Can I Use Baby Powder on My Child’s Rash?

My baby has drool rash under his chin. My mom said putting some baby powder there might help, but that “no one uses it anymore.” I looked it up, and the AAP doesn’t recommend using it. I know that baby powder with talc is dangerous. But when I’m researching alternatives, people say that even talc-free baby powder is also bad because the baby can potentially inhale it. How likely is it for that to occur? Is there any data for talc-free baby powder?

— Emily

Actual statistics on this are somewhat difficult to come by. The best data on it comes, I think, from studies in the developing world — mostly somewhat old — that looked at the time to the return of a period after birth. In these cases, most people were breastfeeding, so it’s a reasonable comparison to your situation.

Estimates vary but tend to point to an average of about six months to return to menstruation, with a range from two months up to a bit more than 12.

Although there is a wide range, you are on the upper end of it. The nursing and pumping may be part of the explanation, but this is reflected in the behaviors in the data above, too.

It doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong! However, it may be worth talking to your doctor about. There are a variety of reasons you might not be menstruating that could be addressed and are worth considering now, especially if you are planning on having more children in the future.

(Quick note: You do not mention what kind of birth control you are using. If you’re using an IUD, that’s almost certainly the reason you do not have a period, since they tend to eliminate it.)