Yeast Infection in Baby

If your child has a diaper rash that won’t go away it's possible that he or she has a yeast infection.

There are several reasons why your child might have a diaper rash, including chafing, sensitivity, and wetness. But a diaper rash that persists despite your efforts to treat it — by keeping your child's bottom dry and using a diaper rash cream, for example — may be caused by a yeast infection.

How could your child get a yeast infection?

Even babies have harmless amounts of candida yeast in their body. It thrives in warm, wet environments like the mouth, bowels, skin, and the genitals. A diaper rash left untreated can easily become infected with yeast, in both boys and girls. The most likely form of the yeast is candida albicans.

If you are breastfeeding your baby and taking antibiotics, or if your baby is taking antibiotics, the child is more susceptible to yeast infections. That’s because the antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the body. It’s the friendly bacteria that keep the numbers of yeast down, so when the friendly bacter has been killed by antibiotics the yeast can grow abundantly.

Babies are also prone to thrush, a yeast infection in baby’s mouth. When the baby eats the yeast in the mouth travels through his digestive system and thrives in the moist, warm environment of the diaper.

You can usually tell that the diaper rash is a yeast infection because the rash will be well defined and very red. It will have slightly raised borders and satellite lesions (red lesions a little distance away from the main rash), and may be scaly.

Also, a yeast rash will usually remain until it’s treated correctly for yeast infection. It does not respond to regular diaper rash treatments, and it also usually appears in the folds of the groin area.

The rash can be treated with a topical antifungal cream available at the pharmacy, and should take just a few days to clear up.

If you want to go the natural route you might want to try aloe vera gel or raw unheated apple cider vinegar. To be sure you’re doing the right thing for your baby you might want to take the advice of an expert. We find that Linda Allen’s advice works, and is easy to follow. Her book is Yeast Infection No More.

If your child develops a fever, or if the rash develops open sores, it’s best to see a doctor, as he or she might have a bacterial infection.

If your baby gets thrush you will notice white spots on the lips, cheeks and tongue that don’t easily wipe away.

If you are breastfeeding, your nipples can become infected with yeast and become painful, especially if your resistance is low. If this happens you need to treat both yourself and your baby for the yeast infection so that you don’t keep passing it back and forth to each other.

See your doctor about how to treat the baby’s mouth and your nipples. If you prefer natural treatments, we again recommend Yeast Infection No More. Also, be sure to sterilize your baby’s pacifier and toys during treatment.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than a cure. So here are a few tips to follow once the yeast infection is cleared up:

Take care of yourself so that you don’t pass another yeast infection to your baby.

Change your baby’s diaper as soon as possible.

Clean your baby’s bottom thoroughly after a bowel movement and make sure it’s dry before putting on another diaper.

Keep the diaper slightly loose to allow air circulation.

Give your child some time without a diaper.

Bookmark this page