Baby Eczma

Hi there,

We did the dermatologist and allergist route (seeing 2 of each) by 6 months. We did the baths, steroid creams (fluticasone was the one that finally worked for our son). Our son did have food allergies, to dairy and egg. Although we appreciated the allergist for being able to identify the dairy and egg allergy with skin testing, their advice was to wait and he'll grow out of it - maybe.
Therefore, about 4 months ago we began seeing an acupuncturist who treats allergies using acupressure (no needles) and NAET (www.naet.com). My son ate scone (accidentally!) with dairy and egg both yesterday without any reaction, even though less than 2 weeks ago he broke out in hives everywhere when we put egg on his skin. NAET strives to eliminate the allergy, not cover it up or decrease it with medications. Friends with kids with excema or blood in the stools have also had luck with this within a few treatments. If you'd like the name of our practitioner, feel free to email me.

Good luck,
H.

this is usually allergy related....my son's cleared up beautifully w/Zyrtec, an antihistamine. I'd really hesitate to put one so young on prescription anything so try other things first. Eucerin (the creme not the lotion) worked well when he did have itchy spots. We kept my son's from coming back after the initial round of antihistamines by using super sensitive everything. California Baby Sensitive for shampoo/body wash. All free and clear or All baby for laundry. Double rinse on the laundry. NO SOFTENER. Softener is a huge issue for people w/sensitive skin (my dad and I both react horribly although neither of has had eczema). Try rinsing w/vinegar too - put it where you put the softener - no, his clothes won't smell. also, no dryer sheets. If you remove clothes barely damp there won't be much static - I remove all the fleece/synthetic fabrics to hang dry and we have very little static on what's left in the dryer. I use a clothes line in the summer so no static issues then. No perfume/cologne for you, hubby,caregivers, or sisters - including any strong smelling personal care products such as shampoo, hair spray, make-up. Moving to less toxic cleaning products would help too - vinegar and baking soda work for most things. If you're nursing, try limiting/removing dairy/wheat/egg. If you're on formula, talk to the doc about switching to something w/out cow's milk and maybe w/out soy. Natural products can help - but be really wary - they can have potent allergens in them due to use of plant products (including nuts - particularly almond).
Don't worry too much, most kids outgrow it...my son has except for shampoo products - the poor kid is still using California Baby Supersenstive at 7. If we try anything made for big kids or adults, he has small flare-ups. otherwise he's been clear for 3 years or more.
Good luck.

I suggest using soy soap to clean her with and natural cocoa butter lotion to keep the area moist. Not every lotion will work as many have alcohol in them. Make sure to check the ingredients.

My kids have this problem and using what I suggested above has helped keep the eczema under control.

Have a GREAT day!

S.

My son had terrible eczema as well. We were at the pediatrician almost every week because it was just getting worse and worse. They would prescribe a different cream each time, and it would work for about two days, and then become worse. Finally we saw an allergist and got very specific information on how to treat his eczema.

First - he gets two soaks in the bathtub each day. He stays in for 20 minutes each time and we only do soap/shampoo once or twice per week (he's only 5 months old). When he gets out of the tub, we have 3 minutes to put lotion on -- Colorado is so dry that if you don't get them lotioned up fast, all of the moisture will evaporate and you want to get the lotion on to keep the moisture in the skin.

Second - we have 3 different types of cream. Vanicream for where his skin his healthy. Tricmilon (sp?) for dry, red, bumpy, inflammed skin. Prescription hydrocortizone cream for inflammed skin on groin, armpits, and face.

Third - Zyrtec - 1/2 tsp once per day

Fourth - double rinse on laundry, no dryer sheets, no perfumes, no harsh cleansing products on carpet or clothes

These steps made a huge difference in my son's eczema. I will say that it took about 4 different lotions to find a combination that worked. For example, a co-worker of mine found that Atopiclair did wonders for her son's eczema, but it burned my son's skin.

Good luck!!!!

My daughter also had pretty bad eczema, as did I as a baby, and my mom. For my daughter, we finally had to just use a steriod ointment (for whatever reason, the ointment works better than the cream - it's messy, but I often mix some with lotion to spread where needed). We only bathe her about every other day so she doesn't get too dried out. Her skin has gotten better with time/age (she's 26 months now), but when it was at it's worst, I probably put the ointment on every other day. For lotion, we had good results from CeraVe, but I recenlty switched to Cetaphil (cheaper!) and it seems to work pretty well, too. Oh yeah, when she scratched herself bloody, we used a little bit of prescription antibiotic ointment (generic is Mupirocin) that works great. Neosporin might be as effective, but I'm not sure.

