Teething and nappy rash: what's connected, what isn't, and what to do this week

Teething weeks are the rash weeks.

If your baby is teething and you've spotted a nappy rash this week, you're noticing something a lot of parents notice. The two conditions tend to peak around the same age, often somewhere between six and twelve months. They turn up together so often that it can feel as if one is causing the other.

Australian authorities are careful about that connection. Teething doesn't directly cause nappy rash. What it does do is create the kind of week where nappy rash is more likely to settle in: more dribble, looser poos, a baby who is grumpy and not sleeping, and a parent who is tired and missing the odd nappy change. The skin gets the brunt of it.

This piece sits with you in that week and walks through what's worth knowing.

The short answer

No. Teething does not directly cause nappy rash. The two often overlap because they peak at the same age, around six to twelve months, and the conditions of a teething week (more saliva, looser stools, missed nappy changes during disrupted sleep) make rash more likely. Manage each condition on its own merits.

The Australian position is consistent across the major sources. Tresillian, the parenting helpline service, is direct: there is no direct link between teething and nappy rash, although some parents do notice their baby is more prone to a rash when teething. Pregnancy Birth and Baby and the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne are clear that teething is not usually associated with illness, and a body rash, ongoing diarrhoea, vomiting, or a temperature above 38°C should not be blamed on teeth coming through. Those are reasons to see a doctor, and some can't wait for a GP booking: the section on when to get help, below, sets out how soon.

Why nappy rash shows up during teething

Both teething and nappy rash peak in the second half of the first year, roughly six to twelve months. The overlap is real, but the link is indirect. A few things shift at once during a teething stretch.

Saliva goes up. Babies produce more dribble, and some of it gets swallowed, which can loosen stools.

Poos come more often, and they are often softer or more acidic. Skin sitting against that for any length of time is more likely to become inflamed.

A baby who is sore and unsettled feeds and sleeps differently. Naps shorten and night wake-ups stretch out. The day's rhythm is thrown off.

The same thing happens at the parent's end. When you are up half the night, you miss the cue to change a wet nappy. The baby sits in moisture for longer than usual.

Add a mild winter virus or a slight food change into the mix and you have the conditions that drive nappy rash. The teeth themselves are not doing it. The teething week is.

What this means for management

The shift during a teething week is to do the four core nappy steps a bit more deliberately than usual. Australian authorities back the same four pillars for any nappy rash, and they apply just as well during teething.

Change more often. RCH Kids Health Info recommends changing the nappy five to seven times a day for babies under twelve months, and promptly after a poo. During a teething run, think six or seven on the upper end, especially on days the poos are looser. A check at every nap, every feed, and any time you pick the baby up gets you most of the way there.

Clean with care. Lukewarm water on cotton wool or a soft cloth is the Australian standard during an active rash. Wipes are useful between flare-ups on healthy skin if they are free of fragrance, alcohol, and the preservative methylisothiazolinone, but the Royal Children's Hospital is firm that wipes should be set aside while a rash is going.

Get air to the skin. Nappy-free time, as much as you can, every day. Raising Children Network suggests letting the baby play or sleep on a towel without a nappy. After a bath is a natural window.

Use a thick barrier cream at every change. Zinc-based pastes, white soft paraffin, or petroleum jelly. The cream goes on thick enough that you can still see some of it at the next change. Don't rub it off when you change; remove visible soiling and apply another layer on top.

The other principle worth holding onto is that teething is temporary. Most stretches last a few days to a week. The rash will settle when the underlying conditions settle.

For the broader nappy rash picture, the complete nappy rash guide walks through each pillar in detail.

When teething rash isn't really teething rash

A rash that turns up during teething is usually a plain irritant nappy rash, and it follows the four-pillar care above. There are a handful of patterns worth knowing in case the rash isn't behaving like that.

Bright, inflamed skin with little spots beyond the main patch, and creases involved. That is a clue for thrush (candida). Plain irritant nappy rash usually leaves the groin folds alone. Thrush calls for an antifungal cream from your GP or pharmacist, especially after recent antibiotics.

