THE EFFECT OF VIRGIN COCONUT OIL IN REDUCING DIAPER RASH AMONG INFANTS AGED 0-12 MONTHS

Abstract

Diaper rash is a common skin problem in babies, caused by inflammation of the area covered by a diaper. One of the alternatives to reduce the level of diaper rash is by applying virgin coconut oil (VCO), which contains antibacterial properties. This study aims to determine the effect of VCO on reducing the degree of diaper rash in infants aged 0-12 months at Krueng Sabee Public Health Center. This study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design with one-group pretest and posttest. The population of this study was 30 infants aged 0-12 months with diaper rash problems, selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data collection was conducted using a Wilcoxon test. The results show that before the application of VCO, all respondents (100%) experienced diaper rash categorized into mild, moderate, and severe degrees. After the intervention, a total of 27 babies (93.3%) showed improvement in skin condition, and most of the babies no longer had signs of rash skin. The result of the Wilcoxon test obtained a sig value of 0.00 (p < 0.05), which indicates that there is a significant effect of VCO in reducing the degree of diaper rash among infants. Keywords: diaper rash, virgin coconut oil, baby