Calling All Moms with Eczema Babies!

Hello L.,
I have a product that has beat out Eucrine in two double blind test studies. Give me a call and I'll tell you all about it. J. P ###-###-#### ____@____.com

The information I'm giving you is the information my dermatologist gave me because I have excema, not my son, so this is what she told an adult. Heat can cause excema to flare up. Use dye free detergent and don't use dryer sheets. Don't excessively wash hands or bathe excessively, sometimes just the water can cause excema to flare up. I am using a steroid cream in the morning (I think it's the same one you mentioned) and a preventative cream at night that I will continue to use. The steroid cream I can stop once the excema is gone and it seems to be working well for me. I hope this helps.

I know how frutstrating this is! My son is now almost three and had terrible eczema. This is what worked for us. The weather is a cruel factor and unfortunately it "flares up" when it is too hot or too dry and from the cold weather. Prevention is the key. I only bathe him with Dove soap. After drying him off I use eucerin cream ( in the tub not the lotion pump) and then I "grease him up" with aquaphor. This is in the prevention phase. However, when he has a flare up, I have a Rx for Locoid Cream (very expensive, but it works. I hope this is helpful! The Dr. also recommended bathing every other day. I could'nt do this because I am such a germaphobic. My son has such issues that I even had to use a Rx shampoo for months because his scalp was so dry. GOOD LUCK!

Hello,

I am new to Mamasource.com. I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and have used a product called Purely Clear for years now. I have fallen in love with their entire line. It is completely natural with no chemicals! It is safe to use on anyone even newborns. Their toner is what I have used for eczema but they have other great products too. Go to their website at www.purelyclear.com and see what you can find. I just wanted to pass the news to you. Good luck!

D.

It's hard to say what might be causing the eczema. For my son, it is anything that touches his skin with dyes, fragrances, or preservatives. He also has a food allergy to egg, and my pediatrician told me that kids with eczema also have an 80% chance of having food allergy. Does the formula agree with his tummy at all? I hope it isn't a milk allergy, although this usually causes other allergic symptoms other than eczema rash... The doc also said that temperature extremes can cause flareups, like coming in and out of the A/C, which we noticed with my son during a beach trip. I guess my advice to you would be to use products that are free of all dyes and fragrances for bathing (we use California Baby body wash and lotion). Also, eliminate all detergents with dyes and fragrances. We also have prescription strength hydrocortizone that we use almost daily on his various spots. If it gets really bad, add some baking soda to a warm bath and let him soak for a little bit. That does help my little boy quite a bit. Just be careful when you start introducing foods and stay away from anything that is somewhat allergic. It is a constant struggle when you have a baby with sensitive skin, and it will go through periods of getting better and worse. You will begin to pick up on what causes the flare ups. Good luck!

Your son may be allergic to something you'd never think of. He may have been getting a little bit of allergen through you breastmilk, and then much more from the formula. There's no way to know exactly what he would be allergic to without doing blood testing (the take the test tubes in the lab and test the blood in them instead of pricking the baby's skin all over), but the "Big 6" of allergies are corn, eggs, milk, wheat, nuts, and soy, and these are found all over the place. I'd go to an allergist (or maybe an ear, nose, and throat doctor) and ask to have him tested.

And if he comes back positive for allergies to things, don't worry. My daughter (now 6) was/is allergic to milk, eggs, pollens, grasses, molds, dust, cats, dogs, etc. etc. She was always sick her first year (sinus infections, ear infections, eczema) and when I found out why I was happy to know what to avoid but also wondering what on earth to feed the kid. I figured it out (I can even do an egg-free pumpkin pie and you'd never know the difference except that I am so proud of myself that I brag about it) and you would too. Now I'm used to cooking the way I need to for her; we know what she eats wherever she goes, and we don't even think twice about it anymore. We don't take special food with us to picnics, etc. It just has become our way of life, and she's rarely sick anymore and hasn't had eczema in years.

Good luck! I remember how hard it is to see your precious little baby in pain and how you want to fix it. Good luck!

I would suggest having him allergy tested. It's s simple blood test for a baby. One of my sons is allergic to eggs and milk and when ever he would have the smallest amount of either he would get all rashy and break out in eczema patches. I could never figure out what it was coming from until he was tested. In the mean time, try putting "bag balm" or "udder cream" on his eczema. I found those more effective them any other over the counter cream and practically as good as the steroid creams.

My daughter is 3 1/2 and has had eczema since she was a tiny baby. I had to try all the suggestions to see what worked best for her and it is Aveeno. I also use Gentle Naturals baby eczema cream which you can get at Target or Babies R Us. It feels like crisco and she doesn't like it, but it really helps her skin. The summer is the worst, it gets really bad when she plays outside alot, even bleeds at times. Lots of lotion is the key and finding the right one for him. Also, be careful of your clothes detergent. I use only "free" products..........for clothes, sheets, towels everything. It does seem to get better with age, but my doctor said she would probably have it at least until she was around 5 and then sometimes they outgrow it. Good Luck!

