Tag Archives: poor parenting

Nappy rash

Talk about sitting on it.

About a month or so back, due to bad parenting on our part, we had neglected to ensure Caleb was changed quickly and often enough.

It’s “interesting” that being in contact with urine long enough creates such a reaction on human skin. At first we weren’t too sure what the ultimate cause was.

Our guess was confirmed upon Dr Pixie’s first look / impression.

The affected reddened skin covered from between the butt cheeks, forward toward the scrotum, and stopping between that and the you-know-what (I don’t want spam bots picking up that keyword). That last bit (pun?) was the giveaway sign, given how the liquid is trapped in these crevices under the diaper. There was nothing wrong with the skin on the upper side of the ahem and upwards.

Dr Pixie also confirmed that the area would hurt; probably sting is a better description. This explained Caleb’s discomfort in those days. He was a real pain in ass to feed, manage etc, because he had a pain in his ass ha ha.

Here’s what Dr Pixie prescribed.

No more talcum powder on the groin / area; at least for now. When changing, wash / rinse the area as you would but no soap. Soap would only aggravate the area and the sting. Dab / pat dry- again, rubbing dry would also be painful on the skin. And go get this concoction: Hydrocortisol and Zinc oxide; to be applied on the reddened skin after each wash / change.

Hot Mummee and Grandma went out looking for this. Apparently the pharmacist they went didn’t have this, but was able to mix it. I don’t know if it was expensive, I doubt it was though.

That last treatment really helped our little man (another pun?) In probably 6 hours or 2-3 changes later he was feeling almost normal, and the area cleared up not long after.

Sharing my kids-treatment record with you here.

Scarred for life

There are a few things in life that you kinda expect to happen to you; and when you are a parent- to your children.

You expect them to fall down once a while.
You expect them to get hurt once a while.
You expect them to get a bump on the head, a cut there, a bruise here.

But you don’t expect them to be scalded.

At dinner tonite, Grandma was serving up dinner. Caitlin was seated already next to me, at the far side of the table against the doorway into the dining area. Grandma was coming in with bowls of hot soup. She makes them really hot. She reached forward to put a bowl down infront of Caitlin for her, and it slipped out of her hand, away from her, towards Caitlin.

Without really thinking I made the mistake of trying to sweep away the soup from her lap; thinking to remove the hot element from skin.
Grandma comes in to carry her off the wet seat.
I went to get some cloth- anything, to wet with cold water to put over the area.
Grandma says NO.
By which time Mummee was rushing down after hearing the scream. She was shouting DO NOT GET ICE.
My wet cloth was ignored. I could see some peeled skin. It looks like what it’d be like a few days after being sunburnt.
Mummee came with toothpaste, and we all started to spread it over the area.
Caitlin starts to settle.

The old school Chinese old wives way was NOT to encourage quick contraction after a hot expansion. My basic first aid was ignored. We then remembered some ointment bought from China by either grandparents, which had quickly healed the assistant’s hands during the sideshow (more like freakshow) demo, where he applied the ointment immediately after grasping red hot iron bar- don’t ask.

4-5 hours later we are back at our apartment, our regular routine, ready for bed. Mummee’s gentle dabs removed the toothpaste ready for another application of Chinese ointment. Cleared, we could see the damage. Blisters. Multiple of them. Bigger and smaller than peanuts. And the roll of broken skin.

I called Dr Pixie to ask what else we could do other than to air it. She said to go get sulphur silver diazine. It would help with the burn, and it is also antiseptic.

In the conversation I related the whole ordeal, whether it was likely to scar- YES. Provided the blisters aren’t popped during this whole time. but definitely there will be different pigmentation during / after healing.

But I made the worst mistake. I effectively already removed some skin when I swept her lap. It would be those area that is guaranteed to scar; don’t even talk about popping the blisters, I had already effectively done that.

I went to the only 24 hours pharmacy I could think of- Pantai Hospital, not too far from here. Got 60g of the cream, at RM12.40. They call is Flamazine

She is sleeping now with Mummee.

In the coming days these are what I am anticipating:
- her in her school uniform- how do we ensure the area is kept medicated?
- her in her school uniform- how do we ensure she doesn’t get the area accidentally bumped / scraped / pop the blisters?
- her in regular clothes- to remove them to go pee? Who’s gonna help her removal?
- her in bed- same precautions as above?

I feel like shit. I feel much worse actually.