“Yeast Diaper Rashes - How to Treat Them and Prevent Them” plus 4 more

Yeast Diaper Rashes - How to Treat Them and Prevent Them
Infant Thrush - Important Secrets Every Mom Should Know
Baby Show Events
Chlorine Free Diapers Complicate the Great Diaper Debate
Protecting Baby Skin From the Sun

Yeast Diaper Rashes - How to Treat Them and Prevent Them

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 08:47 PM PDT

How do you know if your baby has a yeast diaper rash? Well, one of the tell-tale signs is an angry red rash that is surrounded by a distinct border. Yeast diaper rashes are also unusually persistent and may resist your best efforts to give your baby relief. It's VERY important to identify a yeast diaper rash because it needs to be treated differently than ordinary diaper rashes.

Also, if your baby has a yeast-related diaper rash it's important to make sure this doesn't evolve into a chronic, low-level system yeast infection in your child. Due to the several common factors, but especially the extremely prevalent use of antibiotics during the child labor process, more and more infants are prone to yeast/candida problems, yeast diaper rashes being just one of them.

As you may know, yeast cells are quite resilient and can lead to or worsen a wide variety of health problems over time, including:

*colic
*weakened immunity
*general toxicity overload
*ADD/ADHD
*food allergies
*learning disorders
*asthma
*etc.

This is not to scare you, but if your baby has a yeast diaper rash, you want to not only treat the rash but also the underlying imbalance that allowed the yeast to grow out of control in the first place. Otherwise, you may get rid of the rash but meanwhile the yeast is growing unseen in other parts of your child's body.

So How Do You Get Rid of a Yeast Diaper Rash?

The first thing to realize when it comes to yeast diaper rashes is you DO NOT want to put ANY of the traditional diaper rash lotions, creams, etc. on your baby's bottom! These are ALL greasy/oil in nature and will only worsen the problem! The yeast LOVES the moist environment created by these creams and will continue to grow.

Next, if you're using cloth diapers make sure you're using only the most mild, chemical free detergent. (Please, no Dreft or other chemical and perfume-laden "baby" detergents! The chemicals will irritate your baby's skin and compound the problem.) Even mainstream brands like "ALL Free and Clear" contain harsh enzymes that can leave residue in your baby's diaper and then become activated when your baby pees, irritating their skin. Not good! Stick with a truly natural, reputable brand such as Seventh Generation or Dr. Bronner's or whatever is available in your area.

Now, you also want to keep your baby's bottom as dry as possible. Are there any times in the day when you can let your baby go diaper free? Do this as much as possible as it will allow the skin to breathe and help clear up the yeast. When you're baby is wearing diapers, change them AS SOON AS they wet their diaper. (I know disposables are tempting to leave on for a while since they're so absorbent, but don't do this while you're baby has a rash.)

Finally, you'll want to apply a gentle anti-yeast solution to your baby's bottom. One that works quite well is to dilute 10 to 15 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract in 2 ounces of DISTILLED (must be distilled!) water and put it in a little spray bottle. Spray this on your baby's bottom several times a day.

Infant Thrush - Important Secrets Every Mom Should Know

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 08:44 PM PDT

Infant thrush and breastfeeding thrush make life extra hard both for baby and mom. Babies are so delicate and vulnerable. Even the slightest discomfort is a big deal to them and they're completely dependent to help relieve their pain. As a mom, you want nothing more than for your child to be healthy and happy.

Thrush has skyrocketed as one of the most common health problems for infants, especially when they're breastfed. Look out for those tell-tale white patches on you baby's tongue and inside his or her cheeks, unusual fussiness or trouble nursing. The mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of the body, so your baby will generally not be happy if he or she has infant thrush, though mild cases may not be too painful.

Infant thrush can also cause mild to severe discomfort for breastfeeding moms. Sore, cracked or red nipples, pain while nursing, and deep shooting pains in your breasts are all symptoms of breastfeeding thrush. Even if you don't have obvious symptoms, it's important to treat both yourself and your baby to avoid passing the yeast back and forth.

The Infant Thrush Secrets You Must Know

First of all, it's extremely important to realize that common prescription drugs for infant yeast have the potential for serious side effects, and they don't even cure the underlying problem that allowed the yeast to invade and grow out of control in the first place. Yeast is an opportunistic infection: without curing the underlying imbalance, not only will your baby be vulnerable to further yeast infections, he or she will be vulnerable to other opportunistic infections as well.

Next, even many natural remedies are simply not safe or suitable for infant thrush.

For example, colloidal silver, gentian violet, tea tree oil and oregano oil are all natural remedies I've seen recommended for infant thrush and which I would not recommend as safe for a newborn or toddler.

Baby Show Events

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 07:41 PM PDT

BabyExpo is a Baby Show with a difference and a fabulous fun day out for all the family from baby-planners to parents and parents-to-be, young children and extended family members! Showcasing over 150 exhibitors for the pregnancy, birth, baby and toddler and early years markets (from pre-conception to primary) BabyExpo welcomes visitors from Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, Greater London and throughout the Southern Counties and the South East.

