Eczema Help

Since you are in Lafayette I recommend you go see Dr Robert G. Greenberg Dermatologist (san ramon) ###-###-####....he is a miracle worker!!

He takes a few weeks to get into but WELL worth the wait....

in the mean time go get CERAVE CLEANSER and CERAVE CREAM (NOT lotions!!) use the cleanser everytime you clean/bathe...and use the otc Hydrocortisone 2 times a day and use the CEREVE cream multiple times a day all over...(my son calles it "lubing" kinda funny!)
this plus the Dermatologist will have her under control in no time and she will be a happy itch free rash free baby again!
Good Luck
J

Our daughter had eczema problems w/ she was younger as well. Here's what worked for us:

Bathe less often. Switch to Cetaphyl or a non-soap cleanser. Apply Eucerin calming creme when skin is still moist from bath. Cremes work better than lotions. Try vasoline, but don't use it when you are going to be outdoors in a sunny area - the oils will heat up. Stop using fabric softener for clothes and towels. Fabric softener dries out skin. Use a humidifier in her bedroom. Ask your pediatrician for prescription strength hydrocortisone (2.5% or more). If the scratching gets really bad, try benadryl, or ask you pediatrician for a prescription strength medicine so she can get some sleep.

Try olive oil. My midwife suggested it to me" for almost any skin problem". It's worked for everything that has come up with my 6 1/2 month girl. I think it has aanti-biotic as well as restorative properties.
I've also heard eczema can come from being dehydrated. If you are breastfeeding, are you getting enough water, if not is she?
Good Luck! Peace, J.

I have two kids and they both suffered from eczema. Their father has it too. Bathe Kira every other day and do not use soap. When necessary (once or twice weekly) use Cetaphil. It's a cleanser which contains no soap. Check the strength of the cortisone you are using. The range is from .5% to 10%. You may be using something too weak.

Hi T.,

I have seen some pretty bad cases of eczema. I am introduced to Child's Wellness Expo that will take place in Sunnyvale on Aug 2. There will be 13 different doctors from around the country that will educate families the importance of a healthier environment for better health for our children.
They will address eczema as well. If you are interested in attending this event let me know and I will put you on my guest list.

Good luck.

N. Marie
____@____.com

When my son was a little over 1 I was introduced to a juice called Mona Vie and was told that one of the many things it can help is eczema. I ordered it for the family b/c of all of the health benefits and sure enough it has cleared up my son's eczema. I am not using anything else to treat the eczema and when he doesn't have the juice for a few days the eczema will start to come back. Mona Vie is one of the many products out there right now that is sold "word of mouth", so if you want more info, let me know and I am happy to send you some.

What does your MD or nurse practitioner say? Did they diagnose eczema and prescribe the hydrocortisone? I wouldn't use something like that on a 6-month-old unless it was prescribed after an examination. There are'n many things that should be used on an infant, especially if their skin is already irritated. Aquaphor is a good one, and keeping the skin dry is of course critical, but beyond that I'd want to talk to an advice nurse or someone like that.

Also, I don't know if infants really need daily baths. Of course, their diaper area needs to stay clean and as dry as possible, and if they spit up they need to be cleaned up, but regular daily bathing dries out their baby skin.

Good luck!

Hi T.,
In my practice I have found most allergies and skin challenges to be pre-natal birth and post natal stress on all the multi-dimensional levels a human-being is. As abstract as this seems, once acknowledged, then it becomes possible to take actions to relieve the pain a child (and parents through this deep natal connection) experience.

Please feel free to e-mail me for some easy yet effective energetic processes that I teach to new parents. ALso, Donna Gats's BodyEcology site is just brillint for nutritional information. Her research and insight into infants,nutrition and health challengs is very up-to-date and using this along with energy tools is a great way to maintain health and wholeness for the whole family
Warmly,
L.
My Higher Good

Hi T..
I have a suggestion that came to me some time last year because my niece suffers from eczema and had a constant patch on one of her cheeks. The person that gave me the advise works for a pediatrician, and by no means is medically certified, but eczema is a common occurance in her place of employement. The pediatrician that she works for always initially recommends that parents try using the mild lotion, Cetaphil, that you can buy at any drugstore, and I have even seen it in Costco. She told me that using it twice daily should clear the patch in up to 2 weeks. Well, I mentioned it to my sister. She began using it that evening and the patch cleared up in 3 days!
So, I am a BIG believer and actually keep some around the house "just in case".
Best of luck!

My friend has the same issues with her daughter. I think she has changed all of her shampoos and soaps to natural products, including her laundry detergent. You can find these products easily at Whole Foods and Elephant Pharmacy. Target also sells them. You can try Method, Seventh Generation, California Baby and some others. Hope this helps.

Hi T.,

My 4 year old daughter has had excema since birth and I can tell you what has helped her. NO Aquaphor. It burns when there is broken skin. For her it burnt even when her skin was just red. (She always cried when I applied it but until she could talk...) When pressed the pharmacist said that it would burn when skin was broken. Plain old vaseline worked much better.

The cortisone works really well for us, Aveeda oatmeal baths are great. (My friend swears by Aveeda lotion as well).

For her we found that she had food allergies and environmental allergies. That means a bath every night to get rid of allergens, or at the very least, a wipe down with a wet washcloth. Lafayette has a lot of different pollens that affect her, including grass. (We live in Laf also.)

1/2 a clariton a day has the biggest impact. Of course yours is so young you have to ask the pediatrician.

Throw away the Aquaphor.

Hang in there,
E.

Hi,

I have had family members with severe infant to adult eczema...here's what seems to work with the babies: virgin coconut oil (unrefined)to use as a "moisturizer"; soap hasn't worked well with eczema for bath time, I found that baking soda seems to calm the skin - try not to use too many manufactured "products" - the more natural, the better. Dietary wise, you may want to try cutting out dairy and meat products as she gets older; that seemed to help to not exacerbate the issue. Hope that helps!

Tea tree oil. You can become a member of a shopping club and by direct from the manufacturer They have a GREAT lotion, that in double blind tests works better than Eucerin. Also available, laundry products, hair and body care etc. Over 350 products in the catalog. Request more information from my website and I will be glad to call you - www.switchingstores.info
J.

MY daughter has had the same battle since she was born, I swear it was the most difficult, reoccuring issue. Finally I started to use all the Aveeno products on her. We use the Aveeno wash with oat extracts and then follow up with the Aveeno lotion for very dry skin and eczema. When she gets really itchy I use the Aveeno Anti-itch cream - it has a bit of calamine and oats that seems to do the trick. I have also found that changing the brand of diaper we use has worked really well but can be a big pain in the butt also. I recently bought the Costco brand diapers "Kirkland" and she hasnt had any bad breakouts since. I know that their brand has no perfumes or chemicals added in so I think that has been a big help. Best of luck to you!

Don't use regular soap. My sons have eczema. Use moisturing soap such as Dove, Caress or Cetaphil. You can also use the Cetaphil lotion. It's a bit expensive, but it works. Also, have you consulted her peditrician?

I would take my daughter to the pediatrician first, and then to someone like Dr. Greenberg (we like him, too). This may be something other than eczema, or you may be exactly right about the diagnosis, but I would see the doctor before trying things myself at home on such a young baby. Good luck!