I took my son to the dermatalogist since he has had problems since birth. He just turned 3 years old and the medicine works great. It was pretty pricey but worth it. I not sure the name of the medicine it but you will get more results with a specialist then with a peds doctor who kept giving me hydrocortisone, which never worked and burned his legs

L., alot of our skins issues stem from something much deeper. We usually are lacking from some nutrients. I have a product (3rd party, double blind, placebo controlled, Gold Standard researched) that may possibly help. I do have an aunt that had an extremely bad case of psoriasis on her feet. She has tried everything the doctors perscribed & this product has helped more than anything. If you want more information, just call me ###-###-####.
J. c

L.,
I know how fustrated u are. My first little girl (now 4 1/4) had it BAD on her arms. It would always get worse when the weather was warm. My ped. tols me to try no bathe her everyother or every third day. Something to do with thebaths and moisture (it's been a while). Also he told me to use Aquaphore. And in the baby isle the have in a green bottle lotion for eczema. I used that A LOT. U only ose a small bit. It goes a long way. My little one (18 mo) has a few spots on the back of her legs and i use the green bottle cream. I'm loot to see what it is but it's in her room and she's still asleep. My oldest grew out of her eczema. So just hang in there. Good luck.

V. (SAHM of Two)

www.CraftLister.Com/ValerieAltman
(Unique Candle Creator)

Hi L.! My mom and bro both had/have eczema. i have been fortunate enough so far to not inherit it. I have a few friends whose kids,as well as themselves, have eczema. Have you ever heard of melaleuca? It's a wellness company...w/ natural products. So may ppl swear byit...as do I. The substitution of these products from other brands/prescriptions have helped anamazing # of ppl. the website is www.melaleuca.com.....u can also try my site as well www.freedomunitedteam.com/ec2109
if ur interested in trying either or let me know my perosnal email is ____@____.com
Good Luck and Best Wishes!
E. :)

L... my son(1 y/o) also has it and I am impressed with the outcome of the "solution". My doc recommended Eucerin lotion and Hydrocortisone 10 cream. She said to lotion him up every diaper change and put the cream on the spots a couple times a day. Well, his appt was Monday Dec 8... Today is the 11th.. his spots are almost gone. YES!!! They were bad on his face, back, legs, arms, and tummy. He has also had a cold and sinus infection, so I have had that to deal with also. You might also try this if you are able to. I am impressed. Of course, watch for signs of redness or reactions and talk with your Ped. Hope this helps.

T.

Hi L.. I'm very sure you'll be getting plenty of replies, but here's my two cents.

My baby also had terrible terrible eczema for the first 5 months of her life. I did a variety of things to try to stop it like removing dairy from my diet just incase it was getting into my breastmilk, I also tried wheat and soy.

We used creams like desonate, hydrocortisone, triamcenalone, eucirin, aqhaphor, vaseline, organic lotions, olive oil, black seed oil. I did tons of research and visited many health food stores for tips because the doctors seem to only resort to drugs for any improvement. they never suggested simple changes to lifestyle that ultimately improved my babys skin. thank God.

What really seemed to help are the following :
1. changing all the air filters in the house
2. vacuuming everyday (furniture once a week)
3. adding probiotics to babys diet when solids started
4. Using only ALL CLEAR brand detergent for babys laundry and blankets, and NO scented soaps or fabric softener
5. short baths every other day to rehydrate babys skin and to wash of any germs that could infect her eczema
6. switched to Enfamil Nutramigen (formula for milk sensitive babies)

Whatever you do, do not lose your breastmilk. keep pumping or expressing milk. freeze it or throw it away until your baby clears up then try to feed baby again.

For me it was trial and error and consistancy. My baby's eczema changes severity with certain weather changes but always moisturize and give baby a bath everyother day to rehydrate. just a short one.

Godwilling this helps.

L., as you have already seen in other posts, Aquaphor is an excellent product for calming the excema. Aquaphor is an OTC product from the makers of Eucerin. Eucerin has many OTC products but you really need to talk to your pediatrician or dermatologist about the prescription strength product. As previously mentioned, it can do wonders for that sore, itchy, cracked skin.

Also, as previously mentioned, if it's any consolation, almost all children outgrow the condition after a few years. The skin grows thicker, the immune system grows stronger, and the child becomes more resistant to these outside stimulants.

Aveeno for babies (baby wash and lotion)worked wonders for my baby cousin (she's 10 months). It doesn't have the the nice fragrance like J&J, but in about 10 days you'll see a huge difference. Hope this helps. Also ask your pediatrician what over the counter creams might help. If all else fails you could use shea butter or olive oil to help ease the itchy skin if it occurs.

