***could My Son Be Allergic To His Diapers?

[azmom3]

We use Huggies. We stopped zyrtec a couple days ago because he's having allergy skin testing done on Monday and needs it out of his system. I guess I didn't realize how much is was working as he's having bigger episodes of hives every day and they seem to itch a lot more. He has a few on his body and face, but his diaper area (front and back) is covered with rash and hives. He took his diaper off during naptime (ok, he never ended up actually sleeping, so maybe I should say rest time.) Anyways, when I went to get him his little butt and sides were so scratched up, they were bleeding. I remember it being like this before we started zyrtec a long time ago, but have had very few problems like this since being on it. Is he allergic to his diapers or would it just appear mostly in this area for some reason? Thanks!

Maybe it's his wipes? I need to check if they're hypo-allergenic.

[ArtGirl]

Let me tell you about when my son was a newborn. At one week old he was broken out in blisters all over his body. It was the detergent that his clothes were washed in. We had to switch to soap flakes. Then his bottom got firey red and hot and sore from the plastic used in disposable diapers. We had to switch to cloth diapers. It was more trouble than disposables, but certainly do-able (think about life before there ever were disposable diapers).

I don't know if your son is allergic to something in the disposable diapers, but you could try using cloth diapers for a while and see if this clears up the hives/rash. (It's actually cheaper to wash and reuse cloth diapers.)

[jerseyangel]

When my oldest son was a baby, I started him out on cloth diapers--and no matter what I did, be broke out.

I switched to disposable, mainly because I didn't know what else to do. He cleared right up--but--there was one brand, Pampers, that would make him break out in a terrible rash just around the waist. We figured it was something in the materials that they used.

We found a couple of brands that he was ok with, and stuck to them.

So, yes, I would say it's entirely possible that he's allergic to his diapers.

[Ursa Major]

My oldest daughter's five kids were/are all allergic to some brands of diapers. One kid could use one brand another one was allergic to, and the other way round. The two youngest are in cloth diapers, it's much easier for her. The twins had to have different brands of diapers when they were younger.

My youngest daughter was allergic to every brand on the market when she was a baby, and I could ONLY use cloth diapers, even when going out, which was a major inconvenience. But not as troublesome as getting rid of the awful eczema she would otherwise get.

[Michi8]

Yes, he could be allergic to diapers. My eldest child wore cloth diapers (mother-ease terry cloth, one-size) and did really well with them. When ever he worn disposables (any brand), he'd get a horrible rash. Pampers were the worst for us...even I would get sick from the perfume!

You can get cotton disposable diapers that may be better for him...they're more expensive, but may be worth not having a rash. They also don't have the same fluid absorbing gel in them (this can be a big source of irritation and allergy.)

If you choose to do cloth, wash carefully and rinse thoroughly to eliminate any potential problems from detergent. I would do a soak with borax, wash with detergent, and do a double rinse with vinegar added to remove detergent residue and eliminate odours. I actually really enjoyed cloth diapering with my son...enjoyed it less by the time I had three kids.

Michelle

[azmom3]

Ursula,

And I thought it was bad having 1 child being allergic. I couldn't imagine having different kids allergic to different diapers....what a pain! But then again, they're all allergic to or don't like different foods, and I'm kinda getting used to that.

Thanks everyone! Any recommendations of a kind that might be safer or better than Huggies? I don't think I'll try Pampers after what's been said on here. He'll be back on zyrtec by Tuesday. If he's not having a reaction while on zyrtec, is it ok to keep him with what we've been using? I can't express enought how much I DREAD cloth diapers and would do almost anything to avoid this route.

[Michi8]

Ursula,

And I thought it was bad having 1 child being allergic. I couldn't imagine having different kids allergic to different diapers....what a pain! But then again, they're all allergic to or don't like different foods, and I'm kinda getting used to that.

Thanks everyone! Any recommendations of a kind that might be safer or better than Huggies? I don't think I'll try Pampers after what's been said on here. He'll be back on zyrtec by Tuesday. If he's not having a reaction while on zyrtec, is it ok to keep him with what we've been using? I can't express enought how much I DREAD cloth diapers and would do almost anything to avoid this route.

