Dribble rash treatment and prevention

The term “dribble rash” is commonly used to describe a rash and/or soreness that babies get around the neck and chin area, typically, this is caused by dribble getting onto the babies chin and neck. Baby dribble contains digestive enzymes which irritate the skin and cause the rash. Dribble makes the baby’s clothes wet and leads to rubbing and chafing against their skin. You can avoid this by using our dribble bibs which prevent the clothes and chin becoming wet in the first place. 

Why do babies dribble?

Unfortunately dribbling is all part of the fun of bringing up children. Most babies will dribble and drool at some point in their first few years. In itself, dribbling is perfectly normal and nothing to be worried about. Dribbling will normally get worse when babies are teething as they will naturally produce more saliva during this time. Teething is a stop/start process that can start around 3 to 12 months of age and can continue for several years.

What to do if your baby already has dribble rash?

If your baby already has dribble rash there are several creams and balms that can be used to provide a barrier between your babies skin and their dribble. The barrier creams prevent the dribble from making direct contact with the skin which prevents the irritation which causes the rash. There are several commercial products available and a quick internet search will reveal the main ones which include Sudocream, Vaseline, E45, and Lansinoh all of which should be available from your local pharmacist. If your babies dribble rash is very bad, your doctor can prescribe steroid creams which will help to clear up the rash. You should be sure not to mistake your babies dribble rash with eczema as some creams mentioned above may make eczema worse. If your babies dribble rash is severe or you suspect eczema, you should speak to your doctor.

Practical tips to avoiding dribble rash

Avoiding dribble rash in the first place is all about keeping your babies neck, chin and clothes dry as much as possible. There are a few ways you can tackle this, including:

 Using the barrier creams mentioned above as a preventative measure, the down-side to this is that your baby will almost always have cream on his/her chin which is both unpractical and unsightly.

•  Carry a good supply of muslin clothes with you at all times. Use these to keep your baby’s chin as dry as possible. 
•  Make sure that as soon as your baby’s clothes become wet from dribble, they are changed.
•  Give our dribble bib a go to soak up the dribble which will prevent it getting to the chin and neck. 

How can bibs help?

Our dribble bibs will ruffle up against the neck and lower chin to soak up dribble and stop it getting to the baby’s skin. Our bibs will also prevent your baby’s clothes from getting wet which can stop chaffing and further irritation. The other advantage of our bibs is that they are designed to neatly reach up to the baby’s chin so you can dry it off whenever it is wet. This means that as well as soaking up the dribble, the bibs can be used in the same way you might use a muslin cloth to get the dribble around the upper chin and mouth area. When the bib comes too wet it can quickly be changed for a fresh one and washed. The other added advantage to using our bibs is that they look really cool.