If it's not too late, I would go back to nursing. That probably won't clear it up completely, but it should help alot. Also, both of my babies have eczema, but my daughter is quickly outgrowing it (almost 3 yrs old) but my son still has it (18 mos). We use Cetaphil lotion and also Baby Eczema was and Eczema cream. It's made by Gentle Naturals http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/eczema_cream.cfm which you can find at Target, Meijer, Babies R Us and other retailers. It worked great. Also, I only gave them a bath when they needed it as babies and short ones at that. Eczema is basically an allergic reaction of the skin. It can be caused by internal or external irritants. So, the lotion/cream is really important to prevent the external. It really helped my babies. Good luck. Oh, and their teething drops are the best on the market from my experience. You'll need it soon enough:)

L.,

I had my third little one last Aug., our first boy, and had never experienced eczema before. I, like you, didn't seem to get anywhere with our doctor. I did some research online and did what Sarah did as far as the soap goes. No perfumes or dyes of any kind and used fragrance free detergent for his clothes. I also found a store online (I can't remember the name of it)that sold thermal spring water by Avene. I read that it was amazing for getting rid of eczema and it wasn't expensive, it think it might have been around $10, so I tried it. I'm not sure if that did it or the changes we had just made with the soaps, or maybe the combination of all of it...but he is now 11 months and hasn't had any signs of eczema in months! During my research I read that babies tend to outgrow it too. So, I would definitely try changing the soaps, shampoos, detergents, etc. and maybe try the thermal spring water too. Good luck!!!

K.

hi,

I have a little boy who is almost one and he has a milk protien allergy. He had eczema really bad on his sholders and down his back. We only figured it out because he had the flu and rotovirus within two months and everytime I would put him on pedialyte to slow the throwing up his eczema would completely disapear.

So my dr. told me to put him on soy but there is another formula too that target and walmart sell. It is called nutramigen and it is so great although expensive:(. His eczema is completely gone. So you might want to try that. It runs anywhere from $23 - 25 for a small can and they only sell it in the small can, but I think it is worth it.

hope this helps- N.

I would try taking him to a dermatologist and see what they have to say. I would put him on a soy only formula and continue to wash him only every other day with cetaphil cleanser and then use your steriod creams twice a day. You can also use eucerin lotion, it works a bit better. Eczema is usually allergy triggered, he may need to be allergy tested. Good luck

Eczema has been a lifelong battle for my 21-year old. There are certain things that trigger it, such as heat and humidity. Diet is also factor. There must be some ingredient in the formula. You will have to introduce foods gradually, one at a time, and see what he can tolerate. Basic foods like rice cereal and carrots should be okay for him. (Just wait until he wants to start eating chips. My son has a hard time staying away from them.)

Effective creams are hard to find. My son has found some over-the-counter things that work for him. I can't remember what I used when he was small, but I think it was a matter of trial and error. The gentler, the better.

Try Aquaphor. My daughter had the same thing on her back and patches on her legs and arms and this is what her pediatrician recommended. The only store I've sent it is Babies R Us. A large container is about $17 and a tube is about 1/2 that. I used Aquaphor for a few months and it's cleared up and I haven't seen it since. Good luck!

for my son w/ eczema we put him on neststle good start soy, and heat does make it flare up, i also couldn't use any baby soap except for Baby Magic, Johnsons & Johnsons broke him out the worst. Now the best soap i've found for him is SoftSoap SheaButter w/ moisture beads, it's wonderful. Your laundry detergent can make a difference also - i can only use Purex or Arm & Hammer for our clothes or he has bad break outs.
As far as cream the best i found for us is BodyWorks Body Butter- shea butter

I hope this helps, and they do tend to outgrow some of it over time

I only use aveeno baby soap and lotion on my daughter. I only bathe her every other day as well.

Our little grandson had eczema really badly at 2-3 months and the Dr. Rx'ed Derma-Smooth oil for him. After a bath, you smooth a tiny bit of it over the affected area while the skin is still damp. It's main ingredient is Fluocinolone, and I think it was only available with a prescription. She also used a lot of Eucerin (or a generic equivalent) cream. He's 2-1/2 yrs old now and smooth as silk most of the year.

She also exclusively breastfed til he was about 8 months old and it didn't seem to make any difference. Neither did any detergents, or cloth/materials. They also had her to give him some mild chlorine baths at first when it was severe, as someone else said.

This may sound silly b/c I don't know much about eczema but does it always have something to do with formula or could it be skin related??? Could it be your detergent? You baby bath soap? Maybe you are bathing him daily and he only needs to be bathed every other day? Could it be his lotion? I always thought eczema was about their skin and dryness....maybe it has nothing to do with his formula and that is why it is not working. The Aquafor is awesome so maybe once you find the culprit you can use it again and it will work...or help. Also, have you googled "causes of eczema"?

Good luck, let me know what you find out! W.

