Diaper Dermatitis: A Review of 63 Children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Diaper dermatitis (DD) is a common infantile dermatosis with a highly variable prevalence and incidence. This study aimed to present the demographic and clinical features of babies with DD.

METHODS: Data, including demographic and clinical features, obtained from DD patient forms were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS: The study included 63 babies with DD (female: n = 35 [55.6%]; male: n = 28 [44.4%]; mean age 11.6 mos). Most of the patients (43.5%) were 0 to 6 months of age. In all, 76.3% were breastfed, of whom 31.7% were exclusively breastfed. The number of previous episodes of DD was significantly lower in breastfed babies. The most common diaper area cleansing method was wet wipes (54.1%). Diaper creams were used in 86.2% of patients. DD was severe in 22.2% of patients, moderate in 57.4%, and mild in 20.4%. Candida infection was noted in 77.4% of patients. The median number of previous episodes of DD was significantly higher in patients with Candida infection than in those without (p = 0.02). Treatment yielded greater than 50% improvement (complete and moderate response) in 59.4% of patients at the first follow-up visit (3-5 days) and 82.6% at the second follow-up visit (10 days).

CONCLUSION: Most babies with DD were 0 to 6 months of age. Breastfed babies had fewer previous episodes of DD, so mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies to reduce the incidence of DD. Candida infection was common; clinicians should be aware of its association with DD.