Last month dry patches started to appear on my son's arms and legs. Now, I have noticed these patches on his back and stomach as well. I took him to a pediatrician a couple of weeks ago and she suggested using some Vaseline to clear it up. I have been using it and I have not noticed any change. In fact I just recently noticed the spread of the patches since the visit. It is not inflamed, oozing and it doesn't seem to itch. He is still very happy and sleeping through the night. He is breastfeed; I don't think it is an allergic reaction to food. I have stopped using fabric softener in the baby clothes, still washing clothes in Dreft however. I have also switched from Johnson & Johnson products to Aveeno. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any experience with this? Does anyone have a recommendation of a pediatrician with experience in this area?
I want to thank everyone for the great advice regarding my son, Joshua. Although I was breastfeeding Joshua, I would prepare a couple of ounces of formula for him if I was leaving the house and did not have time to pump. He did not get the formula very often so I had no idea there was a connection between the two. Well, after a month of exclusively breastfeeding, he was given some formula and the red patches returned within a matter of hours first on his arms and legs, then on his back and stomach. I have also tried soy formula (I used soy formula with my daughter) and had the same results. When I discontinued the formula supplements his skin cleared up completely. I did take the advice of many of you and switch to a natural detergent (Seventh Generation), I am using the Aveeno Fragrance Free Wash and Eucerin lotion. I have also switched pediatrician and will be taking my children to see Dr. Locke in Oak Park. No perfumes, dyes, formula and no more problems. :) Thank you so much for your help.
My daughter has the same thing. My doctor told me to switch to Ivory soap when she bathes and Eucerin lotion. You can get a RX from the doctor for that I noticed that the RX is stronger than the store. My daughter has it really bad. This seems to work very well and I wash her clothes in Dreft. Good luck
Our son also has this problem. We've found several things helpful. In addition to the no fabric softener... we've switched to a sensitive skin laundry detergent from whole foods. those two things have really made a difference. Also, try using Ecerin cream every day all over the body. And make sure that after a bath you dry baby completely right away. Water/Moisture is a problem and creates those red patches. We've also been using the Aveeno wash for senstive skin with eczema. so far, I haven't found anything else to try. I'm still looking b/c I'm skeptical about Aveeno products. Since trying all of these things, we've noticed a huge improvement. Also, bath every other day instead of a nightly bath. Especially this time of year... Sometimes we try to go 3 days. This also really seems to help.
Good luck!
Hi S., my son was diagnosed with Eczema at a few months old. We shop with a wellness company and De-toxified our hours and within a week, it cleared up. He's now almost 3 and doing great.
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Stacey,
I have learned the hard way that unscented and hypoallergenic products can indeed be neither. Many unscented products actually contain masking fragrances to make the products smell unscented! These fragrances are made from petrochemicals. This is the problem! Aveeno is a nice idea. However, this product line also contains petrochemicals. I'll bet that if you go to a Trader Joe's or a health food store and get some plant based detergent and softener, your problem will be solved. Bio-kleen and 7th Generation are both good brands. These products are more expensive, but we can't use anything else. Oatmeal soap is another good idea--if you get natural oatmeal soap. This should be easy to find, as well. If you read (between the lines) lots of labels, you will be able to really know what you need and also what you are buying.
By all means, continue to breastfeed. Also try a natural calendula cream for rashes. (Vaseline is not natural.) We love Hyland's brand. Weleda makes some good products, too.
You will be able to solve this problem.
Amy
PS Deborah is right.
Our dermatologist recommended Cetaphil lotion for my baby's eczema and it works GREAT!
I second the recomendations others have made. Our 4 month old has it. Our pediatrician prescribed a cortisone ointment and i bought it but then read the side effects which, while rare, freaked me out for a baby so i refuse to use it, especially since there is improvement with aquaphor. one thing that has helped him also is if you have ever used Lansinoh with Lanolin for yourself (if breastfeeding), and have any leftovers, that also works great, and its safe if you put it on baby's hands or toes which he will invariably put in his mouth (I think the only real issue is that it stains clothes from what i hear).
I would try switching to a laundry soap instead of a laundry detergent. Dreft isn't any better for your baby's skin than Tide or Cheer, detergent is detergent. I'd also recommend the Eucerin cream.
I have dealt with this since day 1 and my 3 year old still has dry skin. My doctor also told me to use cortozone but i didn't like the side effects.
What has worked for me is the cream Eucerin for dry and rough skin(you need to get the really thick kind the big bottle is too thin and doesn't do a good job) It is expensive though but it has really worked on my daughter.
Also, we were told by many many people to switch to dove body soap as that is so gentel on their skin. I also use the johnson & Johnson body wash for the hair since other shampoos seem to dry her out.
Aveeno worked for me for about 2 months and then all the dry patches came back. I have been using Eucerin for about a year now and that seems to be working the best. Hope this helps.
I'm surprised your pedi. didn't mention Aquaphor or maybe he/she didn't mention it for a reason. Ask before using. It's a little expensive compared to Vaseline but it's a great product. Aquaphor, my son has a mild case of exzema it helped it stop spreading and calmed it down. I noticed it when he was a baby like you and he'll be 5 in 3 weeks and he's still got bumps on the backs of his arms. I don't think it ever goes away. It's also a great moisturizer; lips, elbows etc.. Hope it helps.
try using Eucerin cream--my doctor recommended it to me. It works wonders for my son. He has had eczema since he was a baby (he's now six) and still gets outbreaks in the wintertime.
My older son has eczema. The good news is that many kids outgrow it - the bad news is that there's no real cure for it. And I don't think they really know what causes it. He hasn't had an outbreak in a while, but the pediatrician prescribes a topical steroid cream. (Probably not safe for a baby.) We wash his clothes in fragrance-free detergent (Dreft does have fragrance) and don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets on his clothes or sheets. We use Eucerin after baths and Aquaphor for those mild rough patches he sometimes gets. Both of those should be safe for a baby. Eucerin also has a new (or new to me) lotion with oatmeal that is really nice, too.
Good luck - I hope it clears up soon!