I know from my own experience that excema is caused by food allergies. I was allergic to several foods, including milk, as a child and had excema until I was in my early twenties. I am now raising my grandson who just turned one and he is allergic to milk and has the same excema behind his knees. Every doctor I have talked to recently, just says use the hydrocortisone and lotions, but I have discoved the lotion to be the culprit sometimes. Aquafor is pretty safe, but even petroleum jelly has bothered me sometimes. I have also been told that they will not do allergy testing until they are a year old. If you are breastfeeding, quit using any formula and watch what you are eating and his excema and see if there is any correlation. Just pump milk if you need to use a bottle sometimes. I hope you are able to figure this out!

Why did you start a bottle? He was doing so well on the b milk. If it was me, I would feed him just breast milk and see if it clears up. He may be an allergic child, but maybe with enough bm, he can avoid some of the symptoms.

Hi L., I'm a pharmacist and have seen lots of children and parents with ezcema do so well with Arbonne Intelligence skin care products. They are great and work! I have a home biz with Arbonne...if you'd like 20% off for Mamasource members please contact me at ____@____.com or visit my website at www.teresabennett.myarbonne.com Glad to be a SAHM promoting healthy living instead of treating disease! Sincerely, T. Bennett See my Mama Perk under Princess Provisions

Eucerin Lotion is wonderful! It's fragrance-free and good for sensitive skin. It's a little expensive but worth every penny.

Awww... poor baby. I've lived with eczema all my life and my son has it as well. Some of the things to do if you haven't - research online like mad. There's lots of great advice and things to try. Because environmental factors can trigger flare ups, you want to control as much of that as possible.

We use All Clear as a detergent and it seems to work well for us. I make sure to keep my son from sweating too much (hard in this summer heat!), and if he does, give him a lukewarm bath, pat him dry and lotion him up with Aveeno Baby lotion. Eucerin I don't like because it's greasy and seems to make him itchier.

When it's not necessary, don't give your baby a bath every day. Use a damp cloth if you want to wipe off if you need to.

Use all cotton, non synthetic clothes.

If you're trying to find a trigger for the flareups, remove one factor at a time for a few days to see if the flare up gets worse or better, whether it's milk or soy or formula (I think if your child has less flareups on breastmilk, keep breastfeeding as much as possible). Remember that the weather will trigger it, too. High humid days, or days that are too dry can cause flare ups.

My child's is not severe enough to warrant much more than the occasional over-the-counter cortizone. Mine, however, I have a special compound made which seems to be the only thing that comes close to working (a mixture of urea and Fluocin, I think). Good luck!

L.,
I know what you are going through. My 5 year has it bad. He is allergic to metal also, so he cannot wear anything with snaps. We have used every cream on the market and behind the counter. He breaks out on his legs, arms, neck and belly and he is miserable. If there is any way you can get him off the formula, do it. It sounds like you are giving it to him for convenience, so try rice milk. It is very mild. My son loved it. It's not for nutrition purposes, but it probably will not react the way the formula does. He likely has food allergies that cause it to flare up. If you are still nursing, you may need to cut out dairy also. I had to do that with my 2nd son, who had food allergies and it made a huge difference. I have noticed that a lot of babies with eczema have other underlying problems, but because the focus is on the misery of the rash, the other issues go undetected. As for what to use, I just discovered Blue Star ointment and it's working!! I only use it at night, after his shower when his body cools down (try giving cool baths - not too hot). He may cry a little because it does tingle. If there has been any bleeding, it may burn. I still use it on those areas because it works and he eventually calms down. He knows it's for his good and he's a trooper about it. I also had to bathe him with Aveeno baby wash. It's very mild. Stay away from perfume type soaps and especially laundry detergent. Wash his clothes in a nonscented baby detergent. When you start to introduce food, keep a very good detailed chart of what you are giving him and when and see if the rash gets worse. If so, stop and wait a few weeks...try something else. My middle son still reacts to dairy products and my 5 year old, while he has no food allergies, still breaks out bad if he wears anything with metal. All of his eczema spots get worse when he touches metal. It's crazy.

I hope that works. Good luck.

Ask your pediatrican to refer to you a dermatologist who sees babies. When my son had eczema the dermatologist had the pharmacy make up a special cream to put on it that worked miracles. We also used Basis sensitive skin soap. The neonatal intensive care unit at Vandy used Basis soap on the preemies.

I come to find out the creme the doctor gave me for my 4 year old now, he was 2 years old when he started to get this. He has contact dermintis and eczema as well but I have found a great product that works. Please feel free to email me or visit my website at www.workathomeunited.com/Heather1307 or www.livetotalwellness.com/Heather1307 for more information about the products I use to get rid of the problem. I also have eczema as well and these products really help.

Hello L. my son is three and he had problems with eczema. Formula can cause it to flare up. The best thing that I have come across is at The Apple Crate(they have one on Raeford rd and one on Camden if you live in Fayetteville). It is an organic cream that works wonders. I am not sure what the name of it is but it is in a greenish yellow jar with a baby on the front. I believe that it is made by Earth's Best. My son used that and we have not had a problem. I wish you the best!

