Question
How do I treat diaper rash in my baby? When will my baby’s bowel movement frequency return to normal?
Answer
According to the third edition of Pediatric Internal Medicine, breastfed infants should have soft, yellowish stool once to four times a day. Formula-fed infants have drier, lighter yellow stools, sometimes with milk curds. Less than once a day may indicate a tendency towards constipation. For diaper rash, it may be due to digestive issues or gastroenteritis. You can try feeding digestive water or Biogaia to aid digestion and use formula designed for diarrhea or diluted formula. If accompanied by persistent crying, poor spirits, and stool resembling tomato paste, be alert to the possibility of intestinal torsion or necrotizing enterocolitis. In nursing, keep the diaper clean and change it on time, and allow the baby’s bottom to breathe when it is not cold. After each wash, you can apply ointment containing tetracycline or eye ointment to protect the skin. Regarding the introduction of complementary foods, infants at four months can gradually start with egg yolk, fruit juice, and vegetable juice. Then they can move on to semi-solid foods such as rice porridge, bean curd porridge, egg yolk mush, fish paste, and liver mush. From seven to nine months, solid foods such as chopped vegetables, steamed egg custard, liver mush, meat mince, and soft rice can be introduced. When introducing new foods, do so gradually and only when the baby is healthy. In summary, diaper rash in infants may be due to digestive issues or gastroenteritis. You can treat it by keeping the diaper clean and changing it regularly. If the condition persists or worsens, consult a pediatrician for further evaluation and treatment.