It's a shame you dread cloth...there are lots of brands that work very well. The Mother-ease Open Original Shared Link ones are very absorbent (terry cloth is the best!) and don't leak, and the waterproof covers work very well. They also keep the skin much cooler than disposables. If you're wary about cleaning soiled diapers, you can use a disposable liner inside the diapers that you can just flush away. There is also the option of a diaper service where they do all the washing for you.

Tushies Open Original Shared Link is one choice of disposable diaper that might work well for you. There are other brands out there too...just do a Google search for organic disposable diapers.

Michelle

[AndreaB]

We've always used huggies and haven't had a problem so I can't help.

I hated pampers too. Too perfumey.

[Ursa Major]

Azmom, why is your son taking Zyrtec to begin with? If it is because of allergies, is it not possible to remove the allergens, if known?

But if he has to take it, I would still not use Huggies, knowing that he is obviously severely allergic to them. There are brands other than Huggies and Pampers out there, every store chain seems to have their own brand. One of Sarah's twins could only use the storebrand of their local grocery store (I think it was Loblaws, so it might have been the President's Choice brand).

[skipper30]

We use Huggies. We stopped zyrtec a couple days ago because he's having allergy skin testing done on Monday and needs it out of his system. I guess I didn't realize how much is was working as he's having bigger episodes of hives every day and they seem to itch a lot more. He has a few on his body and face, but his diaper area (front and back) is covered with rash and hives. He took his diaper off during naptime (ok, he never ended up actually sleeping, so maybe I should say rest time.) Anyways, when I went to get him his little butt and sides were so scratched up, they were bleeding. I remember it being like this before we started zyrtec a long time ago, but have had very few problems like this since being on it. Is he allergic to his diapers or would it just appear mostly in this area for some reason? Thanks!

Maybe it's his wipes? I need to check if they're hypo-allergenic.

We had/have that same problem with 3 of our kiddos. We found out that it was the lining that was in the diapers...both the Huggies and Luvs. Pampers...the more expensive in that brand) was the only one that didn't cause that. Luvs and Pampers are all the same parent company just different packaging. We are also seeing a rash on the baby right now and am considering changing his brand too. Hope you are able to narrow it down. Good luck!

[azmom3]

Azmom, why is your son taking Zyrtec to begin with? If it is because of allergies, is it not possible to remove the allergens, if known?

But if he has to take it, I would still not use Huggies, knowing that he is obviously severely allergic to them. There are brands other than Huggies and Pampers out there, every store chain seems to have their own brand. One of Sarah's twins could only use the storebrand of their local grocery store (I think it was Loblaws, so it might have been the President's Choice brand).

First of all, what are the chances it's his wipes and not the diapers? I know it sounds like I'm probably trying to take the easy way out....I am! Seriously though, I would do anything and everything for my kids, so if it's difficult, then so be it...but I might as well try to make whatever I can easier.

He's taking zyrtec for allergies....hives non-stop since he started on solid foods. He still gets them even with the zyrtec, but much less frequently, only a few at a time vs. 100's when not on zyrtec, and they don't seem to itch as much. He has also had some serious asthma attacks (probably associated with the allergies) and this is much more under control since he started on zyrtec. I'm on the same page as you though with removing teh allergens. His first round of tests showed he was allergic to everything they tested him for. wE are doing round 2 on Monday. I have another thread going about how the dr's think he might have eosinophilic esophagitis instead of or in addition to celiac. They will be doing biopsies to check for both the end of November (the soonest they could get him in). We have already removed everything we know he's allergic to and I will attempt different diapers this weekend (and even look at cloth ones.... )

Thanks for all your help, Ursula. I always look forward to your responses as you seem so knowledgeable and helpful. Even if you disagree with someone, you have a way of posing it just perfectly and don't judge no matter what decision they end up making, even if it would be different than your own. We are all so lucky to have you on this board helping to answer our questions.