Hi there. I know exactly how you feel. My son is now 3 got eczema at 4 months. I too breastfeed, I did until 16 months because he seemed to be allergic to the formula.
We tried all sorts of creams and they really didn't help too much. We now use a lotion called Cetaphil(over the counter). He still has the eczema and it does flair up like right now it is really bad but after he takes bath and we put the lotion on it seems to help some. He is allergic to dairy products and may have other allergies causing some of the flair up but he won't lay still for that and taking blood to get the results from that too is pretty much out the question for him. This probably isn't the best advise but I hope that it will help some.

I would love to send you some free samples of a natural, botanically based product that has worked wonders for a lot of Moms and babies. Just email me your address at ____@____.com...no strings attached. (I'm a recently retired public school teacher who is loving staying at home and spending time with my 3 1/2 yr. old granddaughter.)

None of mine had it as baby's, but one did go through it once hitting puberty. I had it the same, once I started to change. We tried this "Squalane Ultra Fine Oil". It's very delicate, and I've used it on Sunburn and it's practically a miracle! for that.
I don't know if it will help, but for $10 you can buy it at Vitamin shoppe.
I do know at his age, they say it's food allergies that usually cause an out break. I also see natural doctors, and they say Eczema can be caused by an over loaded liver. The skin is our largest organ, and so it could be related to toxin elimination.
I don't know what you would do for an infant on this though, and wouldn't venture to go there in this format. I'm no expert. Just tossing it out there, in case it's something you want to find more out about yourself.

The oil though I know is gentle enough for babies, and has been a wonder for us. Even my fine lines that started are gone with this oil. I have extremely dry sensitive skin, and it's been wonderful as I age.

~P.
www.momentsbypaula.com
www.momentsbypaula.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/momentsbypaula

When my son started having Eczema he was on Enfamil Lipil. My neighbor had the same problem and had switched her son to Nestle Goodstart the Purple container and it went away. I tried it and the eczema went away for my son as well. I have noticed it on several children that use the Enfamil. My son still gets Eczema easy at 2 1/2 but it is only when he gets too hot. Finding what is causing the eczema to flare up is so much better than trying to find a cream that will take it away. GoodLuck!

OK...it sounds as if he is much worse off them my little girl but I can tell you what I do. First of all my doctor told me milk and milk products can irritate eczema. That is bad since he is a baby. But there are soy formulas that can calm the stuff. I know as soon as I switched milk to soy it cleared things up a lot. She never had the problem when I breast fed but I swithced when she was 4 months. I know you want to avoid the soy formulas but it may be best for him. Second dont wash your baby with soap daily....only the areas where necessary. (bottom, front and feet or knees if crawling/walking) Soap irritates also. I use Dove soap and only wash entire body 2 times a week. I still do this but she gets a little dirtier playing outside so I have to moisterize her more. I have used Dove since she was just little. Third....Avenno is your best friend. After every bath lube him up with Avenno lotion with oatmeal and shea butter. It is expensive but I will pay whatever it costs because it works. It is about 10 dollars for an 18 oz bottle. It lasts me about 3-4 months. Lastly when you notice a spot coming up....catch it while you can. Add extra lotion after cleansing it well with soap and rinsing. If the doctor is willing to give you Triamcinalone then use it sparingly. Read the side effects. Not good to have too much. It does sound as if he does need it now. I use it when it is real bad on my daughter. Eczema doesnt seem to itch my daughter as much as burn. It gets dry and scaley then starts cracking. She does get itchy skin sometimes but not as much as burning. I have it under control now and her skin is clear...it is not always like that.

My son had it also. I used cortisone cream 3-4 times a day until the redness goes away. Then keep aquaphor on it to keep it moist. If it flares back up use the cortisone cream until it is not red anymore and then switch back over to aquaphor. I went through this for several months and now it has gone away completely.

Eczema in babies is VERY frequently caused by food allergies -cow's milk is one of the most common, but about 1/2 those kids will also be allergic to soy. It is NOT a good idea to use steroids long term on their skin. A hypoallergenic formula may be what your baby needs. Go back to your pediatrician.

I completely understand what you are going through. I feel like I tried everything. I had my son tested for food allergies at 3 mo and the test showed that he was mildy allergic to peanuts. However, I went to an allergy specialist and she said that test was inconclusive b/c he was too young. I continued to breastfed until a couple of weeks ago but I eliminated wheat, soy, dairy, nuts, and seafood from my diet. I now give him alimentum formula and the eczema better but not perfect. The allergist was helpful though and gave me an rx that his regular doctor did not tell me about which has helped. I am glad that I took him to see an allergist and think that you might want to try that. Good luck!

