Could it be Ammonia burns?

LuvWIfootball

1 of my triplets has a nasty rash that appears to be ammonia burns.  I had the Pedi take a look at it several weeks ago, at which time he gave me an antifungal cream to use, which did nothing.  Pedi seemed clueless when I mentioned cloth diapers and ammonia burns.  The rash/burn gets lighter during the day or if I put DS in sposies, but is bad again in the morning after using an ON diaper.

Here's the thing, only 1 of my 3 have a rash and they all use the same ON diapers.  We either use a Sbish OBF or Simplex AIO w/extra bamboo insert.  All cds reek of ammonia in the morning, but I figured this is to be expected after almost 14hrs of being worn.  And all cds smell clean after the wash.  Wash routine is a cold double rinse - no detergent and then hot/cold heavy wash cycle with double rinse and detergent (Tide).

We use pfs during the day and those never smell of ammonia.  I also wash daily, right after changing them in morning so ON diapers are never sitting for long before getting washed.

So, long story short ( or long in my case), do you think this could still be ammonia burns if it's just one of the 3 boys?  

LuvWIfootball

Chickypoo2468:

Is it just red? It could be. But if its nasty looking it might not be. As dad as I know ammonia burn is like sunburn. Red. The diapers shouldn't reek of ammonia tho. If they do, and if its giving one a rash, they need to be stripped and maybe use less detergent. How much are you using? If they stink and it's NOT ammonia burn, which if it is I'm suprised that only one is having issues, then they aren't getting clean enough.

He only has the redness on the front of him, never on his butt.  It's very red, some areas almost look like they could be the start of blisters, it's also very splotchy, and it even goes off towards his hips/above his legs.

I use 2 Tbsp of Tide.  I assume I have soft water because we have a water softener and use city water, not well water.  I hate the guessing game of more or less detergent.  I have no smell issues after a wash, so I assumed things were okay.  So, should an ON diaper that's worn for almost 14hrs not smell of ammonia when it's taken off?  They always have, so I thought this was normal.   I'll try soaking in Rockin' Green today and see if that makes a difference.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

LuvWIfootball

Chickypoo2468:

LuvWIfootball:

Chickypoo2468:

Is it just red? It could be. But if its nasty looking it might not be. As dad as I know ammonia burn is like sunburn. Red. The diapers shouldn't reek of ammonia tho. If they do, and if its giving one a rash, they need to be stripped and maybe use less detergent. How much are you using? If they stink and it's NOT ammonia burn, which if it is I'm suprised that only one is having issues, then they aren't getting clean enough.

He only has the redness on the front of him, never on his butt.  It's very red, some areas almost look like they could be the start of blisters, it's also very splotchy, and it even goes off towards his hips/above his legs.

I use 2 Tbsp of Tide.  I assume I have soft water because we have a water softener and use city water, not well water.  I hate the guessing game of more or less detergent.  I have no smell issues after a wash, so I assumed things were okay.  So, should an ON diaper that's worn for almost 14hrs not smell of ammonia when it's taken off?  They always have, so I thought this was normal.   I'll try soaking in Rockin' Green today and see if that makes a difference.

A morning dipe might occasionally smell like ammonia, but not as a rule. It should smell like strong urine tho. What you're describing sounds to me like a detergent sensitivity.

I'm doing a soak in Rockin' Green now. I'll try using that with the next few washes and see if it helps. He does seem to have more sensitive skin than his brothers, so this may be the problem. Or at least I hope it is. I hate this guessing game. 

Danni7535

If it's a detergent sensitivity, it might take a couple of washes to get all of the Tide out.

LuvWIfootball

If it were a detergent sensitivity, wouldn't he have redness on other parts of his body since I wash all of his clothes in the same detergent?  Or even on his butt?  Currently, he only gets the rash on his front (penis area and up), not on his backside.

somnybooks

My boy seems to have the same problem.  Very very red above his penis and sometimes toward the hips/legs but not his bottom.  My daughter is never red.  They share diapers.  I was afraid it was ammonia too but I don't have any stink problems.  After treating with california baby, it clears up.  If I use CJs at every change on that area, it pretty much stays away.  I have decided that he is just super sensitive to wetness.  He is also developing some dry spots on his abdomen so I am wondering if he has excema.  

LuvWIfootball

Thanks for the help, ladies.  I've got a few things to keep trying, I guess.  Will try to do a vinegar rinse for ammonia as well as switch detergents for the next week or two.  I'm also going to ask the Pedi about eczema.

Danni7535

Chickypoo2468:

LuvWIfootball:

If it were a detergent sensitivity, wouldn't he have redness on other parts of his body since I wash all of his clothes in the same detergent?nbsp; Or even on his butt?nbsp; Currently, he only gets the rash on his front penis area and up, not on his backside.

Nope. It's generally in the area where the pee is. It reacts with the detergent somehow.

Yeah, the enzymes react to the pee and eat away at sensitive skin. Change to a detergent that doesn't use enzymes or brighteners, like Liquid Biokleen. Below is a link to a chart that rates laundry detergents for cloth diapering.

https://www.diaperjungle.com/detergentchart.html