[gf4life]

Do you ever use the sipes to wipe his face/hands/feet/belly, etc? If you do an he doesn't break out in those places, then it isn't the wipes...

Now, I have to add my expereinces. My oldest was started out with cloth diapers from a diaper service. I had gotten 6 weeks of diaper service from my babyshower gifts. I thought it would be great, the benefits of cloth, without the hassle of having to wash them myself (did that enough with my 4 younger brothers-gross!). My son developed a horrible, cracking, bleeding, blistering rash. We switched to the double rinsed diapers, and then to the triple rinsed and it made little difference. I finally had to cancel and only used 3 weeks of the service!

He then reacted to Pampers, Luvs and most store brands, but not to Huggies, so we stuck with Huggies. And eventually used the Pull-ups and he was fine.

My second son was fine with Huggies, Luvs, most store brands, and we liked the Kirkland ones from Costco because they were cheaper and better quality than most store brands. We never tried Pampers because of the problem my older boy had and also I hated the smell. Then when my son was 3, wearing Pull-ups and mostly potty-trained he suddenly developed a rash so bad that between changes of Pull-ups his poor little butt blistered and the blisters broke and his skin became meshed with the Pull-up liner, so that when he said his butt hurt and we took the pull-up off it ripped his skin right off and he screamed. I took him to the doctor and they said he must be allergic to something in the pull-ups! He'd been wearing them for months! Well he started wearing big boy underwear that same day.

My daughter wasn't allergic to any diapers at all, but we stuck to only a few brands. I was hesitant to use the pull-ups on her at all. Mostly we used Huggies and Kirkland brand, since we shopped mostly at Costco then, and occasionally Target brand designer colors because they looked cute with her dresses! She is my only girl you know!

[kbtoyssni]

At the store today I noticed they were selling chlorine-free disposable diapers, so maybe chlorine could be the problem?

[Ursa Major]

Azmom, you make me blush.

I agree that the chlorine could be a huge problem. Try unbleached disposables, that's a great idea. And Mariann, the chlorine could also have been the problem with the diaper service. I am sure they have to use chlorine to get the diapers clean, and no amount of rinsing will get all of it out.

Also, you're right, it could be the wipes, too (or a combination). Not only was I unable to use disposable diapers on my youngest daughter, but I couldn't use wipes, either. I'd just wet a papertowel with warm water and wipe with that, it's almost as convenient as wipes, and cheaper. You might want to try eliminating the wipes, and use wet papertowels or facecloths instead.

[TCA]

didn't have time to read the whole thread, but my kids are allergic to pampers. I found white cloud at walmart to be easiest on them. cloth diapers might help too. that was my next step, but these helped so I didn't have to. They're much cheaper too. You might also try using a cool washrag instead of wipes. I'd also be careful of detergent. I only use All free and clear. You might also try something called Caldesene powder. My dad used it on me. I tried it on my kids when nothing else would work and it proved miraculous. You might have to get your drug store to order it if they don't carry it.

[azmom3]

I'm venturing out to find some new ones today....maybe a couple different brands. Thanks to those of you who mentioned the chlorine as a possibility. I never would've thought of that. I've tried the Kirkland brand before, but I seem to run into batches of them that are misshapen (all the absorbent stuff is moved to one section of the diaper), resulting in areas that don't work and then one big blob on another section.

Maybe I should try them agian though. It's been a while and I liked them overall. He was on zyrtec when we used them, so not sure if he's allergic or not.

I'm going to wash another part of his body with the wipes and see what happens....good idea, thanks! My only question, is it still possible to be more sensitive in the diaper area, therefore react there but maybe not elsewhere? Also, what do you guys think about my added post the other day about the rash/hives moving to another area?

[Guest nini]

my daughter was allergic to Huggies and Pampers and Luvs, but she did much better with Wal Marts White Cloud brand and Dollar Generals diapers... (which was great cos they were cheaper)... for some reason she was more sensitive to ingredients in the name brand diapers. I don't know if it was the fragrances or the materials used or what.

