my 4-month-old son has eczema all over his body, face and head. I used steroid to keep it under control. But once I stopped applying steroid, the eczema comes back, even worse. I had to use more potent steroid to control it. This condition has lasted nearly a month. He was mixed feeding, part breast milk, past regular formula. I suspected that he was allergic to milk protein. So I stopped breast feeding (but keep pumping, just in case), and switched him to Nutramegen AA, amino acid based formula. He showed some improvement after a week, the body clears up. I thought I found the cure to the problem. But the eczema came back again 3 days ago! He has flare-up on his face and head. It was so bad that it startled his pediatrician! His pediatrician has no solution and he referred us to a dermatologist. The dermatologist told us that we could do nothing but wait him to grow up. He said his kids had eczema but it was a mild case and we are just bad luck to have a severe case!
Now I could do nothing but either keep applying steroid on him or see him crying, attempting to scratch his face, body .... I would rather die to see him suffer.
any mom has experience? please give some advice. thank you!
To avoid irritate his skin, I use only lukewarm water to wash him every other day. Apply plenty of moisturizer, cetaphil and aquaphor right after the bath to lock the water and apply 3 times a day all over the body, 5-6 times a day on his face. Every thing he touches are 100% cotton. But all these does not help prevent the flare up.
Thanks you all for your advice. As for detergent, I used dreft profduct. Rinse twice by machine and then I pull them from the washing machine, rinse several times by myself till the water is clear. Sometimes, I just use water to hand wash his clothes if they are not that dirty. Nutramigen AA is supposed to be the same as Neocate. We have taken Nutramegen AA for 3 weeks with little improvement. Since Nutramigen AA is amino-acid based formula, the water to feed him is purified water, it seems that food is not an allergen, or at least, not the only one allergen to him.
The third pediatric referred us to a new dermatologist and we'll see him next week.
I use plenty of moisturizer and skin barrier for him, including prescription and non-prescription. Cetaphil, aquaphor, jojoba oil, kukui oil, epiceram ... His father and I have no family history of eczema. I never allergic to anything. His father has mild seasonal allergy during spring time since we moved to Sacramento. Pollen allergy is pretty common in sac valley, I think. We really cannot understand the doctors comments that it is a gene problem.
It was really a bad experience with the dermatologist today. After she took a brief look, she said that she was a general dermatologist, we'd better to see a pediatric dermatologist Dr. XX. I asked her how to use steroid, she constantly said a pediatric dermatologist would answer these questions better. The room temperature was high, my son's face was red all over. My husband took him out. I stayed in the room to ask more questions. After one question, she told me to wait in the room because she had to see the next patient! I waited in the room for nearly 10 mins and heard the crying of my son outside. I went to the receptionist and told her that I refused to pay for this visit. I left. My son fell asleep on our way home. What a good boy!
Hi,
The best thing I found for my baby who is now 3 and hasn't had a break out in a long time is Renew lotion. You can only buy it online but it's soo worth it. If you want more info let me know.
I had eczema real bad and tried several different treatments with no help until I tried a product called Renew from Melaleuca.Lots of people have had great results from using it.What laundry detergent do you use? That may be a contributor also.If you want some more info just email me and I can send you a link.Email ____@____.com
I know this sounds crazy, but have you heard of putting a small amount of bleach in the bath water? I've had 2 friends have a LOT of success with this. You may want to search online for the quantity, but as crazy as it sounds I think it does work.
Here is a link on WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/...
I agree with a few of the other moms on here. Renew Intensive Skin Therapy is a great option for someone who suffers from eczema. Both my granddaughter and a friend of the family have severe eczema on their faces and arms. They were both using steroid cream, but not getting any relief. Since they started using Renew lotion, there has been great improvement for both of them. The itching has subsided and their skin is no longer irritated. My granddaughter applies it several times a day (especially when she visits me!) and has not had a bad flare-up in 1 year. A new hand wash as well as a body wash with Renew lotion in it was just launched last week. I plan on using these, too.