Hey,

Sorry about your baby! I have 4 kids and 2 with eczema. They both had it as babies and one has a terrible case. They are 5 and 8 now but we still deal with it. With them I have found that it is not related to anything that they eat/drink. The drastic temperature changes and humidity levels really effect them. They are all running around now so I am going to quickly list some things I've done that did or did not work.
Don't use hydrocortisone--that makes it worse. You don't want to dry it out anymore.
We had our ped. switch us to a non-steroidal Rx eczema cream. That way we can use it more often.
Every night after they bathe I check both of them after they dry off. If their eczema is acting up I apply the Rx cream. If it is not acting up I apply the Aquafor.
I always check them to in the morning before they leave for school and apply Aquafor to any red places so it doesn't bother them during the day.
I wash all of our laundry in a perfume/dye free detergent. I like the Arm & Hammer Free. It can be hard to find but it has worked well for us.
Be really careful with sunscreens. Now that mine are older I use regular high SPF sunscreen on them but on the places where their eczema is the worst I use a Mustela sunscreen.
The ocean water at the beach seems to help the eczema. However, I try to shower them off ASAP whenever they get out of a pool b/c of the chlorine.
Several years ago we had a Rainsoft water system installed at our house. It cleans/filters all of the water coming into our house. We did it mainly for a medical reason b/c of my husband but also found that it helped the eczema tremendously. It's a little $$ when you first buy it but then we just service it twice a year which is not expensive. We have also moved and they moved it from one house to another for us.

Best of luck! It gets easier to deal with as they get older and you figure out all of the triggers.

My daughter, now almost two, was diagnosed w/eczema when she was five months old. She has been on the triamcinalone cream ever since.... we only have to use it on flare ups now. But here is what we did. I nursed her until she was 17 months old. (longer than I had planed for sure) Dreft was what I was wahing her clothes in, but it wasn't gentle enough... eczema is triggered by allergic reations to things. So first we changed to all free and clear for all of out luandry. Then during baths make them longer so the skin doesn't dry out. We had to change from johnson & johnsons head to toe wash to dove sensitive skin. We do use the johnson's for shampoo. But we use it last so she doesn't sit in it in the tub. Then we switched from johnsons' baby lotion after her baths to Eucerin.We waited about 4 days between each change to see if we were heading in the right direction. After all the changes we finally got her ezcema under some control. She still has flare ups, but hopefully she will grow out of that. And everytime she goes to my inlaws she breaks out because of the laundry detergent they use.

my daughter is now 5, but she has had eczema since she was tiny. it was on her face for about two years, but is now mostly on her arms. we tried everything, and the best thing that we ever did, was change her soap, shampoo, and lotion. she now uses Jason's organic fragrance free body wash, shampoo and conditioner, and lotion. i get it at target, but it is also available at whole foods. we hardly ever have to use her prescription cream any more. i also stopped using store bought laundry soap. i now make my own, all natural and fragrance free. it is easy to make, and has improved her skin ten time over. fragrance and petroleum based chemicals seam to be the worst on her skin. one other thing that we chose to do, more for the other health benefits, was to use the feingold(sp) diet. it has no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors and no msg. it has been easy for us to make the switch, and it is supposed to improve skin issues as well. good luck, and message me if you want to know about anything that we do, or use.

L.,

I have a 7 year old daughter that has had it since birth. I use the Tiamcinolon cream and ointment, cortisone 10, Aveeno anti itch lotion at night, changed her food, changed the soap we use, changed her bedding, changed her bed, given her oatmeal baths, (those really help), however it never goes away completely. She had it worse when she was in school, now that it is summer her flare ups happen but not as severe. She doesn't wear anything on her legs unless I make her, she loves dresses so I don't know what it is from. You just have to keep trying until you find what works for you. Ask your doctor for a skin specialist or find one on your own if he is to severe. I wish you luck. I guess I am lucky with my girl, hers doesn't itch her to much unless I forget to put on the lotion.

E.

Hi, L.! I represent a company that sells baby care products based on botanicals and our products DO help relieve eczema! I would be delighted to send you a sample so that you can try it out. Call me @ ###-###-####.

Hi, L.. My 4 year old had it pretty bad when she was an infant, and to top ot off we were in Iceland. The 'chilly' 40 mph wind there was obviously no help at all. My husband is a Corpsman and when we met was stationed at NAS Jacksonville, FL, and was working in the Dermatology clinic there that was the only one in the Southeast region, so he got a lot of good experience. I remember that when my daighter had her breakouts (they seem to always have been worse on her arms and legs, too) we would use aquaphor. There still are times when she has those same little areas that pop up. Now she complains that they itch and burn a bit as well. I also remember that the pediatrician in Iceland gave us this lotion called Euacrin, but it was not like just going to Wal-Mart and buying a bottle of plain old Eucarin. This stuff was from the pharmacy (had to be prescribed, of course), it came in a big white jar about the size of a big jar of peanut butter. It was white, and looked and felt like that solid crisco cooking fat. It was so aggravating to put it on her, and she hated getting it put on her, but I'll tell you that it sure cleared up her skin. At first her skin was so bad, I think it hurt her for us to be putting that thick stuff on her, and she was covered head to toe like we were rubbing down a turkey to grease it up for baking or something, but not only did her skin get better overnight, it did not break out again for about three weeks. Poor baby finally had some relief. She finally grew out of those head-to-toe type eczema breakouts, but she does, as I mentioned, still get little round spots that almost look like ringworm every now and again. The aquaphor takes care of those completely, though. Also, we get a bit of a warning to when there is another eczema spot coming because she will get an itch that will bug her all day. Well-hope this has helped. Have a great day!