[gf4life]

My only question, is it still possible to be more sensitive in the diaper area, therefore react there but maybe not elsewhere?

I don't know if they are more sensitive there, or if it could be a reaction with the chemicals in the diapers and the chemicals in that particular child's urine. To me it doesn't really matter, if they have a bad reaction to a particular diaper I am going to avoid it. But it did get me thinking about it when Ursula mentioned the bleach issue. I wondered if maybe it was the bleach, except I did try my own cloth diapers and the same reaction, but again, I used bleach. But wouldn't he have reacted to bleach in the white clothes I also put on his body. Occasionally the urine would leak out and get on the clothes and he didn't have skin reactions anywhere else...

I don't really know, but at this point I am very thankfull to be past the diaper stage!

I also have a comment about the Kirkland brand. At the time that we were using them for my boys they were great, but by the time my daughter was born the quality was getting questionable. They kept changing things about them, the tape switched to velcro and wouldn't stay closed, they switched from plastic to cloth outer covering and that had issues, the inside lining would occasionaly be messed up or the gathered leg elastic would be in the wrong place...I switched to Huggies only for a while until they figured out the problems. It sounds like they haven't gotten it 100% worked out even after 7 years! When Costco first opened up a location in my town my oldest was a few months old, and the quality of the diapers was great. That was 12 years ago, so in 5 years the quality went down hill. I know they were just trying to keep up with the newer styles of diapers, but why mess with a good product.

[azmom3]

My son's rash on his bottom area has been completely gone for a couple days now (and he doesn't start up zyrtec again until tonight, so I know it's not because of that.) We tried a couple different brands of diapers, but I could not find chlorine free ones...where do I get these and are they clearly labeled as such...is there a specific brand/type that I should be looking for? And by the way, he had cleared up prior to switching diapers, but I switched anyways and will be watching closely.

Do you think it's possible that maybe something he ate caused it just in that area due to sensitivity? Or maybe his pee and poo had something different in it that day that made him react?

At least for the time being, he's a little more comfortable! I just want to figure out how to avoid it for teh ineviitable next time.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

My second son was the Rash-man of the family--but his diaper area was not such a problem. It was everywhere else, and it started 24 hours after his 4-month vaccines. They sent us to a dermatologist, who took one look and said, "This is a drug reaction--don't feed him anything but breastmilk til it goes away." It somehow "morphed" into severe blistering eczema, and didn't go away for 8 months.

[Ursa Major]

Do you think it's possible that maybe something he ate caused it just in that area due to sensitivity? Or maybe his pee and poo had something different in it that day that made him react?

Yes, that is very possible. When my oldest daughter still ate things the twins were intolerant to, they'd have terrible rashes on their diaper area, sometimes totally raw. When she stopped eating nightshades, they stopped having that severe reaction (but still had issues with the diapers themselves, just not as severe).

[Michi8]

I don't know if they are more sensitive there, or if it could be a reaction with the chemicals in the diapers and the chemicals in that particular child's urine. To me it doesn't really matter, if they have a bad reaction to a particular diaper I am going to avoid it. But it did get me thinking about it when Ursula mentioned the bleach issue. I wondered if maybe it was the bleach, except I did try my own cloth diapers and the same reaction, but again, I used bleach.

Just an FYI for those who are considering using cloth diapers... It is best not to use bleach on diapers, because of the issue of skin sensitivity, and because it weakens the cloth and shortens the life of the diapers. You can simply put diapers in a dry pail (you can get a waterproof fabric liner for the pail) and wash frequently (ever other day) with borax, detergent and vinegar rinse. Hanging them in the sun periodically to dry helps to naturally bleach them, but I found it unnecessary since washing adequately removed stains.

Michelle

My son's rash on his bottom area has been completely gone for a couple days now (and he doesn't start up zyrtec again until tonight, so I know it's not because of that.) We tried a couple different brands of diapers, but I could not find chlorine free ones...where do I get these and are they clearly labeled as such...is there a specific brand/type that I should be looking for?

