If you’re like most moms, you’re changing your baby’s diaper a lot these days. While most diaper changes are routine, you may occasionally encounter some suspicious finds. Here are three that might have you wondering about your baby’s bottom.

A red rash and small bumps
The most likely culprit here is diaper rash. More than half of all babies between 4 and 15 months of age develop a diaper rash, around the time they start solid foods. A diaper rash occurs when your baby has been in a wet or soiled diaper for too long. The redness and rash may appear on your baby’s abdomen, genitals, and in the folds of his thighs.

Diaper rash is usually no cause for concern. To prevent it, change diapers promptly. Clean your baby’s skin with gentle baby wipes or a few squirts of water, then pat it dry. Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to protect your baby’s skin. If there’s a rash already, apply a thick layer of zinc oxide or petrolatum. Expose your baby’s bottom to air often. The rash should disappear in 48 to 72 hours. If it doesn’t, or your baby develops sores or bleeds, contact your pediatrician.

A blue stain near the anus
If you see a blue mark near your baby’s anus, you may wonder if your baby has hemorrhoids. But the truth is, hemorrhoids are extremely rare in babies.

Hemorrhoids occur when blood vessels around the anus become engorged from poor circulation. Eventually, they bulge under the strain of a bowel movement and may even bleed. While hemorrhoids are common in pregnant women, they rarely occur in babies. Instead, the blue stain is probably the result of your baby having a large bowel movement.

The absence of poop
Like adults, the frequency of your baby’s bowel movements will vary. And just like adults, babies may get constipated. Constipation occurs when the muscles at the end of the large intestine get tight, which keeps the stool from passing normally. When the stool stays there, it gets firmer and drier, making it painful to pass.

Symptoms of constipation vary depending on your baby’s age. Newborns may have firm stools less than once a day, while older babies may go three to four days without a bowel movement.

If you suspect constipation, ask your pediatrician about giving your baby small amounts of water or prune juice. Babies who are eating solids may need to eat more high-fiber foods, such as raisins, peas, and whole grains while cutting back on rice, bananas, and low-fiber cereals.

Your baby’s umbilical cord fed her before birth, but it’s slowly shriveling up and drying out. In the meantime, you need to give the cord some special TLC. Here’s what you need to know and do.

Stick to sponge baths. Do not put your baby in a tub of water. Until the cord actually falls off, sponge baths will help you avoid getting the cord wet.

Keep the cord dry and clean. Fold your newborn’s  down below the cord so the stump is not exposed to urine or irritated by the diaper. Use a cotton-tipped applicator to wipe the area around the stump. Expose the area to air so it will remain dry.

Let the cord fall off on its own. As unattractive as it might be, resist the urge to remove the stump in any way. Allowing nature to take its course and the stump to shrivel up and fall off on its own will ensure a healthy healing of your baby’s belly button. The cord should fall off by the time your baby is around 8 weeks old. If it doesn’t, contact your pediatrician.

Understand the signs. Although it’s unlikely for your baby’s stump to get infected, you should still know the warning signs. If there’s a foul-smelling, yellowish discharge or any redness at the base of the stump, it might be infected. It might also be infected if your baby cries when you touch the skin near the cord. If you suspect an infection, contact your pediatrician.

Know what’s normal. Around the time the stump starts to fall off, you may notice a few drops of blood near the cord. That’s normal. But active bleeding is not. Call your pediatrician if you notice any bleeding.

Keep an eye on the cord after it falls off. If you notice a cluster of red scar tissue on the cord, your baby may have an umbilical granuloma, which will drain a light yellow fluid. The granuloma usually disappears after a week. If it doesn’t, call your doctor, who may need to remove the tissue.

One of the most delightful things about your baby is his perfect skin. But that same delicate skin can also erupt in irritated rashes, red bumps, and skin flakes. Fortunately, most skin issues are minor and can be easily treated. Here are some conditions you might encounter, and how to soothe them:

Baby acne
If you notice red or white bumps on your baby’s forehead or cheeks, he probably has baby acne. This condition shows up within the first three to four weeks of life, and it results from hormonal changes that stimulate the oil glands. It usually disappears on its own within a few months. Wash your baby’s skin with a mild baby soap daily, and avoid using lotions or oils. Never pinch or scrub the bumps. If the acne doesn’t go away within three months, talk to your pediatrician.

Diaper rash
More than half of all infants develop diaper rash, especially when they start solids. Prolonged contact with a dirty diaper is usually the culprit. To prevent diaper rash, change diapers promptly. Clean your baby’s skin with gentle baby wipes or a squirt bottle with water, and pat until bone dry (if you apply anything over moist skin, it only prolongs the problem).

Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly or a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic moisturizing lotion to protect baby’s skin. If there’s a rash already, apply a thick layer of zinc oxide or petroleum jelly. Expose your baby’s bottom to air frequently. The rash should disappear within 48 to 72 hours. If it doesn’t, or the skin develops sores or bleeds, contact your pediatrician.