Two of my granddaughters have had issues with eczma. Eczma is painful. It's an outward sign of a digestive problem. Creams and oinments comfort the skin, offering a temporary solution. To end eczma you must give aid to the digestive system, by giving your baby probiotics. They sell them just for infants at whole foods stores and online. I understand that you can even up the dosage that is recommended.
I recently wrote on this on my website>
http://www.babybites.info/2009/02/24/probiotics-healthy-k...
Also, I highly recommmend Elizabeth LIpski, Ph.D.'s book, "Digestive Wellness for Children."

When our son was that age we did Elidel and Gentle Naturals Eczema products. It sometimes worked. What we do not, per our doctor at National Jewish Hospital, is a 10-15 minute bath at the end of the day. Use Dove or Ivory (unscented) just before getting out. While skin is still wet, slather him up with Vanicream. You can get it at most pharmacies just by asking. When we started this, he had the most severe case of eczema that the two dermatologists had seen. He now has beautiful skin. We do have him on Allegra, as well. When we went to NJH, he was on Elidel, steroids, topical antibiotics and oral antibiotics. Now, the only time we have to use steroids is when we stay with family that has a cat. I'm amazed and grateful to not have to be using so many meds. If you need to, you can do the baths and lotion as often as you need to, especially at first to get the skin soft again. The timing is a big key to the baths working. I've been amazed as we've been at the hospital to see what kids look like when they come and how good their skin is when they leave just by doing baths several times every day. GL!

Hi. My daughter has severe exzema also and we have been everywhere for what to do an have had every test done and the last dermatologist we finally saw 3 weeks ago out of childrens hospital was the best ! He informed us that exzema has NOTHING to do with allergies its a skin barrier problem there is not enough moisture in the skin and it breaks down. My daughter is on zyrtec also but not for allergies its the antihistamine that actually helps stop the itching which helps bring the swelling and inflammation down !
So we use the zyrtec and something at night when its really bad so she can sleep. We give baths every couple days and then use cetaphil for wash and vanicream for lotion its sold at walgreens. That all together has helped so much and now instead of looking for allergies we finally have a real answer ! Good luck and not sure about cloth diapers or not ? My sister uses them on my niece but I refuse to change my niece I hate them but she loves them !

I had to same problem with my little boy. I would even double rinse this clothes. Nothing worked. I finally came across Melaleuca. Started using there product line and his eczema cleared up. I mainly use Renew lotion and it is not greasy like eucerin and their laundry soap. And the problem cleared up. Email me is you need more info.

C.

My daughter had the same problem and nothing worked until we bought the big white tub of Eucerin. It is very thick and not fun to put on, but it works. We put it all over her body in the morning and after her bath at night. On the very red spots, we put hydrocortisone cream on before the lotion. We also switched to Aveeno Oatmeal baby wash for bath time. I understand how frustrating it can be, I hope your daughter starts to feel better soon!

This can be very frustrating. My daughter had severe eczema when she was a baby and we tried everything. I have about 3 bag full’s of lotions and medications that did not work. She finally got relief when we visited the Natural Path and was educated on herbs that could help her. It took just a couple of days and she started to feel 100% better and her skin started to look better. This has been a long road for us and I was so thankful for the herb that helped her. I saw Cynthia Challenner at the Natural Path and her number is ###-###-####. I also recommend that you don’t use any medications. They never worked for us and they can be very harmful to your baby. We had to learn this the hard way. Good luck!

Have you ever thought about taking your baby to see a chiropractor? She could have a subluxation (fancy term for a vertebrae that is out of proper alignment) that is pinching on a nerve that controls the bodies natural ability to keep her skin hydrated.

Most chiropractors will do a free consulatation and exam - it might be worth it to see what's going on with your daughter's spine.

The allergist can definately find out what is causing the eczema an prescribe something for your daughter. I had to take my son to one last year because his eczema was so bad. Also, for everyone day use I use the Arbonne baby lotion and Arbonne baby oil on him. It is made for senstive skin. If you are interested I have a friend who sells Arbonne and I can give you her phone number.

My DD has had eczema since birth, and at first we used elidel, but for the past year we have used derma-smoothe. Ask the dr. about it. Best part...it is steroid free.

Renew lotion is amazing! It works on skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea and psoriasis but it is also light enough for daily use. Plus in blind testing, it was clinically shown to be 7 times more effective than Eucerin, plus it isn't greasy!

