How to Change a Newborn Baby’s Diaper and Prevent Diaper Rash

Ask a Doc | How to Change a Newborn's Diaper | Cook Children's

How do you change a newborn baby’s diaper and prevent diaper rash? Cook Children’s pediatrician, Kim Mangham, M.D., guides new and expectant parents through the steps of diaper changing and explains what to do to help prevent diaper rash.

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Transcript

00:00:04

Hi, I'm Dr. Kim Mangum. And today I'm going to show you how to change a diaper and try to prevent diaper rash.

00:00:10

So the first thing I recommend doing is putting the diaper up underneath the baby like this.

00:00:14

The second thing you'll do is go ahead and have your wipe ready. And then unfasten the diaper.

00:00:22

We recommend that you wipe front to back. So you'll wipe from the front to the back.

00:00:27

And then you just take the diaper and close it up. And then you've got your new one underneath and just fasten the new tab.

00:00:37

A couple of tips I have for you. Number one, if the belly button is not healed up yet, you'll just pull the diaper up under here like this.

00:00:45

For little girls, they can, newborn girls can have a little bit of vaginal mucus or blood and that can be normal

00:00:51

For little boys who have circumcisions that are healing, if there's not a stool that has soiled the area then you can just leave it alone.

00:00:58

The other thing I recommend doing, if they have diarrhea is you can use Vaseline petroleum jelly or diaper ointment down in this area just as a moisture barrier to prevent a diaper rash.

00:01:10

And that's how you change a diaper.

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