A rash with a similar dry, itchy, red look to skin elsewhere on the body, particularly on cheeks, scalp, or behind the knees. That points to eczema, which is managed differently. The comparison guide on nappy rash and eczema covers the differences in detail.

Honey-coloured crusts, blisters, or pustules in the nappy area. These can be signs of impetigo, a bacterial skin infection. Honey-coloured crusts, pus, weeping or blisters need a doctor the same day. In a baby under three months, blisters in the nappy area need the emergency department straight away. If your baby has eczema, a cluster of small blisters or punched-out sores needs the emergency department straight away, at any age.

A body rash, ongoing diarrhoea, vomiting, or a temperature above 38°C. These are not part of teething. RCH is clear that a fever above 38 degrees is not caused by teething; the child more likely has an infection. Pregnancy Birth and Baby gives the same message and advises a doctor visit. How soon depends on your baby's age and how unwell they seem, and the section on when to get help, below, sets that out.

When to get help: 000, hospital or GP

Most rashes in a teething week settle with the care above. Some signs need an ambulance or the emergency department straight away. Some need a doctor as soon as possible, and some a GP today. Others are worth a GP visit this week. If you're not sure which group your baby fits, treat it as the more urgent one, and call 000 if your baby seems very unwell.

Call 000 or go straight to the emergency department

• A fever and your baby is drowsy or hard to wake, is having trouble breathing, has a stiff neck, has a seizure, looks blue or very pale, or has a rash that does not fade when you press on it.
• Your baby seems unwell: floppy, drowsy, hard to wake or not themselves, not feeding, can't be comforted or has a weak, high-pitched or unusual cry, is having trouble breathing, or has a seizure, with or without a fever.
• Blue or grey lips, tongue or face, or skin on the body that looks pale, blotchy, grey or blue. Don't wait to see whether warming helps.
• A rash that doesn't fade under a pressed glass and is spreading, or comes with a fever or any sign your baby is unwell. In a baby under three months, a rash like this that looks like purple bruises is a 000 call too.
• Signs of serious dehydration during a run of runny poos or vomiting: no wet nappy in eight hours, very sunken eyes or soft spot, fast breathing, or a baby who is floppy or unresponsive.
• You feel something is seriously wrong.

Go to the emergency department now

• A fever of 38°C or higher in a baby under 3 months, even if they seem otherwise well. healthdirect advises taking a baby under 3 months with a fever to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately. Do not wait for a GP appointment.
• A rash that does not fade when you press the side of a clear drinking glass firmly against it, in a baby under three months, even if they have no fever and seem well. In an older baby who seems well, go straight away if the rash looks like purple bruises.
• Blisters, or a cluster of small fluid-filled spots, in the nappy area of a baby under three months.
• Your baby has eczema and gets a cluster of small blisters or punched-out sores, especially with a fever. Do not wait for a GP appointment. If your baby is floppy, drowsy, hard to wake or seems very unwell, call 000. Don't let anyone with a cold sore kiss your baby.
• Green vomit, at any age.
• Signs of dehydration in a baby under 6 months: no wet nappy in six hours, sunken eyes or soft spot, a dry tongue, or a baby who is more irritable than usual.

See a doctor as soon as possible

The same day, not a routine booking. If no GP can see your baby within hours, go to the emergency department.

• A fever and a new rash together in a baby three months or older.
• A fever you're worried about in a baby three months or older.
• Blisters in a baby three months or older who doesn't have eczema. If your baby has eczema, blisters or punched-out sores need the emergency department straight away, at any age.
• A rash spreading past the nappy area.
• A rash that doesn't fade under a pressed glass in a baby three months or older who is well, has no fever, and whose rash doesn't look like bruises.
• Ongoing diarrhoea or vomiting.

See a GP today

A same-day GP or after-hours GP visit.

