“Most cases are not serious, but diaper rash requires attention by the parents or caregivers, and if your child’s rash does not respond to home management or physician home advice, the pediatrician should see the baby for diagnosis and treatment,” says Dr. Joel Steinberg, interim director of general pediatrics at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

The top cause of diaper rash is moisture, made worse by chafing or rubbing. Moisture often stems from extended contact with urine or feces.

“It’s important to check the baby’s diaper often and change it,” Dr. Steinberg says. “Whether you use cloth diapers or disposables is not as important as checking the baby often and changing when it’s necessary.”

A few babies come down with an allergy to diaper material, especially disposable diapers. If an allergy is suspected, switch diaper types or call your child’s healthcare provider for advice, Dr. Steinberg says.

A simple case of diaper rash should clear up within a week, he says. If you allow the diaper rash to persist, the skin can break down, and either a yeast or bacterial infection can super-impose. A raw-looking diaper rash with red bumps outside the rash usually is a yeast infection and needs specific antifungal medications to treat it. Impetigo-like lesions (a bacterial infection) that appear red and round and may ooze also can develop in the diaper area as a complication of the common diaper rash, and will need to be treated with antibacterial cream or oral antibiotics.

“The key is not to wait,” Dr. Steinberg says. “If a simple case of diaper rash does not resolve in a week or two, or it worsens sooner, call your pediatrician.