Pictures of Diaper Rash

In order to help you identify different levels of diaper rash and to help you decide how to best care for your baby, we have created the following Diaper Rash Evaluation Guide. The guide may also be used to help you describe the rash more accurately to your pediatrician, if necessary.

Diaper Rash Evaluation Guide

Our guide groups diaper rash across a 5-point scale. Use this scale and the accompanying photos to tell if your baby’s diaper rash is slight, mild, mild-to-moderate, moderate, moderate-to-severe, or severe. If severe, please contact your pediatrician immediately.

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Pictures of Diaper Rash
Slight
Slight
Slight

Slight Diaper Rash:

  • Faint-to-definite pinkness over a very small area
  • May be a single raised bump (papule)
  • May be slight dryness

This baby has some faint pinkness in the diaper area

Slight

This baby has some scattered, raised bumps (papules)

Slight
Mild
Mild
Mild

Mild Diaper Rash:

  • Faint-to-definite pinkness over a small area or
  • Definite redness over a very small area and/or
  • Scattered raised bumps (papules) and/or
  • Moderate dryness/scaling

This baby has an area of pinkness and a few raised bumps (papules)

Mild

This baby has an area of faint-to-definite pinkness

Mild
Mild to Moderate
Mild to Moderate
Mild to Moderate

Mild/Moderate Diaper Rash:

  • Faint to definite pink in a larger area or
  • Definite redness in a small area or
  • Very intense redness in a very small area and/or
  • Scattered raised bumps (papules) and/or
  • Moderate dryness/scaling

This baby has definite pinkness in a large area with some small areas of definite redness. There are also scattered, raised bumps (papules).

Mild to Moderate

This baby has a definite area of redness in the diaper area

Mild to Moderate
Moderate
Moderate

Moderate Diaper Rash:

  • Definite redness in a larger area or
  • Very intense redness in a very small area and/or
  • Single to several areas of papules (raised bumps) with 0-5 raised, fluid-containing bumps (pustules)
  • May have slight peeling and/or
  • May have swelling (edema)

This baby has intense redness, peeling, raised bumps (papules) and a few fluid-containing bumps (pustules). You should contact your pediatrician if your baby is experiencing the following types of rashes, moderate/severe and severe.

Moderate
Moderate to Severe
Moderate to Severe

Moderate/Severe Diaper Rash:

  • Definite redness over a very large area or
  • Very intense redness over a small area without swelling (edema) and/or
  • Larger areas of raised bumps (papules) and/or
  • Larger areas of raised, fluid-containing bumps (pustules)
  • May have moderate peeling and/or swelling (edema)

This baby has intense redness and large areas of multiple raised bumps (papules) as well as fluid-containing bumps (pustules)

Moderate to Severe

Other Types of Rashes:

Your baby’s rash may be something other than diaper rash, such as a yeast infection, psoriasis or impetigo.

  • A yeast infection commonly appears in the skin folds where it is warm and moist. Other common names are a fungal infection or Candida albicans. It usually presents as a swollen red rash with white scales and lesions. They may also appear as small white pus filled lesions surrounded by redness. In addition to the skin folds, lesions may be found on nearby skin outside the diaper area, such as the thighs or abdomen. These are called satellite lesions and are usually a common sign of the yeast infection.

The yeast infection may appear alone or it may be in combination with the diaper rash, making the rash worse.

Be sure to call your pediatrician if your baby is showing any of these symptoms, the rash does not heal within 7 days, or heals and then reappears. Your doctor will be able to prescribe the best treatment plan for the yeast infection.

Prevention is the best way to care for a yeast infection. Keeping the diaper area clean, dry and protected helps prevent both diaper rash and yeast infection.

  • Psoriasis is rare in infants. It presents as red thickened skin with silvery scales that may be itchy or sore and appears on the legs, arms or scalp.
  • Impetigo appears as yellow brownish crusty patches and/or pus filled blisters. It is found on the buttocks, lower abdomen and thighs.

Be sure to call your pediatrician if your baby shows any of these symptoms.

Learn how to treat Diaper Rash

Severe Diaper Rash:

  • Very intense redness over a larger area and/or
  • Severe peeling
  • Severe swelling (edema)
  • Some loss of the outer layer of skin and/or and bleeding
  • May have large, connected areas of raised bumps (papules) or
  • Numerous raised, fluid-containing bumps (pustules)