Eczema
If you have a family history of allergies or eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), your baby may develop eczema, too. Symptoms include itching, redness, and small bumps. Most babies will outgrow eczema, but the condition can linger. To reduce the irritation, avoid giving your baby long, hot baths, and moisturize his skin often with an unscented lotion.

Your baby may develop this condition in response to irritants such as rough fabrics, bubble baths, or even his own drool. Remove the offending irritant and apply a lukewarm compress to your baby’s skin. If the itching is extreme, ask your doctor about using a mild cortisone cream or an antihistamine; these ointments may help control any itching or swelling your baby is experiencing. If the rash becomes infected, you may need to give your baby an antibiotic.

Cradle cap
If you see yellow, crusty, or greasy patches on your newborn’s scalp, your baby probably has cradle cap. This condition usually goes away by itself, but you can help your baby’s skin heal by shampooing daily with a mild baby shampoo. If the flakes resist treatment, try rubbing a few drops of mineral oil onto the scalp. Let it sit, then gently brush and shampoo. If cradle cap persists, talk to your pediatrician, who may offer other recommendations, such as an adult dandruff shampoo.

There’s nothing sweeter than your baby’s skin -- those chubby folds, delicious smell, velvety smoothness! So you may be surprised when your baby’s peaches-and-cream complexion starts erupting in rashes, dandruff, and even acne. What’s going on here?

Newborn skin
As newborns transition from womb to world, they often develop skin conditions that may be less than adorable but, fortunately, pretty harmless. Most conditions even clear up on their own within a few days or weeks. Here’s what you might see on your baby’s skin during his first few months:

• Milk spots, or milia, are tiny pearly white bumps that commonly show up on a newborn’s cheeks, chin or nose (almost half of all babies get it). Milia can happen when skin flakes get trapped near the surface of the skin. Don’t worry -- they should vanish within a few weeks.

• Baby acne shows up within the first three to four weeks as red or white bumps on your baby’s forehead or cheeks. Again, perfectly normal, baby acne affects half of all babies. Experts believe it may come from hormonal changes that stimulate your baby’s oil glands. Wash your baby’s face with water and mild baby soap (no scrubbing or squeezing!) and avoid lotions or oils. The acne should clear up within about three months.
  
  
• Cradle cap consists of yellowish crusty or greasy, scaly patches on your newborn’s scalp caused by a buildup of sebum, an oily substance that makes cells clump together instead of shedding normally. It should clear up on its own within a few months. You can make it disappear faster by loosening the scales with a soft-bristle brush and then shampooing your baby’s hair daily with a mild baby shampoo.


• Skin peeling occurs in about 75 percent of newborns, but it’s especially common in babies born after their due date. Unless your baby’s skin is cracking, skip the moisturizer. After your baby is 1 month old, you can apply a hypoallergenic baby lotion to keep his skin soft.

• Neonatal urticaria sounds scary, but it’s just red blotches that come and go on your newborn’s body. The blotches have tiny red centers that may contain pus, but again, they’re nothing to worry about and will gradually fade on their own.

• Blue feet or hands can seem alarming, but knowing the cause should help you relax: Your baby’s circulation is still immature, so sometimes his blood doesn’t efficiently reach his extremities. If you see blue hues on the skin of your baby’s feet or hands, pick him up or gently rub those areas and the color should return.

• Diaper rash. Your baby’s bottom can get surprisingly red and sore when trapped in a dirty diaper for too long. But don’t feel like a slacker in the diaper-change department -- it can also come from new foods in the diet and even from having super-sensitive baby skin.
  
  To treat the rash, change your baby’s diaper more often, clean his diaper region thoroughly with a fresh baby wipe or spray a couple drops of water, let the skin air dry, and apply a thick layer of ointment containing zinc oxide or petroleum jelly to the irritated areas. Use a diaper to help protect his delicate bottom while he sleeps.

As any mom can attest to, babies are messy. You’ll need to be equipped with all kinds of cleaning supplies to deal with the mealtime messes and other spills and accidents your child may have. What’s more, when you have a baby in the house, the amount of laundry you do will increase exponentially.

All this cleaning brings up some questions about how to keep your baby safe. Try these key tips: 

Keep all cleaning products out of your child’s reach. Your curious baby can get into more things -- and more quickly -- than you might expect. That means that your baby’s safety depends on you keeping all cleaning materials (including detergents, bleach, spray bottles, window cleaner, fabric softeners, soaps, disinfectants, and dryer sheets) in a secure location. A high cabinet that can be closed and locked is ideal.

Organize your supplies. Keeping everything straight will help you always know what’s inside each bottle or box, and have instructions and safety information readily at hand. Throw out empty containers instead of reusing them, and avoid removing labels or switching containers.

Clean up promptly. Clean up spills immediately and wash out any cleaning containers (such as buckets or measuring cups) before your baby can get to them. To keep your baby’s skin clean and safe, be sure to wash your hands after doing laundry or any cleaning chore so they’re free of product residue when you pick him up.

Baby safety measures are par for the course, and most are common sense. If you follow them, you will be well on your way to ensuring that your baby’s safety and health is first priority.