Diaper Rash & Diapered Skin Health Resources

Coming Soon! Huggies® Diaper Rash Care Guide

2 min. Read

If this hasn’t already happened to you, it’s sure to happen soon: you open your baby’s diaper and are confronted with a red, angry rash. You likely feel upset and guilty that your baby is uncomfortable. However, diaper rash is normal and is one of the most common skin conditions babies face. To best combat diaper rash, you’ll want to know what it is, its causes, how to prevent it, how to understand its severity, and when to call the doctor.

The Huggies® Diaper Rash Care Guide can assist you with deciphering a diaper rash from a more serious rash that will require medical treatment. You’ll answer a few short questions about your baby’s age, skin sensitivity, skin tone, and what you’re seeing on baby’s skin. At the end, the Huggies Diaper Rash Care Guide will give you information about the rash. The assessment may also offer product recommendations to help keep your baby protected in the future.

The Huggies® Diaper Rash Care Guide is coming soon. In the meantime, here are some frequently asked questions about diaper rash to help keep your little one’s bottom dry and protected – from what type of diaper you use to what you can to do help your little one when rash pops up.

What is diaper rash?

Diaper rash is extremely common and usually not a cause for concern. Most babies will get diaper rash at least once, if not several times, during their diaper-wearing years. Babies, especially newborns, have sensitive skin which can be easily irritated, resulting in diaper rash. You’ll know right away if your baby has a rash, and you may also learn to identify diaper rash. Diaper rash may be red and raw, or flaky. There might be bumps, and your baby might be fussy. The three main causes of diaper rash are friction, moisture, irritation from mess (pee and poo), and time. Huggies® Diapers offer fit, comfort, breathability, and keep irritants away from skin to address all main causes of diaper rash.

Preventing diaper rash with proper diapers

There are several ways to prevent diaper rash, including changing a diaper frequently and immediately after it is soiled, fully cleaning with properly formulated baby wipes at each change, and making sure you have the right size and type of diapers for your child’s height and weight.

How to change a diaper?

You can follow these steps for diapering. To change a diaper:

Check the wetness indicator. If you use Huggies®, there’s a line down the front of your baby’s diaper called the wetness indicator. If it’s blue, that means the diaper is wet. Newborns have up to 12 wet diapers a day, so check frequently.
Remove a soiled diaper carefully. Undo the tabs on the diaper and then gently hold your baby’s ankles in one hand. While holding onto your baby with one hand, consolidate the diaper with the other.
Clean. Wipe baby clean with a baby wipe, wiping from front to back for girls to ensure you’re not spreading bacteria around.
Check the skin for rash. If there is a diaper rash, pat the skin dry completely and apply a diaper cream.
Put on a clean diaper. Slide a clean, right-sized diaper under your baby with the fasteners in the back, and make sure all sides are even before securing the tabs.

Right size diapers

Having the right size diaper will go a long way in striking the balance between containing your child’s mess and giving their skin room to breathe. Diapers come in nine sizes, and baby’s height and weight will give you the best estimate of what sized diaper will fit them. Diapers should:

Fit snuggly below the belly button and fit around the legs without being too tight. You’ll know they’re too tight if you see a ring where the diaper has clung to the skin. Run your finger along the leg holes to flare out the diaper for the most comfortable fit and protect from leaks and blowouts.
Cover your baby’s bottom completely and have about a two-finger gap between the skin and the diaper. You can check this by sliding two fingers down between the diaper and your baby. If you can’t fit two fingers inside the diaper, it’s too tight; if you can fit three fingers, it’s too loose.
Fit around the waist. The tabs that come around to fasten in the front of the diaper are a good indicator of tightness. If the tabs are meeting in the middle, the diaper might be too big. Some diapers come with size indicators that go under the tabs. If you can see them under the tabs, your diaper might be too small.

By using the right size diapers, you can help prevent the dreaded blowout. While accidents will happen—it’s just a fact in parenting—right-sized diapers do their part in keeping your baby comfortable and keeping you free of messes. Additional special features, such as the blowout blocker on Huggies® Little Snugglers® will help further contain mess from escaping out the back.

The Huggies® Diapers Difference

Every Huggies® diaper is made using the latest in skin science with your baby’s comfort in mind. A happy baby is a comfortable baby. Huggies® are soft on your baby’s skin and have a variety of features that help maximize fit and comfort, such as contoured leg holes, Blowout Blocker, and a breathabe to name a few. Huggies® diapers promote breathable to keep your baby cool and comfortable, and balance skin moisture by drawing irritants like poop and pee away from the skin. Huggies® products are made of soft and absorbent materials that are known to be safe for your baby’s skin. They’re free of known irritants like fragrances, elemental chlorine, and parabens. Scientifically tested features like a wetness indicator and absorbent core are included in all Huggies® diapers.

Preventing diaper rash with proper wipes

Using the right baby wipe product and technique is as important as using the right diaper when it comes to preventing diaper rash. You’ll want a wipe that is gentle enough for a baby’s sensitive skin that will also effectively remove urine and poop to keep baby fresh and clean. When cleaning your baby, pat the skin instead of rubbing it as rubbing could lead to irritation. Wipe genitals from front to back, especially if you have a baby girl, to prevent the spread of bacteria.

The Huggies® Wipes Difference

Huggies® wipes are designed with your baby’s safety and skin in mind. Perfect for your baby’s most delicate areas, Huggies® wipes are gentle enough to use on your baby’s face and hands. Made with a thick plant-based* sheet, Huggies® wipes are thick enough to sweep up any mess, and pliable enough to get a maximum clean. Huggies wipes are also pH balanced to match the slight acidity found on an infant’s skin. *Huggies® baby wipes are 70%+ plant-based by weight

When to call the doctor

Sometimes, you need professional help. Your parenting instinct will tell you when something is off, likely if you’ve been treating diaper rash for two to three days with no significant improvement or your baby has a fever or is fussy. Please consult your healthcare provider.

Our diaper tool can help you find the best fit for your family’s diaper needs.