Regarding the cloth diapers, we use them. Our family uses bumGenius. They say they fit babies/children from 10 to 35 pounds and my son has been using them for a year and a half! We made the switch due to feeling bad about putting so many diapers in land fills and money savings over time. Most of the online diaper stores offer sample packs. If you decide to give cloth diapers a try I recommend this. That way you can try different cloth diapers and see which fits and works the best. I don't know about working on the eczema, but we definitely haven't had the big blow-outs we used to have with disposables (we didn't switch until he was 8 months old).

Good luck with your little one!

I've used Elidel on my boys, which the doctor said could also be used on babies and Ive also used a homeopathic oil on the baby (it smells like coconuts) and it works great! I would go to the health store and get the homeopathic stuff, it's cheaper and does just as good of a job.

You need to use specific lotion on your baby. For eczema usually use Eucerin cream or Citophil. Eucerin is a little more greasy than the other one.

What kind of milk are you feeding her? My daughter has the same problem and I was nursing her at that time. Finally I watched my diet and found out that she is allergy to the food that I eat, milk and soy milk. Even after I ate shell fish, she will have bad eczma. The doctor and allergist didn't help at all, but after I watched my diet, it helps a lot. Stop a product for 4 weeks, like cow milk, see whether that improve or not, etc.

Good luck.

My guy was in the early stages of eczema and the dr. suggested Cetaphil which really helped. I only bathe him every 3 days and don't use any soap for a while, it drys out the skin. My son did develop a patch on the back of his neck and he recommended Cortaid for the itch and it has done wonders, it's nearly gone. Good luck, itchy babies are no fun!

try Cetaphil wash and the lotion. My little one has the same thing, the only thing i wash her with is gentle Cetaphil. It has done wonders!

Hi Dear,
The eczema is the first level of the Asthmatic triad. Basically it is the first sign she has an allergy. So great job getting her to an allergist to find out what it is causing the eczema.

My suggestion for keeping your little girls skin most comfortable while healing is Arbonnes ABC baby oil & lotion. Protects & heals dry skin, eczema & psoriasis. Take care & hope your little girl is feeling better!

I haven't actually seen anything about this but someone told me chlorine helps ecxema. Like I said, I don't know if it works, but maybe you could take your baby to the swimming pool. Good luck. I know it isn't any fun.

My daughter had eczema really bad on her face and a little bit of what looked like a bumpy rash in her diaper area. She was also spitting up a bit and crying a lot more when she ate. she didn't used to do that so I took her in. The first thing the nurse practitioner said was that it looked like she may have a milk intolerance. She gave me a cream to use for her excema and a perscription for acid reflux but i decided to take one thing at a time. I went off all dairy products and things containing any dairy. Her skin cleared up and it's beautifully baby smooth. Also her other symptoms are gone too. I read online that milk intolerance is the number one undiagnosed problem with infants. THere is a difference between lactose intolerance and protein intolerance and we are not sure which it is in the milk that she is allergic too yet but for now I am off any and all dairy as I am breastfeeding. It is a very inexpensive cure to try and for us it worked really really well. Good luck.
Also as far as the diapers go I would really really reccommend gdiapers at gdiapers.com. They are a crossover between cloth and disposable. You flush the inserts down the toilet. No stinky diaper bins! And actually I have tried a lot of disposable and cloth diapers and she has not yet had a blow out that got throuugh to her clothes with gdiapers.

We've had several friends whose children have suffered from very severe eczema. NAET was what seemed to be the only answer, in the end. My daughter has another skin condition, but while lotions might help the symptoms, I don't think they answer the problem--NAET might be the way to get that taken care of. It's been an amazing changes for 4 sets of our friends. Best of luck!

Hi,
My friend had the same problem with her baby. Her son's eczema was so bad that his wrists were all cracked and bloody. She switched to an all natural laundry soap (the stuff you buy at the store actually has ground up fiberglass in it).
The last time I saw them, her son's skin looked wonderfully healthy.
Let me know if you would like me to introduce you to a company that sells healthier, more affordable cleaning and personal care products.

sincerely,
N.

my son also suffers from this. his dr told me to use liquid softner instead of dryer sheets and to make sure the detergent and softner is free from dyes and perfumes. i use the tide free for the detergent and the purex for sensitive skin. she also told me to bath him every night and to lotion him up right after the bath. instead of using baby soap i use the cetaphil bar soap and then the moisturizing cream also from cetaphil. doing these things has pretty muched cleared his all the way up. good luck!!

