Vaseline, powder or 'ekyogero'?

I am a first-time mother. I am confused by the varying information that different mothers have given me. One mother advised me not to use baby powder when lining my baby’s diapers, saying I should use Vaseline instead.

Dear Doctor,

I am a first-time mother. I am confused by the varying information that different mothers have given me. One mother advised me not to use baby powder when lining my baby’s diapers, saying I should use Vaseline instead.

Another said I should bathe my child with ekyogero, a local herb, saying this would help get rid of nappy rash. Whose advice should I take? Is it true that baby powder is not good, and Vaseline is recommended?

Worried Mum

Dear Worried Mum,

Using powder to line a baby’s diaper is not recommended because it just forms a bacterial culture medium, which may hurt the baby. In addition, some babies may be allergic to powder.

Vaseline, on the other hand, helps to prevent irritation created by the baby’s excreta.

Though ekyogero was used by our grandparents and parents to help soothe the baby’s skin, there is no scientific basis for using plant extracts to prevent nappy rash.

Answered by Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, a senior paediatrician, Mulago Hospital