Check here (http://www.melaleuca.com/ProductStore/Content.aspx?Page=J...) for more info about all three products or email me. I can also send you some trial size samples of the lotion. I hope your son gets the relief he needs! :)
J. - I'm not sure where you are in the Bay Area, but our son had eczema when he was 5 months old, and it was so bad we had to keep him swaddled and "gloved" during the night until he was 9 months old! We tried all of the steroid creams, baths, ointments, etc and NOTHING worked. However, we ended up going to a Chinese herbalist up on Ocean Ave in SF. Within a week our baby's face was almost COMPLETELY better! I was not a "believer" in Eastern medicine...but now I definitely am. Here is her contact info:
Dr. Jialing Yu ###-###-####
Good luck! I know how heartbreaking it is to see your little one so uncomfortable.
J. , Ideas to kick around:
I believe eczema can be an internal issue. The skin is a secondary detox organ, the kidneys and intestines being the first route, lungs, skin, sweat another route.
Viruses and bacteria, fungal and parasite issues inside the body can cause skin rashes like that. Group A strep can cause a rash that looks like eczema. Roundworm can cause eczema. Mineral imbalances can cause rashes like that.
Too much Iron can cause copper deficiencies. There is a lot of iron in baby products these days,for example formula. plus pedis ask moms to give children's vitamin supps which add more iron, then Iron is added to infant cereals, etc. Iron does not leave the childs body, it build up.
Some people with skin issues find that when they bathe in water treated with copper (for example some spas and pools use copper ions instead of chlorine) their skin clears. You can ask to have serum copper tested, and also serum iron tested.
Manganese deficiency can cause skin rashes.
Magnesium deficiency contributes to skin problems. Again excess Iron can cause depleted magnesium.
Zinc can help with skin problems. But magnesium deficiencies can occur with Zinc supplementation without MG supplementation.
Gluten intolerance can cause it. Many formulas have hidden gluten in them.
Echinacea is suppose to do great things for eczema.
My twin sister has psoriasis but didn't get it until 40! My other sister was born with eczema. My daughter had it at 5 months pretty bad, but it was gone by 6 months.Ive had periods in my life when I had psoriasis in my hair or around my ears. 2-3 years, then it went away. I personally thing my scaling was due to a vit B deficiency. These instances told me that eczema is more than just a hereditary thing and that there was a causical factor involved. I have been researching and looking for answers.
These have all been listed as possible helps for eczema/skin issues: topical aloe vera, burdock root (internally)which is a blood purifier, sublingual vitamin b with acidophilus, zinc+ fatty acids, organic silicon 5, epsom salt baths, vit A(beta carotene), Vit E, copper, magnesium, manganese and Boron.
I give my kids fulvic acid. Look up the miracle of fulvic acid online. It has 60 trace minerals in an ionic form that absorb at the cellular level.
You should not supplement many of these without a doctors guidance, and some probably not for an infant.You can give accidophilus safely, but you should see a doc for guidance on the others. Maybe a nutritional specialist or naturopath may help better that the standard doctors. Hopefully I've given you some ideas to research.
Steriods although a useful temporary fix, have their dangers and it would be a shame to have a doc rely on using them long term and not looking for more answers. I hope you can find a doctor who will help you explore other avenues.
ps..my sister who has had eczema her whole life, said the docs told my mom not to bathe her alot. Well now that she is an adult she said water actually helps it, it doesn't make it worse. (not including soaps).
Hi J.,
Please pursue the allergy possibility further. Our second child had bad eczema on his face that turned out to be an egg allergy (via my breastmilk.)
It didn't sound like you have seen an allergist yet. I can recommend one in Mtn.View/Sunnyvale if you like. It may take a few weeks to get in to see any allergist. In the meantime, I would recommend trying a different formula. Or had you reintroduced some breastmilk while he was taking the Nutramegen? For the sake of trying to figure out what is going on, you'd have to pump and exclusively feed only one formula, for at least one full week. If you have trouble finding a formula that works, there is one called Neocate (special order) that is supposed to be impossible to cause any allergy problems.