As mentioned earlier in the thread, Tushies is one brand of chlorine free, gel free diapers. Their website is here: Open Original Shared Link. Ecobaby diapers are here: Open Original Shared Link. You can try Googling for other brands. Otherwise, there may be shopping info on the websites I listed, and you can probably buy directly from them too.

Michelle

[Simply-V]

My son's rash on his bottom area has been completely gone for a couple days now (and he doesn't start up zyrtec again until tonight, so I know it's not because of that.)

Do you think it's possible that maybe something he ate caused it just in that area due to sensitivity? Or maybe his pee and poo had something different in it that day that made him react?

He could be reacting in the diaper area due to allergens in his waste.

Zyrtec has corn in it. Many corn allergic children cannot take it as the corn in it outweighs teh benefit of the antihistamine. Many have to have benadryl compounded special. Try Benadryl Dye-free alcohol-free in the meantime.

Wipes can also be a problem as well as the diapers, but from what I've heard so far, his main problem is probably the Zyrtec.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I do think that vaccines may be a factor (in addition to the diapers themselves); please read up on them, you might want to consider delaying them or only giving one at a time instead of multiple vaccines.

How often are you changing the diapers? I know moms who leave a baby in a diaper for 3-4 hours because it does not feel very wet to them, but if the baby's pee is highly acidic, it can cause horrible skin reactions, especially if it is mixing with chemicals in the diaper. You would want to change the baby the MINUTE he wets the diaper.

[azmom3]

My second son was the Rash-man of the family--but his diaper area was not such a problem. It was everywhere else, and it started 24 hours after his 4-month vaccines. They sent us to a dermatologist, who took one look and said, "This is a drug reaction--don't feed him anything but breastmilk til it goes away." It somehow "morphed" into severe blistering eczema, and didn't go away for 8 months.

Poor little guy!

I will try to read up on vaccines a little more. Thanks!

Just an FYI for those who are considering using cloth diapers... It is best not to use bleach on diapers, because of the issue of skin sensitivity, and because it weakens the cloth and shortens the life of the diapers. You can simply put diapers in a dry pail (you can get a waterproof fabric liner for the pail) and wash frequently (ever other day) with borax, detergent and vinegar rinse. Hanging them in the sun periodically to dry helps to naturally bleach them, but I found it unnecessary since washing adequately removed stains.

Michelle

As mentioned earlier in the thread, Tushies is one brand of chlorine free, gel free diapers. Their website is here: Open Original Shared Link. Ecobaby diapers are here: Open Original Shared Link. You can try Googling for other brands. Otherwise, there may be shopping info on the websites I listed, and you can probably buy directly from them too.

Michelle

Thanks Michelle! We have a health food store 1/2 mile from my house, so I will see if they carry this brand. If not, I'll order on line.

He could be reacting in the diaper area due to allergens in his waste.

Zyrtec has corn in it. Many corn allergic children cannot take it as the corn in it outweighs teh benefit of the antihistamine. Many have to have benadryl compounded special. Try Benadryl Dye-free alcohol-free in the meantime.

Wipes can also be a problem as well as the diapers, but from what I've heard so far, his main problem is probably the Zyrtec.

His allergy doctor actually switched him from benadryl to zyrtec way back when. I can't remember all the reasons....does zyrtec help with asthma too and benadryl doesn't maybe? (He's on pulmicort daily and also takes albuterol breathing treatments as needed.) His asthma attacks required ER visits and one overnight hopsitalization, so I'm scared to switch back as his asthma's been under control for the most part since we started zyrtec...maybe it's controllnig his allergies better than the benadryl??? I'm not sure. I know one of the reasons we switched was that he was sleeping way too much with the benadryl and we were having a hard time trying to get him to eat enough. We're still not where we need to be, but at least we have more awake time for feedings now. Any other options I should be asking the dr. about? Or maybe we could try the benadryl again since it's been 6+ months or more.