• A fever in a baby three months or older who seems to be getting sicker, or a fever that has lasted more than two days.
• Honey-coloured crusts, pus, or skin in the nappy area that is weeping, bleeding or breaking.
• Early signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies or darker urine.

Book a GP visit this week

• The rash hasn't started settling after a week of careful care.
• Bright red skin running into the creases with little spots beyond the main patch, which can be thrush.

Between visits, your maternal and child health nurse or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 can help you work out which group your baby fits. If something just feels off, that is reason enough to call, and if you're unsure, go up a group rather than down.

A practical teething-week routine

The trick during a teething week is having a rhythm you can run while sleep-deprived. This is one workable shape.

On waking. Quick nappy check before the first feed. If wet or soiled, change. Apply a thick layer of zinc cream or petroleum jelly.

Through the morning. Change at every wet nappy, and straight after every poo. Reapply the barrier on top of any visible soiling you have cleaned away. Don't rub the cream off; remove the soiling, then add a fresh layer.

Before the morning nap. A few minutes of nappy-free time on a towel or playmat. Five or ten minutes adds up over a day.

At every nap and every wake. Check the nappy. Most of the rash you see in a teething run comes from a baby who has been sitting in a wet nappy for longer than usual.

After bath. A longer stretch of nappy-free time on a towel. A clean barrier layer before the bedtime nappy.

Overnight. A check before you settle for the night, and a low-key change during any wake-up. A larger absorbency for that one nappy isn't a bad call if you are worried about leaks.

Keep the cleansing simple. Lukewarm water on cotton wool or a soft cloth during the rash run. Wipes set aside until the skin is back to normal, and then a fragrance-free, alcohol-free wipe for everyday use is fine.

That is the daily shape. It is not glamorous and it is not complicated. The point is having a routine you can do on autopilot when you are tired, so that the small things that drive rash, sitting in a wet nappy or missing a barrier reapplication, don't sneak in.

Common questions

Does teething cause nappy rash?

Not directly. The two often overlap because they peak at the same age, but Australian authorities are clear there is no direct causal link. Teething changes saliva production, stool frequency, and sleep, and those indirect changes make rash more likely.

How long does a teething nappy rash last?

Plain irritant rash usually settles in a few days with the four-pillar routine: more frequent changes, gentle cleansing, nappy-free time, and a thick barrier cream. The Australian advice is to see a GP if a rash hasn't started improving after a week of careful care.

Does teething cause runny poo or diarrhoea?

Australian authorities are cautious here. Teething may cause looser stools because of swallowed saliva, but persistent diarrhoea, body rashes, vomiting, or a fever above 38°C should be checked by a doctor rather than blamed on teething. In a baby under three months, a fever of 38°C or higher means the emergency department straight away, even if they seem well.

Can my baby get a rash on their bottom from teething alone?

A rash that appears during teething is most often a plain irritant nappy rash brought on by the conditions of a teething week. The teething itself is not directly causing the rash on the bottom.

What settles a teething nappy rash?

The same four steps that settle any nappy rash.

• Change the nappy more often.
• Clean with lukewarm water and a soft cloth.
• Give the skin nappy-free time every day.
• Apply a thick layer of zinc-based barrier cream at every change.

What about teething gels?

Worth asking before reaching for one. Australian guidance, including healthdirect and the Royal Children's Hospital, is cautious about teething gels containing benzocaine or lidocaine for babies under two. Ask your pharmacist or GP about safer options. A clean finger or a chilled (not frozen) teething ring is what most paediatric guidance recommends first.

In short

A teething week is hard going. A rash on top of it makes it worse. Most of the time, the rash is the indirect knock-on effect of a few rough days, and steady four-pillar care will see it through. When it doesn't, or when something looks different, ring your GP, your maternal and child health nurse, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222, and use the section on when to get help for the signs that need 000 or the emergency department instead.

You know your baby. If something feels off, that is a good enough reason to make the call. If you feel something is seriously wrong, call 000.

For the bigger picture on nappy rash, the complete nappy rash guide covers causes, care, and red flags in detail.