Kathy asks:
Has anyone used gv for places other than the baby's mouth and
(subsequently) mother's nipples?)
Yes indeedy. Chicken pox spots to cleanse and reduce viral load, heat rash
spots getting secondary bacterial infection (it's mildly anti-staph),
fungus anywhere that I think it might be fungus causing irritation, even if
it turned out to be heat rash. In some spots a more dilute solution -.05%
plus boiled water on the cotton bud first - seemed like a good idea,
judging by how it felt on application (it will sting a bit because there is
a bit of alcohol, but not drastic). And I only ever do one thorough
application, wait and see if irritability subsides, use Lansinoh to provide
moisturising if I feel the skin is damaged and needs it..Put another layer
of gv on if symptoms suggest it, but always remember that dermatitis due to
treatment doesn't feel too different from dermatitis due to thrush (except
for the itchy bit).
I believe strongly that anything that works well on nipples and breasts
will have multiple uses on other skin..
Other thing that helps in sweaty creases: silk square that is only hand
washed in the mildest of soaps, thoroughly rinsed, worn to keep skin from
skin. She's right that it's the sweat and size (I learned a lot about this
in Singapore dealing with prickly heat in a fat breastfed baby whose
creases sat against one another; then in Nigeria I learned about the
hideousness of plastic-coated feminine protection in terms of skin damage!!
I wish men had to wear 'em on marathon runs..) Plain zinc cream, or
Desitin, helps some too...but mostly just what she suspected. Cotton is OK
as well as silk, but watch out for sanitised cotton which can cause
dermatitis, and cotton does get soggier somehow.
Oh, and the goats are probably guiltless: though I guess allergy and
zoonoses are not that uncommon. But there's no need to look for an exotic
cause for what is a common problem in hot humid climates. I have noticed,
though, that this can be worse in women with allergies: antigen can be
excreted via sweat, and that can cause primary irritation that sets up
inflammation that isn't easily resolved in those areas. Should say that
powders are good at keeping such things at bay, but the stage she's at,
when skin is broken and damaged (the ouch from alcohol proved that) powders
can delay healing and lead to secondary infection. Keep it clean and
sweat-free, keep it cool, keep it moist-wound-healing-moist but
surface-wetness-dry around the lesion. Once there's no danger of infection,
thrush or staph, a very mild hydrocortisone cream once can help reduce
inflanmmation like a charm. But this sort of vulnerable skin does not need
further weakening of its immune defences by regular use of steroids. More
frequent than daily skin washing with plain water to reduce level of
irritants deposited by sweat could be needed too.

Maureen Minchin, IBCLC. Christ Church Vicarage, 14 Acland St., St.Kilda,
Vic. 3182 Australia. tel/fax: 61 3 9537 2640
"Taking paths of least resistance is what makes rivers - and people -
crooked." poster in Palmerston North NZ bookshop...