Yeast is a type of fungus that exists naturally inside and on the body, including in the mouth, bowels and skin, according to the BabyCenter website. While a baby can contract a general skin yeast infection, the more common locations include the diapered area and the mouth. Symptoms of these two types of yeast infections are very different from each other. A yeast diaper rash is sometimes difficult to distinguish from a general rash.
Yeast Diaper Rash
The rash caused by yeast may start subtly making it impossible to recognize the infection. After a few days of the diaper rash the yeast lesions will become more defined and appear very red. Some tissues of the bottom, such as the labia, vaginal opening, perineum and rectum will become bright red in girls. Boys can have redness on the penis, scrotum, perineum and rectum as well. These areas may become bright red while small, raised bumps appearing a slight distance away, explains the BabyCenter website.
Skin Scaling
The skin affected by and surrounding the yeast rash can appear scaling. In an infant, this can include white patterns that look as if the skin may peel away in small section.
Diaper Cream Resistant
It is likely that a caregiver will attempt to use a traditional diaper cream on the rash. These creams often contain zinc oxide. Even after two or three days, the yeast infection will not respond to the diaper cream. The infection may have worsened during this time and spread to the skin folds where the legs meet the diapered area, buttocks and even to the thighs.
Severe Lesions
Without treatment, the yeast infection lesions can become quite pronounced and infected-looking. The National Institutes of Health describes these severe lesions as appearing like pimples, fluid-filled blisters, open wounds, large bumps or pus-filled sores. Medical treatment should be provided when the infection becomes this bad.
Oral Thrush
A breastfeeding infant is at a greater risk of contracting oral thrush. It can easily spread between the mother and the baby. The National Institutes of Health point out that an infant with a yeast diaper rash may also have oral thrush. The yeast could have infected the mouth first. The infant can digest the excessive yeast and pass it in her stools, causing a yeast diaper rash.
Signs of oral thrush in a baby include white patches and increased redness inside the baby's mouth. It is possible for the baby to want to feed more often and exhibit a different mood than normal. The lactating mother will likely have a yeast infection of her breasts as well. Signs of this include the development of deep-pink nipples, nipple tenderness during and after nursing and discomfort of the nipples during and after nursing.