Our son had very severe allergies (eczema, chronic congestion, and horrible digestive issues and reflux.) It took seeing many different doctors (and talking to other parents) over many years to finally get him symptom-free. Follow your instinct and don't take "you just have to wait and hope he outgrows it" for an answer!
If it is allergies, there is an on-line parent support group I highly recommend: www.kidswithfoodallergies.org. They really helped me get through those early years when we were struggling for a diagnosis and learning how to cope. (Allergy testing is not very reliable in children under 3yo. Often you have to rely on elimination trials, which are not easy, especially if there are multiple allergens involved.) Feel free to contact me directly if you want more info...
Good luck!
-D.
My heart goes out to you. As an eczema sufferer since childhood, this disease is rarely taken seriously. Eczema can be life changing and heartbreaking for parents caring for a child with eczema. Please checkout the National Eczema Association (www.nationaleczema.org) for information on understanding and treating eczema. You'll find a community of parents like yourself seeking help and sharing stories.
Remember bathing is fine and often helpful. Just moisturize after a bath or any washing of the skin. Avoid soaps, lotions, creams, etc with perfumes. Double rinse the wash. Keep forced air heat low. Ingesting fluids is important. 100% Cotton against the skin is best. No wool and minimal synthetics. Activity is great to keep the mind off the itching!
All the best to you. L.
J.,
First of all..sorry I hate seeing Eczema on my daughter as well and I've had it my entire life also. I would see a pediatric dermatologist. The only board certified pediatric dermatologist in the area is Lillian Soohoo in Menlo Park http://lilliansoohoo.com/. She treats adults as well and she really helped me with issue during pregnancy and had helped my hands (eczema that other doc never cleared up). I am also wondering if this might be "cradle cap". Some kids get this on their entire body and it does pass with time.
As for the milk allergy. This generally refers to cow's milk or formula which have proteins that are "foreign" to our body. I would not stop breast feeding. If you go to pumping only your supply will begin to decrese as the pump is never as efficient as babies are for getting milk. I mention this because if you have been giving half and half I suspect you have had a history of supply problems. An allergy to a mother's breast milk is extremely rare. Some might recommend limiting dairy in your diet but a good pediatric dermatologist can help determine if it is allergic or Eczema unrelated to allergens.
For the skin in the meantime:
1. Use a sensitive skin soap like Cetaphil for your son. NO fragrances, like most baby soaps they really aggrivate skin.
2. Give baths at a lukewarm or slightly warm temp. Hot baths dry and irritate the skin.
3. Use a lotion like Cteaphil or Lubriderm. This time of year the air is really dry and it can aggrivate Eczema.
4. You don't need to give a bath every day...baths in general will dry the skin more.
5. Take pictures of some of the outbreaks while getting an appt in cause they come and go...
Good Luck!
Hi J.
I don't want you to feel bad, but steroids are really bad. Try and get him off as soon as you can. My daughter had eczema at 3 yrs. We tried several things (I refused to use steroids) and Mimyx solved our problem. It's prescription, but non-steroid.
Sorry, I'm not familiar with babies anymore, but I would take him to a pediatric homeopath or pediatric naturalpath. I had a lot of success with these docs. Some are MD's as well as using a natural approach. I’ve had more luck with these type of doctors for my daughter’s eczema than for adult issues. Good luck!
Hi J.,
You got a lot of good responses already, but I still want to let you know about our story. Our son developed really bad eczema when he was three month old. After seeing a pediatric dermatologist we were so devastated as the only advice the have it to apply steroids and cortisone, but it seems that there was no interest to find the root cause of the eczema. Luckily we found the following web page: http://www.solveeczema.org/ and realized that our son allergic to detergent. About 2 weeks after abandoning detergents in our house, our son became eczema free and still is today. He is 3 years old now. My advice is to try it as it is not as difficult as cutting foods out of yours sons diet. If it works for him great, if not, at least you could eliminate it as a possible cause.
If you have additional questions in regards to products we use and that have been working for our son, please feel free to contact me any time.
All the best and good luck,
C.
