There are many reasons for irritation of the skin in the diaper area, such as:

• Reaction to the soap, detergent, bleach or fabric softener
• Infrequency of diaper changes, especially at night
• Yeast (monilia) infection
• Ammonia formation caused by bacterial action
• Diarrhea
• Food intolerance or allergy
• At times there is no obvious reason - babies just have delicate skin

The general measures that help are:

• If the age of the child allows, leave the skin exposed to air.
• Change dirty diapers as soon as possible.
• Use a protective ointment over the diaper area, such as A&D, Desitin or Triple Paste.
• Discontinue use of diaper wipes and substitute with warm water on a paper towel.

A yeast infection is red over the labia or scrotum with little red dots in the periphery. This is well treated by one of the over-the-counter anti-fungal creams such as Lotrimin.