"Allergy ring" from acidic foods??

Puck1182 · September 2013

DD has never really had major issues with diaper rash. Pretty much never happened, then once we introduced solids she would sometimes get a little rashy if she had a "stealth poop" that we didn't hear or smell right away, but a little extra time airing out the tush cleared it right up. However, all of the foods we gave her up until a week ago had a pH of 5 or higher, at least according to what I've been able to find online.

Well, 6 days after introducing apples (pH between 3 and 4) and on day two of carrots (pH of pureed carrots can be as low as 4.5), she woke up with an "allergy ring" diaper rash. From what I was able to find on a variety of websites, this can be indicative of a true food allergy, or it can just be baby's sensitive skin reacting to the fact that acidic foods have lowered the pH of their poop. The previous day she'd had apples for lunch and carrots for dinner, so it was the most acidic food combination she'd had so far. Plus the apples seemed to get her digestive system moving, so instead of pooping once or twice a day like she usually does, for the rest of that day she pooped I think 4 or 5 times? Not diarrhea type poops, just regular ones, albeit a little softer than usual. By the end of the day her poor butt was so raw despite our best efforts to let her air out between frequent diaper changes. :-(

Anyway, I suspect it's not a true allergy, because she isn't having a single other allergy symptom. No hives, she isn't gassier than usual, she doesn't even have a runny nose. We switched to disposables for a bit since they'll absorb her pee better and keep it from reacting with her poop, compulsively checking her butt for poops between her usually diaper changes, and giving her a ton of time to air out. This morning it's looking a lot better. Some raw spots still, but the rash is smaller and her skin is fading to a pink instead of an angry-looking red. My mom has been watching her today and said she's been very happy and not showing any signs of discomfort.

Needless to say, we'll be avoiding apples and carrots for the time being, and try introducing them again down the road and see how it goes. Sticking to less acidic foods for now. But I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience where their child had a diaper rash as the only symptom, but it did turn out to be a true allergy, especially to something as unusual as apples or carrots? And conversely, has anyone dealt with an allergy ring rash that was, in fact, just a result of acidic foods making acidic poop?

mishka29 · September 2013

Ive noticed the increased diaper rash with the solids. We try to change the diaper right away. I didnt realize it could be a sign of allergy, i will have to keep an eye out.

Puck1182 · September 2013

Well, again, everything I read said that an increase in diaper rash is very common when babies start solids, because of how it changes their poop. Milk has a relatively high pH, so when they've had nothing but breast milk or formula, their skin isn't used to the more acidic stuff. Which is why I'm thinking that in the absence of any other allergy symptoms, it's probably just a normal diaper rash. It was just jarring for me to see it that bad, since she hardly ever got diaper rash before, sometimes just a mild rash if it had been awhile since we'd stripped diapers, but then I'd strip the diapers and it would go away. Sorry, didn't mean to make you paranoid! ;-)