Dearest J.,
I have dealth with this with multiple children and at this very young age. First of all, you may need to change laundry soap or go soapless. See if you can find someone who sells melaluca products. They worked best for us. No body lotions or perfumes on anyone who holds your son. So I have done nutramagen and breast milk. If you are still produceing, I would go back to nursing full time if you can. There is an acidophilis product with FOS. It is a powder and in the refridgerator in the health food store. Dip your finger in it at each feeding and have him suck it off before nursing each side or twice during a bottle. It will help him digest. If you go back to breast feeding you will need to figure out what you eat that flares it up. This is a whole other subject and I would be happy to help you if that is what you decide to do.
Hopefully the dermatologist told you this. a short 10 minute bath each day followed by a good lotion euecerne (sp). Another good product is aquafor the salve, very greasy but worth it. Finally, talk to your doc, but we gave them benedryl too. It became our best friend because it gave them relief and sleep.
I know it is hard. This may be a life long problem or about 2 it will clear up. At least that is my experience.
By God's Grace,
STac
I definitely know of something that will help! I'm not sure what I'm allowed to say on these message boards, though, when recommending products (I'm new to this!!). E-mail me at ____@____.com, and I'll send my recommendation through e-mail. My two nephews both suffer with really bad eczema and this lotion has REALLY helped them!
Hi J.. I am so sorry to hear about this. My youngest daughter had terrible eczema until we finally got her allergy tested at 3 yrs old. The first 5 doctors were no help. I finally found an allergy doctor that carred. I'm not sure if babies can benefit from allergy blood testing, but I'd recommend you try that as a next step. Dr. Martin in SR is who you should see (NOT the other dr. In his office, we saw him first and got no were). My daughter ended up being allergic to nuts, eggs, dairy and soy! As well as allergies to dust mites, cats, and spring time allergies. It's important to know that dairy and soy allergies often go hand and hand. We now give her only rice milk. Knowing what the allergies are is the olny way to get the eczema under control. Encasing all bedding went a long way, too. And only using cotten cloths is important, too. No regular soap. Use only detergents free of fragrence. And apply only heavy cream (no lotion) several times a day, esp within minutes of bathing. We've tried zillions of products and the best ended up being Jason organic 25,000 I.u. vitamin e cream. I hope this helps! Best of luck.
J.,
I know eczema can be helped using a hypoallergenic laundry detergent and seeing if there are any food triggers. I also know Arbonne's baby line works great on eczema for babies, children and adults. There are samples of this product line so you can try before you buy and they have a 45 day money back return policy. The website is www.arbonne.com and you can find a consultant near you to ask for samples. Good luck with this! Take care, C.
C. B Palmer
www.linabean.myarbonne.com
Hi J.
There is something that works and has been clinically proven, and it works faster and lasts longer than Eucerin it is 7X more affective. It is Renew Intensive Skin Therapy I have a new bottle that I will give you. I hate to see children suffer I am in San Ramon. The only way to get this is by ordering on-line. Email me back and I can email a brochure to you.
Proud Mom of 2 grown sons
I was born with severe eczema all over my body. My parents applied pure vitamin e oil on my skin, directly on outbreaks, and gave me pure natural lecithin on my food to heal me from the inside. I am 41 and have used these two remedies at points all through my life. They work. I use Shaklee brand because it is 100% natural whole reduced food. Hypoallergenic and 100% money back guaranteed. Can't hurt to try. When I was a newborn, my Mom would pop open a lecithin capsule (Shaklee brand) and put it on her finger and I would suck it off.
Oatmeal baths only, no soap. Very soothing. Never put an over-the-counter moisturizer. This is not a "moisture" issue. It is a skin infection. Do not "Lock it in". use vitamin e oil only.
we have the same prob with my son 14 months. he under the dermatoltogist whos giving him an allergy test. ask to be refered to a different dermatologist and get sent to the allergy clinic ive fought with the drs since my baby was 3months we now have an allergy test booked at last. please dont take the dermotlogists saying he will grow out of it. he sounds like a prat if hes allergic to something which makes him come out in eczema then it wont go untill you cut out the things that he cant have. we use aveeno creams and bath products which helps cover him in cream also parrifin based creams that can be used as soap and cream works great, i really hope that this helps you. if its any conselation your not alone. my son takes up to 2 hours to go to sleep and wakes sometimes 3 times a night because of his itching. and cries non stop my neighbours dont help as can hear them mooning about us.
