# If your child has a fleece allergy/sensitivity...



## lori810

WHat does it look like? What kind of rash? Where is the rash, color, location, etc.?

I am STILL trying to figure out the cause of my DD's rash. I THOUGH it was latex but now I am not sure. Here is my experiment, lol...

Phase 1: We did a week of prefolds and soakers - NO rash (YAY!!!).

Phase 2: So I added back in fitteds and wool covers with elastic to confirm the allergy (before I sell my stash







). It's only been 24 hours but so far, no rash. It still could come but I guess I was thinking I would see it already...

So I was thinking it could be fleece. We use fleece pocket diapers a LOT, and I haven't added those back in yet. Those were going to be Phase 3 of my experiment, lol... I didn't think it was fleece because in Phase 1, I had used some fleece liners a few times, with no reaction, but it may not have been enough of an exposure.

So I was just wondering for those whose kids have fleece allergies/sensitivities, what does the rash look like and where is it on the diaper area?

Thanks!
Lori


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## kasumi

Sorry you are still struggling with this!

DS is mildly sensitive to fleece, and when I have him in fleece lined diapers all day he gets very red and raw (like a bad sunburn) everywhere the fleece touches, so his folds and his bum crack are usually still white, if that makes sense.

Now I just put him in fleece at night or only one per day and he doesn't get red. I think it's the constant, no break from fleece causing the redness.

That's our experience. I hope you can figure this out!


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## allformyboys

now 99% of the time kids with a fleece allergy do NOT have an allergy to the fleece it self at all. What happens is fleece is polyester, which is in a LOT of things, it is essentially plastic. So to have an allergy to that would be a MAJOR allergy and one that would effect a HUGE amount of your life. It is just SO rare to see more than one child with it for real on this board would be a slim to none chance.

Now what USUALLY is the problem, being plastic and non absorbant fleece just holds residue on top of it, so any chemicals left on the fleece are in direct contact with a VERY sensitve area. Fleece sensitivity looks like a burn, sun burn or worse if it is worse. Why? because it IS a chemical burn, from whatever it is that your using on your diapers that isn't getting rinsed clean enough for your child.

Now kids vary in sensitivity some kids you can rinse out enough (even if you have to triple rinse) and make fleece okay again, SOME kids you can NEVER get the fleece clean enough. Most of the time the residue on fleece wouldn't bother kids (or adults) but this is a very sensitive area and high acid in the urine can really create problems. SO it is possible that your child can not use fleece, it is also possible that they can and it just needs to be rinsed more. But the chance that they have a fleece allergy is slim VERY slim. Some women can't use anything but 100% cotton panties because of irritation, this is kinda the same thing yk?

Fleece liners cause less of a problem than pocket diapers with fleece sensitivities because they are rinsed cleaner over all. while I know pocket diapers come clean when spinning out in the washer they don't get the benifit of the water flowing through them to really rinse the fleece because of the PUL, water can't flow through it, to rinse and spin it. Especially if it happens to fall where the fleece is on the inside of the PUL and the PUL is against the washer drum, then your fleece will feel really wet too.

So my suggestion to you is to hand rinse your pocket diapers (after they have been washed in the washer) a few times before using them again and try it. If they are the problem you will notice it. I have more problems with pocket diapers than I do with fleece liners or fleece lined fitteds (because of the rinse factor) Joe has NO problems with fleece as long as it is rinsed well, if it isn't, he gets the burn.









Also if your child has a fleece 'allergy' they will also be allergic to PUL and any poly clothing (which there is a lot of) most likey your car seats have poly in them, as well as a ton of their toys. So fleece allergies are very VERY rare. But the sensitivity (especially when applied to the area we are speaking of) is a lot more common.









Good luck! I hope things work out for you!


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## lori810

Interesting Marnie and Kasumi!

This is such a pain! Part of me just wants to sell everything, buy a bunch of prefolds and soakers and remain ignorant as to what the problem is, lol! It's such a pain to figure it out...but we have a long road ahead of us in diapers so I'd rather know now what it is!

The rash DOES look like a burn except the skin is also swollen looking. But it's not everywhere the fleece touches, not at all on the bum, its mainly where the diaper area meets the legs. I guess though, that is probably the area with the most close and constant contact with the fleece.

