Nappy rash, also known as diaper dermatitis, is a common concern among parents of infants, affecting their comfort and well-being. Despite advancements in nappy technology and childcare practices, nappy rash continues to cause a problem for many young children and families.
What is the cause of nappy rash?
There is no one known exact causes of nappy rash, however according to the NHS, some potential causes are:
- your baby's skin being in contact with pee or poo for a long time
- not cleaning the nappy area or changing the nappy often enough
- the nappy rubbing against your baby's skin
- an allergic reaction to soap, detergent or bubble bath
- irritation from fragranced baby wipes or wipes containing alcohol
- some types of medicines, such as antibiotics or laxatives (used to make a baby poo more often)
- thrush (a fungal infection)
Which nappy is the best at preventing nappy rash?
With an increasing array of options available, including both reusable and disposable nappies, parents face the challenge of selecting the most suitable option for their infants while considering the risk of nappy rash occurrence and severity.
Many sites and sources recommend one type of nappy over another, but there is actually very little research into whether disposable or reusable nappy use has any correlation with nappy rash.
Reusable cloth nappies are often praised for their natural materials and some sources such as the nct claim that these natural materials are more gentle on a baby's skin than disposables.
However other sources offer an alternative view: that because disposable nappies wick moisture more quickly and do not feel wet, they are better at preventing nappy rash.
There are also a multitude of opinions online with personal anecdotes claiming that one nappy type is superior at preventing or reducing nappy rash, however many of these are contradictory or have other factors at play.
What do we want to find out?
In this study, we aim to find out if there is a correlation between nappy types and nappy rash. We really value the input of any parent who has a child that is currently or previously in nappies. We would especially like to know about any correlation you discovered yourself about nappy rash. Was it worse when your baby was teething, when using certain brands or materials, after bed? Let us know! We hope that this will give parents a more definitive answer and help them to make a more informed choice for their baby.
Have there been studies looking into this in the past?
There have been some studies on this issue, see this study from 1997 which concludes that both reusable nappies are no more likely to cause nappy rash than disposable nappies. However, the modern cloth nappies of today have advanced far beyond cloth nappies of the '90s, so we feel this study may turn out differently if conducted again today.
There was also a more recent review in 2006 which concluded that there was not enough evidence to determine whether disposable nappies could prevent nappy rash.
My personal experience:
I have two children of my own who very rarely suffered from nappy rash. I used a combination of reusable and disposable nappies for my first child and almost exclusively reusable cloth nappies for my second. In my personal experience, my daughter suffered badly with nappy rash while we were on holiday and using disposables. I cannot be sure whether this was to do with the nappies themselves or the heat and sweat of being in a hot country for the first time. Anecdotally, friends have experienced similar to me and have claimed that their children get less nappy rash with reusable nappies. This is why we are opening this survey up to more parents as we would love to gather enough data to determine which nappy type really is more effective at preventing nappy rash.
What will we do with the data?
Your answers to the questions are anonymous, and you may refrain from answering any questions that you are not comfortable sharing the answers to. We will collate the data gathered to find trends and correlation between nappy types, causes and nappy rash. We hope to find conclusive data to prove that one type truly is less likely to cause nappy rash. Final numbers, percentages and conclusions will be available for anyone to see.
If you answer the questions on our survey, you will have a chance to enter your email address to sign up to our marketing newsletter and be in with the chance of winning a voucher to spend with us. This is completely optional. We will never share your email address with anyone else.