I'm so sorry you're going through this! It definitely sounds like a good idea to consult an allergist. You mentioned you only use 100% cotton, which is good, but what detergent do you use to wash the clothes and washcloths? If you don't already use one, try using a fragrance/dye-free detergent (it doesn't have to be Dreft which is expensive, the cheaper free and clear brands work well) - that has really helped in our household. Also, I'm not sure if you use baby wipes at all, but if you do I would recommend not using them, even the "sensitive" skin kind. Only use washcloths on his skin to wipe. I hope your little one feels better soon!
My son who is now 10 had the same problem. My doctor recomended to use only 100% cotton clothes, blankets, etc. I had to wash everything with a gentle soap and add softener to all the clothes we couldn't even carry my son if we had other fabrics, but cotton.I had to also used cloth diapers; for baths I used Cethapill, and for mosturizer lotion I was recommmende to use DML lotion. You can find Cethapill and DML at costco, but what help most recently was miracell 37 and aloe vera gel. Miracell is a mix of essential oils and all natural ingridients and can be found at longs drugs or online. I love the product because it helps many types of skin conditions my son stared using it at the age of 5 when nothing else helped. Your baby is very young, so is better that you ask your doctor about miracell. These days my son only gets it during the summer.
Have a nice day!!!
M..
Hi J. L,
I have helped many parents naturally turn this condition around.
If you want more information email me and I will send it to you.
Happy New Year.
N. Marie
____@____.com
Hi J.,
I realize you've gotten many responses, but I just wanted to add that I think it would benefit you and your son to take him to a pediatric dermatologist. Eczema is likely linked to food allergies. They can test him and see exactly what foods he is allergic to so you can avoid it and the eczema can go away on its own without so many steroid creams.
Also, my husband and I don't have allergies, but the allergist said it was the way our genes combined/crossed that caused our son to have allergies...
Feel free to contact me if you want to get more info on what happened when we took our son to the allergist and had him tested. Avoiding the foods he was allergic to made a HUGE difference in his skin... (because I was breastfeeding, I had to avoid those foods too).
I made a post a couple days ago about eczema and i got alot of responses. My post was just called "eczema" My baby only has a moderate to mild case. I feel your frustration. I would suggest seeing another dermalologist!
I highly recommend Melaleuca products. Renew lotion is even better than Eucerin in blind tests and costs less. I can help you get it (you buy direct from the company) or you can look for someone a little closer. I have a sample of Renew that I can get to you, I am in Concord, about an hour away from you. Melaleuca has about 350 products in their catalog that are all made without harsh chemicals or toxins including shampoo, laundry supplies, dish soap, etc. Let me know if I can help, and you can also check out this website: http://www.switchingstores.com/julieewing or www.melaleuca.com.
Hi J.,
My son had eczema from when he was about 3 weeks old. His flare-up was primarily on his face (looked red and swollen), but as he's grown older, it appears more like the normal type of eczema, primarily on the insides of his elbows. When he was a baby, I couldn't figure out what caused the eczema, but the Aveena Baby Soothing Bath Treatment helped soothe him whenever the flare-up was at its worse. It was on the expensive side for me, a single mom, but it was worth it! Of course, I tried to avoid hot bath water for him and moisturize him as soon as he was dried. I found the Aveeno products without fragrance were the best for him. These products helped to keep his itching down more than anything else I tried. I still had to use the steroid creams to help extreme flare-ups, but not as much as I'd used before. I hope this helps.
Try washing in Planet and putting vinegar in the "fabric softener" cup for your machine. You need to remove all dyes/fragrances/enzymes/etc from all the surfaces he's touching. Dreft actually caused flare-ups... and it took us 8mos into our 2nd eczematic boy's life to Finally figure that one out. Whenever someone is holding him make sure his face is on one of your burp cloths or receiving blankets. We've had more than our share of flareups thanks to well-meaning folks just wanting to give "mom a break" by holding our son against their perfumes and residues :< We too slathered with hydrocortisone head to toe... my heart goes out to you in your sleuthing for allergy food and environmental triggers. Pediatricians are not allergists - only you can figure out this one with trial and error :<
Try safeguard soap. It worked for my neice. Don't know why.
