an inadequate response of children's immunity to the protein antigen.
There may be a superficial, small rash, or small sores may form. At the site of the lesion, there is swelling, erythema.
Girls often have swelling of the labia, and boys redden and swell the testicles and penis. A rather common situation in which not one area of the skin is affected, but immediately the genitals and buttocks, as well as the skin surrounding the anus. The rash looks like focal rashes, prone to fusion.
In newborns and children under one year old, diaper allergies often cause sleep disturbances, severe anxiety, itching and pain do not allow the baby to play, crawl, walk, he begins to be capricious.
In some cases, the places of greatest touch are also affected - the places where the diaper elastic bands fit. With a spilled form of allergy, the temperature may rise to subfebrile values (37.0-37.8 degrees).
Types of allergens
What causes an allergy, what can be an allergen in a diaper? According to pediatricians, the main irritating factor is aromatic additives, fragrances, with which some types of diapers are impregnated. Also, the components of the gel impregnation of the absorbent layer of this hygiene item can be allergenic.
Some not the most responsible manufacturers for a better water-repellent effect of the outer layer of a disposable baby diaper, chemical compositions are used, which are irritating when sweat gets on them. If the baby begins to sweat, it is likely that a severe allergic reaction will be triggered.
Self-respecting manufacturers of large brands usually do not use such substances, since they are prohibited by WHO for children's use, but when buying inexpensive and little-known brands of diapers, parents are at great risk: such products are not subject to standardization, and therefore they, in fact, buy "pig in a poke ".
We will also disappoint those who choose only well-known brands. Today there are a lot of fakes on the market, the safety of which for children's health is in question. Neither the pharmacist at the pharmacy nor the store clerk may know that the diapers are not real. Usually, along with the diapers, the accompanying documents for the entire batch are well forged.
How to distinguish from other diseases?
If a child has symptoms of allergy, parents need to understand as soon as possible what exactly the baby has such an inadequate reaction to in order to eliminate contact with the allergen and not aggravate the child's condition. Therefore, it is recommended to make sure that the red rash on the legs or genitals of the child is of an allergic origin.
Differential diagnosis is carried out through careful observation. Genital herpes can be "disguised" as an allergy. With the herpes virus of the second type, rashes are found in the child's groin, but they differ from allergic ones.
If you look closely at the individual elements of the herpes rash, you will notice small blistering heads filled with a clear or cloudy liquid. With allergies, such blisters do not form, they are caused by herpesvirus.
You should also distinguish diaper allergy from diaper dermatitis. Despite the similar name, the causes of diaper dermatitis are somewhat different. Skin irritation and diaper rash appear not due to the immune response to the protein-antigen, but due to local inflammatory processes due to prolonged skin contact with urine or feces.
With diaper dermatitis, diaper rash can look like weeping eczema, or it can be dry, while with allergies, the inflamed areas are always dry. Lack of hygiene, poor baby care - these are the main causes of diaper dermatitis. Such diaper rash has nothing to do with the quality and hypoallergenicity of diapers worn by a child.
Distinguishing an infectious rash from a diaper allergy is quite simple. With an inadequate response to the components in the diaper, rash and erythema are located exclusively in the area covered with the diaper.
With any viral infection, the first elements of the rash can appear anywhere, but after a few hours the rash will spread throughout the body and will be found anywhere. In addition, an infectious rash is most often accompanied by additional symptoms - high fever, nausea and vomiting, and respiratory symptoms.
There is a simple and functional home test that will help parents understand the true nature of strange redness and rashes in the baby's groin area. If the baby is washed with warm water and baby soap and left without a diaper for an hour or two, diaper dermatitis will immediately subside - the lesions on the skin will begin to decrease and turn pale.
During this time, the infection will have time to start spreading to other skin integuments, and only the allergy will remain practically unchanged, since to eliminate its symptoms, it is required to limit the wearing of a diaper for more than a couple of hours.
What should a parent do with a rash and redness in a child's groin? After an independent examination, you can call a doctor and inform him of your suspicions, or you can treat the child yourself. With herpes virus type 2, a doctor is needed, and with an infectious rash, too.
Diaper dermatitis and minor allergies can be treated on their own, but if the allergic reaction is severe and extensive, it is better to consult a doctor, since local treatment alone may not be enough, systemic administration of anti-allergy medications or hormonal therapy will be required.
If an allergy manifests itself in a newborn who is not yet a month old, a doctor should be called in any case, regardless of the results of self-diagnosis.
