Three common types of diaper region dermatitis are dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, and candida infection in the diaper region. Diaper region dermatitis is usually the friction caused by the presence of irritants on the skin such as moisture from urea and stool, stool enzymes, diaper materials and cleaning agents and by the diaper itself.

Water and hard cleaning agents damage the lipids in the stratum corneum, the enzymes disrupt the proteins in the stratum corneum, excessive rubs peels the skin, the stratum corneum layers in the premature babies are less, as a result of which the irritants penetrate the epidermis and cause inflammation.