J.
Hello! I have 2 kids w/ excema (has been mild to severe, depending on the day, hour, year), and one infant w/ sensitive skin .... so have been there. Sounds like you are doing so many things right, and I know how frustrating it is to do everything you can, and your baby still doesn't have clear skin.
I would recommend a group for you to join -its w/ parents of kids w/ excema - has helped me a ton. These are all parents who have been through what you are going through and more... they use traditional treatments, alternative medicine and everything in between. A great place to vent and get new ideas... I think you can join by clicking on this link. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/eczemaparentscircle/
Good luck!
J.,
A good friend of mine has gotten great results with eczema, and it was through using a nutritional supplement. The supplement is natural and safe for all ages. Respond if I can be of help.
S.
Ask your doctor to run a simple blood test onthe most common allergenic foods. It is only one prick and will tell you of any potiental problems. We did this for my son, then followed up with a skin prick test to confirm.
I would try a good oil. I have found that even olive oil will work in a pinch, but if you go to stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, or natural markets and pharmacies they sell massage oils. Good ones are Jojoba oil, grapeseed or any that say moisturizing on them. Oils tend to stay on the skin longer than most lotions. You can even mix in a little essential oils, and you can ask in the stores for recommendations. You can also go to massagewarehouse.com to get the oil and essential oils. Good luck
Are you nursing? My son had that and it was due to lactose intolerance. It cleared up once i took out milk from his diet.
Hi J., My son had eczema when he was born, but not as bad as you are describing. My son is 3 1/2 now and still has problems with some eczema/dry skin. I understand how it is hard to watch them be uncomfortable. His Dr. and dermatologist are just having me put hydrocortizon cream first and then vasoline to help sooth the skin.
I hope your son feels better soon.
Hi, J. L--
Eczema could be due to heavy metal and toxic buildup in the body. Since you are asking for an advice, I am sharing with you the information that activated liquid zeolite in Natural Cellular Defense removes both the heavy metals and toxins from the body. The Food and Drug Administration considers it safe and nontoxic for everyone regardless of age or gender. It does not accumulate in the body and is considered safe for pregnant and nursing women. A Red Cross study found more than 200 toxic compounds, nearly half of them carcinogenic, in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies.
I can give you additional information if you would like to know more about it. My family and I have been taking NCD for almost three years now and we feel great.
Your baby needs help.
My heart goes out to you. My husband has suffered eczema his whole life. Have you tried using hypoallergenic laundry soap for the clothes? also try not bathing him too much, as drying off after the bath will dry him out. and when you do to use an uncented lotion afterward. My husband uses Udder Cream everyday. I wish you all the luck.
My son is now 8 months old and he suffered from eczema. He had a bad patch on his cheek little patches on various areas of the rest of his body. We first just used Eucerin's Aquaphor and that didn't help. We also were told to switch his body wash. I'm not sure what you are using but we began washing him with Johnson and Johnson thinking that it was the best for his skin. Actually, for a child with eczema, Johnson and Johnson is not the body wash to use. We switched him o Dove Sensitive Skin body wash and that definitely helped reduce his flare-ups. As he has gotten older the eczema has barely been seen.
Now we use a steroid cream if necessary, Aveno Baby Lotion, and Eucerin's Aquaphor at night to help maintain moisture to his body. I hope this helps. Good luck!
Hi J.,
This sounds so scary and miserable. I am sorry your doctors are not able to help you. My son has not had eczema, but has had problems with asthma and colds that doctors are not really able to help us with. I started taking Braeden to Randy Reitzes at Bay Area homeopathy (they have a website)and she has been so great for us. I'm sure she can help with skin conditions as well, since it is likely something internal working its way out thru his skin. Good luck to both of you.
A.