First aid
When a child detects an allergy to diapers, the actions of parents should be coordinated and quick. First of all, you need to save the child from further contact with the substance that caused the allergic reaction, that is, remove the diaper.
Next, you need to wash the child. The water should not be cold or hot. The optimum water temperature is 37 degrees above zero. Contrary to the advice of friends and relatives, do not rush to prepare a bath with decoctions of medicinal herbs for the baby. Water with a decoction of pharmaceutical chamomile dissolved in it will have a good anti-inflammatory effect in diaper dermatitis, but in case of allergies, the use of herbal remedies is contraindicated, the manifestations of allergies may increase.
Wash a child with contact allergies without using detergents, only a small amount of hypoallergenic baby soap is permissible.
It is best to carry out the hygienic procedure with pre-boiled water, since tap water contains chlorine, which is used by purification stations to disinfect liquids. And chlorine only exacerbates allergies and can ultimately lead to the development of atopic dermatitis.
Avoid hard towels. Do not wipe, but dab the affected skin with a soft flannel diaper after washing. Leave the groin area open for 10-15 minutes. The air bath will not harm the child.
Do not rush to put your child in a disposable diaper again. It is optimal to use ordinary gauze diapers for several days, which can be purchased at any pharmacy or in a children's store. Yes, they will have to be changed and washed frequently, but the result is worth it.
If necessary, systemic and external medications can be used to treat allergy symptoms. Only after the irritation and rash has completely disappeared, you can start selecting a new brand of diaper for the child. We will tell you in more detail how to treat an allergy to diapers.
Treatment
Parents should understand that it is, in principle, impossible to cure allergies; you can save the baby from its unpleasant symptoms. Only time will cure it - with age 97% of children "outgrow" their allergic reactions, and diapers are a temporary phenomenon in a baby's life.
To begin with, parents must remember that redness after wearing a diaper cannot be lubricated with alcohol solutions, "cauterized" with any drying compounds, and drying creams are excluded.
Zelenka, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate solution, which are in every home medicine cabinet, should be left for another case. These products are not suitable for treating childhood contact allergies. Fatty creams are also not suitable for topical treatment of the affected skin of the groin area.
For local treatment, the following ointments and foams are recommended: "Bepanten", "Drapolen", "Desitin". They have a pronounced healing effect, and also prevent the infection of the affected areas with pathogenic bacteria. Apply the product with light movements on clean and dry skin.
If the allergic manifestations are strong, the doctor may recommend antihistamines: Fenistil (drops and ointment), Suprastin (tablets), Loratadin. The exact drug depends on the age of the child and the individual characteristics of his health. The dosage is also prescribed by the doctor.
For allergies with a severe course and extensive lesions, ointments based on corticosteroid hormones - "Advantan", "Elokom" can be prescribed.
It is not recommended to treat contact allergies with folk remedies. Medicinal plants, oils, beekeeping products that are available in alternative medicine will only aggravate the general symptoms and aggravate the situation.
Usually active treatment takes 2-3 days, in severe cases - up to a week. Once the skin is clean, parents can go back to diapers but opt for better quality items.
Tips
After the end of treatment, when choosing diapers, pay attention to the manufacturer, the presence of impregnations and additives in the gel layer. It is better to refrain from using diapers impregnated with chamomile or aloe extract.
Choose diapers that fit your baby. If the rash is most common in the friction zone with a belt or diaper elastic bands, opt for models without Velcro. You can choose diapers-panties, and with a clear gender match - products for boys and girls differ in the location of the absorbent layer.
To prevent allergies in the future, remember that it is best to use diapers of the same brand, if it suits the child, you should not experiment with different manufacturers and names without good reason. Permanent diapers rarely cause allergies, mostly only when the parents "managed" to purchase a fake.
It is not worth buying diapers by the piece, since it is not known how and where they were stored after opening the package. Diapers also have an expiration date, be sure to check it out on the packaging. Expired diapers can be harmful to baby's skin.
Change your baby's diapers more often, no need to wait for them to overflow.
To reduce the risk of developing contact allergies in the intimate area will help observance of the rules of hygiene, as well as the correct living conditions suitable for the child's comfortable existence: the air temperature in the children's room should not exceed 22 degrees, and the air humidity should be kept at 50-70%. The hotter it is in the room, the more the child sweats, and the risk of developing diaper allergies increases rapidly.
How to choose the right diapers, see below.
