5 Foods That Are Secretly Causing Diaper Rash in Your Baby

Could your baby’s food be causing the recurrence of diaper rash? When you’ve tried everything possible to keep the itch away from your little one’s bottom, but the pesky rash keeps reappearing, maybe it’s time to check their diet.

While most factors contributing to diaper rash in babies come down to environmental factors, including increased moisture, infrequent diaper changes, and prolonged contact with urine or faeces, some foods could also be a reason for recurring diaper rash in your baby. Worth a look into?

How Diet Can Cause Diaper Rash in Your Baby

As babies grow, their diet changes primarily from breast milk to semi-solids and solid foods. Since your little bub’s digestive system is still developing, the change in diet can cause changes in their stool pH and intestinal microbiota, leading to frequent bowel movements. It was found in a study that diaper dermatitis is recorded 3-4 times higher in babies that have diarrhoea.

The transition from breast milk to formulas and solids can expect a bit of setback, but they are bound to subside. Children experiencing specific food intolerance have frequent cases of diarrhoea, which includes frequent diaper changing. The constant cleaning during diaper changes can chafe a baby’s delicate bottom skin, leaving it red and inflamed.

Foods That Can Cause Diaper Rash

Certain acidic food items can develop intolerance in your baby’s gut, ultimately causing diaper rash. Let’s check the foods that could cause diaper rash in your baby:

1. Cow’s Milk

Babies under the age of 1 should not be given cow’s milk as it could irritate their digestive system. Babies after the age of 1 can consume whole milk and cow’s milk, but there are minimal chances of some babies being sensitive to milk proteins in cow’s milk.

2. Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits contain citric acid that can irritate a baby’s tummy. If your little one is experiencing recurring diaper rash, you can avoid giving him citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, and their juices.

3. Tomatoes and Tomato-Based Food Items

Tomatoes contain Oxalic acid, which can also be troublesome for a baby’s sensitive digestive system. To remedy diaper rash caused by frequent loose stools, you can eliminate tomatoes and dishes containing tomatoes as a base from your baby’s diet. For instance, tomato ketchup, tomatoes in salad, tomato soup, and tomato spaghetti sauce.

4. Berries

Some berries, like cherries, strawberries and blueberries, contain citric and malic acid, sucrose, and glucose. You can try removing these from your baby’s diet and see if it makes any difference in the diaper rash.

5. Tart Fruits

Tart fruits, such as grapefruit, plums, and pineapple, are acidic in nature and have a tart or sour taste. Not all acidic fruits may cause tummy issues; papayas and mangoes tend not to be a problem.

It is normal to worry that if a lot of foods that are beneficial for babies are avoided, it can compromise the baby’s growth. When introducing new solid foods to your baby, try one food at a time and keep a close watch on your baby’s digestive system. This will help you find out exactly what’s okay to give them. If you notice diaper rash after feeding a certain food, it must be avoided. You can feed your little one starchy food, like pasta and bread, in moderation to increase fibre requirements and lessen the chances of diarrhoea.

To prevent diaper rash, besides avoiding these foods, it is important to maintain good hygiene and invest in a soft and super absorbent diaper that can soak moisture quickly and does not disturb the pH of your baby’s bottom. For instance, Pampers Premium Care Pants come with 12-hour leak-lock technology and 360-degree cottony softness, giving your baby all-around comfort and peaceful sleep all night long.

And the best part is that it has a ‘Wetness Indicator’ which turns from yellow to blue when it may be time to change your little one’s diaper. So, you can leave your worry behind about checking your baby’s diapers every now and then if they have not soiled their diaper.

We didn’t tell you the bonus yet – Pampers Premium Care Pants come with 10 million micropores that allow your baby’s skin to breathe and prevent diaper rash. Remember to keep the diaper area clean and dry in between diaper changes and use a mineral-based diaper rash ointment to soothe and prevent inflammation of the skin.

Anything to keep your little one tear-free and comfortable!

References:

1. Benitez Ojeda. AB, Mendez. MD; Diaper Dermatitis; NCBI; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559067/; July 2022

2. Characteristics of persistent diaper dermatitis in children with food allergy; http://abakus.inonu.edu.tr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11616/12418/makale%20dosyas%C4%B1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y; November 2018

3. The severity of diaper dermatitis and the effects of caregivers’ habits on infants’ behaviors; https://www.tjdonline.org/article.asp?issn=1307-7635;year=2021;volume=15;issue=2;spage=34;epage=39;aulast=Manav; 2021

4 Singalavanija. S, Frieden. IJ; Diaper Dermatitis; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://publications.aap.org/pediatricsinreview/article-abstract/16/4/142/36081/Diaper-Dermatitis?redirectedFrom=fulltext; April 1995

5. Are Food Allergies Causing Your Baby’s Diaper Rash?; Cleveland Clinic; https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-food-allergies-causing-your-babys-diaper-rash/; November 2022