My baby was born with Atopic Dermatitus which included a fair amount of eczema. The Atopic Dermatitus means that he was highly allergic, with eczema being one of the symptoms of the disease. The dermatologist I took him to every two weeks treated him with a combination of prescription creams and some sort of machine that may have been infra-red, I don't remember. Heat and stress are the triggers and of course stress covers a lot of ground. At one time I bathed in four times a day in an oatmeal bath to relieve the itching. I didn't use a lot of water in the tub. I cooked oatmeal on the stove, 1 cup oatmeal to 1 1/2 - 2 cups water. Then I stuffed it into a knee-high hosiery, tied it off and held it under the tub spout while the tub filled so the oatmeal goop would fill the water. My son loved to suck on the oatmeal sock while he was soaking in the oatmeal water. ( Be careful your baby doesn't bite a hole in the sock. That's a mess to clean up.)
By the time he was two, the eczema didn't flare as much and as he grew, it seemed to contain itself to his hands and feet. He still has issues sometimes, but I think it's because he showers too much for the eczema. He's 18 now.

As for formula, I also had him on soy formula until it was time to move him to whole milk on schedule.

Your baby's eczema is more disturbing to you than to him. He will outgrow it, but I can't say enough for finding a good pediatric dermatologist. I went through three dermatologists before finding one who knew what he was looking at.

My daughter has had eczema, since she was born. What we do is make sure she is always lotioned up really good with Aveno lotion non scented, and keep her cool especially in the summer she has her flair ups when its hot. Its never really goes away, its a battle each and everyday. I actually also spoke with a allergist and he recommended we use Neutramegen Formula and that worked miracles even though it was alittle pricy. Be cautions on using the Hydocoticone too much it can discolor his skin.

Hey L.! I know how frustrated you must be...my daughter(now 11 months) has struggled with eczema since she was about 5 months, and we are just now getting it somewhat under control. I tried so many different things, but finaly found a few things that help a TON...Oatmeal bath is wonderful, I get the Aveeno brand (im sure any brand would work) and put that in her bath at night and it calms her skin, stops all that itching and redness, and adds a little more moisture. Also, there is a GREAT PRODUCT at Babies R US, called Triderma, its a new cream especially for babies with sensitive skin/eczema, and it has worked wonders for my little girl. Also, im not sure if your ped told you this, but, if his skin becomes really inflamed, you may want to try a dab of 1% hydrocortizone cream n all his red, itchy spots...that REALLY helps.
HOPE THIS HELPS SOME....GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Well, it seems that he doesn't want any foreign proteins right now, why not just go back to breastfeeding him? He's still so tiny, soon enough he'll be stealing food off your plate when you aren't looking! It's great that you are still breastfeeding and won't have to relactate. If you need to give bottles for work, the cost of a good pump will probably be less than specialized formula over the same time period.

If after two weeks back exclusively on the breast, no formula, he still has eczema, you may have a leaky gut. It's quite common in our culture, we eat so many processed foods and take so many antibiotics. What this means is that some dairy, egg, soy, wheat or other proteins (those are the most common) are getting into your breastmilk because your body isn't digesting them properly, allowing them to escape from your gut without fully breaking them down. Hopefully this won't happen, but if it does, you can eliminate the foods he's sensitive to from your diet and clear it up. The reason this could happen (when he didn't have eczema from your milk alone before) is because the high doses of the offending proteins in the formula sensitized his body.
My mother had to cut out eggs and dairy for one of my sisters who was severely allergic. For one of mine who was a sensitive spitter, I had to cut out dairy. But hopefully, just switching back to breastmilk alone should do the trick.

In a way it's good you got this heads up now, he certainly has allergies to some common foods- and now you know to be careful when it's time to introduce solids. Certainly not to introduce dairy or soy for the first year or two. You might want to ask for a referral to a pediatric allergist, so you'll have someone to call on when it's time to introduce solids. You might also try La Leche League for support.

HTH

L., I am sorry to hear that you are going through this with your young baby! My kids are very sensitive too. My son had rosacea; however, I put Renew lotion on him after every bath and it is completely contained. My cousin had eczema so bad that her hands were peeling and bleeding, and the Renew actually healed her completely. It is truely an amazing product when it comes to skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis. I started shopping with this on-line store over four years ago and I really love that I can purchase much safer products for my home and the environment. My kids will get a rash with most laundry detergents or kids wash; however, with these products their skin is clear and they have no reactions. I have really loved their products so much that I decided to do a home business with them a couple of months ago.