You may think this idea is crazy, but my granddaughter was having terrible problems with eczema. She was about 4 months old at the time. My daughter lives in St. Louis and her pediatrician recommended that she cover the baby with plain old vaseline every night. It just happens that one of her close friends is also a pediatrician and that doctor also recommended the vaseline. I thought that was a strange remedy, but my daughter bought a huge jar of vaseline and slathered it on every night before putting on the baby's PJs. She was a "greased pig". The eczema went away (I don't know how long it took), but the baby is 9 months old now and it hasn't returned. Can't hurt to try it as Vaseline is cheap. But don't give up until you have tried it every night for at least a couple of weeks.

I was going to recommend Melaleuca too! Their stuff can be pricey but I love all of it! I feel better knowing my family isn't using products with chemicals as well.

Our doctor told us to use Hydro-cortisone cream (just the over the counter stuff). Aveeno makes some and they add the oatmeal stuff to add moisture. Its worked great. Hasn't been a cure, but it does work. Aveeno also makes an oatmeal bath that is safe for all ages. Both my girls feel much better after it! Good luck!

I have 3 little darlings with eczema. The best advice I ever got was this. After their baths (with no soap - just wash with water & do shampoo at the very end) take them out of the water and BEFORE you dry them at all, put baby oil all over their sopping wet skin. The baby oil seals in the moisture. Then I pat them dry and lather eucerin all over them. I do this every day - even if they don't have a flare-up. It's great to prevent problems. For flareups, I alternate a steroid cream and elidel - but that has to go on at a different time than the baby oil - the oil creates a barrier and those medications can't get through.

Also - with the problem of the diapers, I would probably see the allergist before you invest in cloth diapers. According to my pediatrician, eczema typically does not effect the diaper area in a diaper-wearing kid - so something else may be going on. One of my sons gets flareups on his behind, but it is foliculitis, not part of his eczema. For that I just use neosporin and occaisionally an over-the-counter hydorcortisone cream.

I agree with the Cetaphil. We used the cleanser by itself (no water except at bathtime, and not every day) and then the cream. It's unscented, which is good because perfumes can really irritate the skin. The doctor also gave us a prescription for Elidel. It's a non-steroidal treatment for eczema. (This was 5 years ago, so I don't know if it's even still used).

I would really watch the rash if it is moderate to severe. My older son got a staph infection in his skin from the eczema (the staph bacteria is commonly found on the exterior of skin and under nails, his scratching got it into the skin). It wasn't severe, but caused a high fever (104) in the middle of the night, which meant a trip to the ER. It took augmentin (amoxicillin plus a stronger antibiotic) to clear up but he was fine after. So just keep an eye out for extra redness or puffiness or puss, especially if she's getting sores in her diaper area.

My little boy also had really bad eczema. See my response to another question about this on January 17, 2008. There were a lot of other responses to this question which may be of help to you too. Let me know if you are not able to go back to that date and I will copy my response for you again. Good luck!

The best 2 things that worked for us was Aveeno Eczema lotion and wash, and Hydrocortisone cream.

We have an 8 month old daughter with severe eczema. After trying every lotion/creme out there we've found the only one that really works is Jergens Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream. They sell it at Target. Our allergist also recommended bathing her every night for 20 minutes, only using a gentle soap like Cetaphil every couple of nights. What has really helped is this...while she is bathing we soak a onesie and some of my socks with the feet cut off in warm water to put on her immediately after the cream goes on. The wet garments help to create an additional seal on her skin, and really help the cream to penetrate. It sounds cruel to put wet clothes on a baby, but she really doesn't seem to mind. Once she is lathered with the cream and has the wet clothes on, we put in a warm pair of footed pajamas. Because we don't want her to sleep in the wet clothes, we typically take them off after 20 or 30 minutes but she has been known to fall asleep that way too. It really helps. Note: don't use the Eucerin creams because they all have alcohol which is so drying to the skin. Good luck.

My first son, James, had eczema really bad and now two more sons after him have also had it. I kept Eucerin on James all the time (I would buy it in the large tubs sizes at Costco), but even with that, a long bath or any overexposure to water would set his skin itching again. And once it was red and itchy, lotion or creams no longer worked. Our pediatrician prescribed Triamcinolone cream and it works wonderfully. It's a prescription cortizone cream and heals the itching and redness with only the smallest amount. You can ask your doctor for a prescrption and a tube will last you a while. I've used it on my other two sons constantly, and even on my four-month old baby and it healed his skin immediately with only a tiny dab.
Itchy skin makes them so miserable. My son would scratch until he would bleed if I didn't get the cream on quickly! I say get some cortizone as soon as you can.