Over 3,250 visitors attended the last BabyExpo causing queues of over a kilometre round the block as visitors flocked to Brighton for the South's premium baby show and parenting event.

Information on conception, pregnancy and the birth experience and the options within will be available at BabyExpo 2010, as well as on advice on adjusting to life with a new-born, what to expect and where support systems can be found. At this sometimes confusing, very exciting and usually expensive time, nothing beats face to face, expert advice be it regarding a complex buggy travel system, designer baby gear, an independent midwife or a breast-feeding bra! This baby show will help you find all the answers!

For visiting parents, BabyExpo will feature a wealth of exhibitors from all over the UK as well as from within the Southern Counties so whether you are looking to kit out the nursery, for family-friendly holidays, local childcare options, organic baby / toddler food, a designer buggy or inspiration for that dreaded birthday party, we will be able to help.

Children can look forward to a fun packed day - meeting Cbeebies characters, bouncy castles, play zones, petting zoos, demo classes, face painters, visiting authors and much more. Bigger baby show visitors should not miss the designer fashion show, parenting advice from leading experts and sleep specialists and of course the chance to shop till you drop with a wealth of alternative, unique and independent companies and products which simply cannot be found on the average High Street alongside designer names and national brands.

Chlorine Free Diapers Complicate the Great Diaper Debate

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 06:23 PM PDT

Chlorine free diapers? What's up with that? The Great Diaper Dilemma steadily grows more complex.

Satisfying your conscience and your baby's needs, you still face the same fundamental choice: Cloth or disposable? You do not face an entirely new choice; instead, you simply have another variable to consider. Yes, you may complicate your deliberations out of all proportion: Looking online, you will find several friendly diaper-advice sites that advocate as many as seven or eight wash-and-rinse cycles to achieve perfect whiteness, cleanliness, and softness. Ask a working mother where she will fit seven or eight wash-and-rinse cycles into her Dayrunner. Or ask a mother of five or six children how she really feels about washing-and-rinsing the youngest one's nappies seven or eight times.

If you insist on chlorine-free diapers, you have three choices. First, you may order chlorine-free disposable diapers online, adjusting the orders for more and bigger as your baby grows into toddlerhood. Chlorine-free disposable diapers look and feel no different from your ordinary everyday Huggies, Pampers, and Luvs, but their manufacturers assure the earth-friendliness of their processes. They make the diapers from recycled paper and plastic, and they achieve that snow-blind whiteness without chlorine bleach. Ordering chlorine-free diapers online, you make a few keystrokes and modern technology does the rest. Naturally, you pay for your convenience and conscientiousness: Chlorine-free diapers cost more, and you pay a small fortune for shipping. But your conscience is clear.

Second, you may elect regular old cloth diapers, traditional and time-tested. And you may soak and wash them in detergents and whiteners with "bleach alternative." You will discover the necessity of a third cycle-an extra rinse with fabric softener, because the regular wash-and-rinse leave the diapers feeling more like dishtowels than something fit for adorning your babies precious bottom. You may suffer conscience-stricken after-thoughts from this plan, because you use between twenty and twenty-five more gallons of water as you complete the third cycle; and scientists have not yet assessed what kinds of biohazards the fabric softeners contain.

Third, you may delegate the whole business of chlorine-free washing and rinsing and drying and folding and stacking and transporting to a diaper-service. Dirty diapers are out; clean diapers in; no muss, no fuss, no bother. Crunching the numbers with proper respect for the value of your time-your regular professional rate plus 10% for aggravation-you probably will discover diaper service costs just about the same as your two other alternatives.

Protecting Baby Skin From the Sun

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 03:07 PM PDT

Most children love to be outside, and as parents we love to see them having a good time in the open air. Although they won't see the need, and often don't agree, it is important that children be protected from too much sun at all ages. We won't be able to monitor their actions so closely once they reach their teens, but if we start them out right they are less likely to suffer sun-damaged skin when they are older.

Baby skin is not ready for exposure to the sun. Doctors recommend that babies younger than six months be kept out of direct sunlight. The skin of children this young is still thin and will burn easily. Even babies with darker skin will burn easily when they are this young. Since most babies this age are not yet walking it is relatively easy to keep them in the shade when outdoors.

Because babies can be burned by reflected sunlight, even when they are not directly exposed, dress them in light clothing that covers their arms and legs. Use a hat with a brim that covers their ears and shades their eyes.

Babies older than 6 months are more likely to be playing in the direct sunlight. If your child will be playing in the sun use a sunscreen designed to be used by babies. Test your sunscreen the day before by putting a small amount on your child's back and watching for the development of a rash or irritated spot.

Remember that water can magnify the effects of the sun, leading to sunburn on fragile skin very quickly. Be sure to renew your child's sunscreen often when you are playing in the water. Cover up in the shade when resting outside the pool.

Keep in mind that the sun can burn even on cool days. Don't let down your guard when summer comes to an end.

If your little one is sunburned despite all your precautions, contact your pediatrician immediately. Sunburn on a very young child should be evaluated as soon as possible.