To get out any residue in the fleece, should I run them through a few cycles w/o detergent? Would that get the residue off?

Thanks so much for helping in my quest!
Lori


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## allformyboys

That would be a good start! Now my question to you is could the elastic be too tight on some of the diapers? My son also gets 'chub rub' on his leg area where the diapers rub (specially if wet). Fleece or no fleece it doesn't really make a difference.

I would keep him changed as much as possible and see if maybe he is sweating/rubbing/chaffing that area?

I know exactly what you mean about it being raised and looking like a burn, it could be a burn, it could be a friction burn, has he learned to walk recently?

Joe gets that with PUL covers now if he is up and about a lot, I keep him in wool pants/fleece pants/soakers mostly during the day and then I put him in the PUL covers if we are going to be in the car a while (limited walking and need for no compression wicking) or if he is napping. (not at night though cuz he needs the breathablilty.


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## lori810

Marnie - No walking going on - she's only 6 mo. I guess it could be friction, but it doesn't look like that really. The skin doesn't look raw like its being rubbed, looks more like excema, like red and scaly. So hard to describe!

Anyway, I will continue with my experiment and update when I have more info!!

Thanks a lot!
Lori


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## detergentdiva

Lori, I know I said it last time when you first posted this but it really sounds to like it is "too tight legs". The diaper may appear to be perfectly fitting and doesn't appear to be snug on the legs but after wearing for several hours there is red, swelling, and sometimes gouges where the legs/elastic meet.
I know we were unable to use certain brands of diapers, not diaper styles, just brands, because this would happen with my chunky thighed dd.
What I would do is add 1 brand of diaper at a time. If you have 5 different brands of covers then use 1 for a day or 2, then add a second one in for a day or 2 then a third one in and so on until they are all added.
When you get to cover number 5 and you suddenly start seeing the redmarks again, don't remove everything, just that one cover and see if that solves the problem.
Most often if there is an allergy (unless elastic specifically) then it would be everywhere the fleece touches. Same thing with a detergent burn and same thing with sensitive skin. Most often if the rash is from urine not going through, it will be right in the middle where the urine wetness is.
Since you have added most pieces of your stash back except for the pockets, start adding those back one brand at a time.

Also, with my dd the rash from the too tigh elastic, it wasn't a friction burn either. It sounds like it was the same thing you are talking about.
Hope that helps


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## lori810

Linda-
That's a good idea to add them in one brand at a time. They are almost all one brand with a few other ones mixed in, so I have a feeling if it's one brand, its the one I have the most of.

The thing about the elastic issue is that I can see where the elastic hits, and its not exactly where the rash is, but below it. Its close enough that I _thought_ it could be the latex, but its not in the exact same place. I DO think the elastic on a lot of the diapers is too tight (and was planning to get the next size up as soon as I can figure out what's going on!) - but the rash is in a slightly different place. It's not very artistic but I tried to draw a diagram to explain - does this make sense? Rash diagram

Let me know if that makes sense or what you think!
Thanks,
Lori


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## detergentdiva

good drawing :LOL
Even though she isn't walking right there it could be friction like Marnie said. With the moving of her legs the diaper would be rubbing right there.
I would still try the one at a time thing for the remaining diapers and hopefully that will pinpoin the diaper causing the problem. If it is just one. Then you don't have to worry about replacing a stash.


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## lori810

Quote:

_Originally posted by detergentdiva_
*good drawing :LOL
Even though she isn't walking right there it could be friction like Marnie said. With the moving of her legs the diaper would be rubbing right there.
I would still try the one at a time thing for the remaining diapers and hopefully that will pinpoin the diaper causing the problem. If it is just one. Then you don't have to worry about replacing a stash.*
So does it make sense that prefolds and wool soakers wouldn't cause this to happen because they are non-elasticised so they cause less friction?

You know, the positive part of this is that I was forced to use prefolds for a week straight, and I surprised myself by really liking them! I'm happy about that because Ava is needing some new diapers anyway because she has outgrown a lot of stuff, and that sure is a cheaper way to do it! I just need to figure this out though, so I can give the babysitter some diapers that won't give her a rash and are easy to use.

Lori


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