Try Coconut oil - whole foods. It is a solid but melts right in your hands and can be used as lotion or eaten to help skin.it's not as smeely as you might think! It's very mild. Try diet changes - sometimes sugar and processed foods can be a cause - what foods have you introduced? we use baby oil or coconut oil in their bath and we use cetephil for soap. good luck!

My son had horrible all-over eczema as a baby. His doctor recommended a "wet wrap". IMMEDIATELY after a warm bath, lather her up with an unscented lotion. I like Eucerine. Then you put a layer of warm, damp clothes on, and a dry article of clothing over that. You have to put the lotion on right after the bath when the skin is most absorbant. My son is now 4 and mostly outgrown the eczema except on the top of his feet, back of his knees and wrists. I still do the wet wraps on his feet and moisture returns to the area overnight. I really works amazingly!

my daughter also had eczema - here's what I did that seemed to work:

Bathe only every other day. Don't let baby sit in soap - let baby splash for the first part of the bath, then right before you get out, do all the washing, rinsing and let out the water and get dry. Within the first few minutes (while baby's skin is still damp) rub a GOOD lotion on baby that does not have fragrance. I used Eucerine (just for adults) and I think Aveno makes a good baby one too. Fragrance free is very important. You might want to even try some cortizone cream on the spots that seem the itchiest. Ask your ped. how often you can apply (I think like 2x a day is good). You can also use Aquafor for really troubled spots. The more moisture you can get on baby's exzema the better.

Use fragrance fee detergent to wash baby's clothes and bedding in. Also, Eczema can be related to allergies, so make sure the flair ups are not related to something you're feeding baby (if you've started solids) or something you're passing to baby through your breast milk.

If you need something stronger for baby than cortizone cream your dr. should be able to prescribe a steroid cream. My little girl used one for a few months and it really helped.

Good luck!
J.

I don't know what you use for laundry soap and I haven't read the other responses, but I do strongly recommend NO PERFUMES or anything scented near her. Unscented laundry soap/fabric softener/dryer sheets and cotton clothing and bedding. My sons went through the same thing and this really helped. Unscented baby soap, I used Dove bodywash, and any lotions must be unscented too. The best lotion I found was one that they use for breastfeeding mothers for cracked nipples, it heals skin quickly and is ingestible so if she puts it in her mouth it won't matter, its called Lansinoh or Lanolin cream or ointment. It works great. For larger areas or after bath I would use Glaxal Base or the base that the pharmacy uses to prepare creams in, Just ask at the pharmacy, again it is UNSCENTED, fast absorbing, long lasting and holds the moisture in. Lanolin is great for anywhere that she can put in her mouth. I hope this helps.

S., Mom of 4 sons... been through eczema, not fun.

Sorry this is a little late. My 2 year old and myself both have eczema. I use Aveeno on both of us, bath soaps and lotion. It works wonders, the only I have found that does work. I also use All Clear I believe is the name. It has no dyes or perfumes. Also if possible don't use dryer sheets, the liquid is much better on the skin. Good luck I know how misserable it is. I've had it since I was 1 and I had to figure it out. None of the creams the doctors gave worked.

we use eucerin
I recommend cotton for diapers if you go cloth. it depends on your childs sensitivity as to whether or not the cloth would matter.

My son, age 2, has had eczema since he was tiny and the doctors all suggested cetaphil. They have cleansers and lotions. If the eczema is really bad you can use over the counter hydrocortizone cream 1% (not on the face unless you have doctor's orders).

An allergist can tell you what to stay away from only if there are severe allergies to big foods. Before age 2, they will only test for 10 things.

Here's the key: lotion within 5 minutes of every bath, and reapply twice a day. Hydrocortizone on any rough patches.

Oh, we also give my kid Zyrtec every day. Ask your pediatrician if it would be appropriate for your baby. It helps my son, but he still itches constantly. We'll be making the appointment with the allergist soon for extensive allergy blood tests.

If you need more info, send me an email. Or if you just need to know that you're not alone. :)

My baby boy has eczma as well, and we were told not to use lotions, only use creams! Our Dr. has also let us know about Elta, you can get it at Walmart behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription. It has worked amazingly! We put it on him twice a day. It looks like petrolium jelly, but it works great! We were also told to use soapless soaps, because most soaps can irritate the skin, ecspecialy fragrenced soaps. Cetaphil is the soap we mainly use, and also Aveno. It has helped our baby alot. I hope this helps. Good luck

sorry so late!! Eucerin!!! and I only bathe my little one twice a week, and my pediatrician agrees that that's sufficient! good luck.