You can look at my site
www.switchingstores.com/danipen
and get more information if you like.

Good luck! D.

My pediatrician recommended Eucerin for my daughter's eczema. I use it after baths and after we have been outside. It has worked wonders for her. I have a co-worker who was battling several doctors for her son. He has extreme ezcema. One of the treatments recommended to her was light chlorine baths. It sounds like a barbaric treatment, but she swears it has helped tremendously since they started it.

The best thing that you can do for him is to go back to exclusive breastfeeding. Then perhaps start solids very gradually at approximately 7-8 months. Human milk is the superior infant food, specially designed for your baby, and is all he needs until sometime after the middle of the first year. Best wishes to you!

Sincerely,
J.

My neighbors boy had really bad eczema. She took him to the University of Michigan and they gave her some kind of cream, but the main thing was that he had food allergies and that is why he was having so much trouble. She cut out strawberries and bananas and a few other things and his skin improved a bunch. The problem didn't go away, but it was sooooo much better.

My son had an egg allergy that would make the eczema worse. Shea butter worked (and still works) for us. Immediately out of the bath tub, first thing in the morning, before nap -- slather it on as often as you can.

I have a 8 month old who has eczema and her doctor told me to by a over the counter cream called Aquaphor, its in the local lotion aisle. all eczema is, is extream dry skin. i am not sure what causes it to flair up, but i know the cream has been working for my daughter. i kept thinking she had an earache but the hope time she was iching. i hope this is a help to you

Hello L.,
I'm a mom that grew up with Eczema all my cildhood life until I meet this wonderful Dr. that cured my whole body. Yes I had it from my neck to my toes. Eczema is a disease that's inherted from someone in the family bloodlines. My Dr. Robert Jackson (dermatologist)had prescribe me and little sis something for a kid that was 2% medcine for a kid ,but once I was cleared of the disease all over my body it still comes back on me when it gets too hot or I have drank too many drinks. The acid brings out mor of the eczema in the skin and to tell you of your little one he does itch especially if it's reddish. He need to always have lope warm baths,keep cool (maybe powder will help to keep him cool), & always keep that area of the skin moisture with vaseline or neiva oil. My 5yr old son doesn't have any showing of it yet on his skin. My other two sibling only had it patches as they were kids ,but one of my nieces has it badly on arms and some areas of her legs.The joints are the most spots it will always start.I want you not to worry just follow some of my advice and see a Dermatologist. What I'm prescribe for the last 20yrs is Ultravate Cream 0.05% and I'm 39yrs old. OOH I have been taking swimming lesson and it did get a little inflamed because I waited until I got home to rinse off at home which is a no no for my skin condition. Wise u well with your little baby boy.
M. P.
Memphis,TN

I went through the exact same thing with my son. He is now 5 and we still have flare ups. We tried everything to find out what he was allergic to. Changed laundry soap, bath soaps, foods, and finally found out that my son is allergic to water... yes water. If he is in the water too long then he has a flare up. Really sucks for him in the summer time when he wants to go swimming. I have the eczema too but I am allergic to perfumed dish soap. Watch your son... yes it itches and my son would scratch the back of his knees until they would bleed. We tried all sorts of medicines too. But found that the hydrocortizone 10 that you can buy over the counter worked the best for him. Stopped the itching so he wouldn't scratch at the rash and then gave it time to heal up. We also cut down his bath time and how often he got baths until his skin could adjust. It doesn't have to be a food, it could be anything. Just keep an eye out and write down what you all were doing when the break outs get really bad. Good Luck!

this is what my son looked like...pics are on my personal website
http://www.theplyfamily.com the store I purchase lotions, soap, cleaners and laundry stuff is here http://www.switchingstores.com/fourply if I can be of further help feel free to call me at ###-###-#### cell or home ###-###-####

Hi L.. Someone may have already told you this but here goes. WE cleared my daughter's eczema completely when we started using all Melaleuca products. They manufacture everything from gentle, non toxic household cleaners, personal care products,vitamins, to the best lotion we ever used called Renew. There is an ingredient in many shampoos and body washes called quaternium 15. Not only is it a formaldehyde releaser, it is extremely irritating to eczema. The laundry detergent is pH balanced and made a big difference for my daughter. We love all of the products and the best thing is they are all backed by a 100% money back guarantee. So, you could try them out for a few months and just return them if you don't like them. I am confident that it would help you. I have four friends who have had the same great results. You can check them out at www.melaleuca.com. At the end of your "virtual tour" it will ask you to contact the person who told you about Melaleuca so you can then reach me at ____@____.com or ###-###-#### and I can show you how to start shopping with them.
C.