My son has eczema, but since he started crawling he has developed dry, scaly patches on the front of his ankles. Sometimes the area will ooze a little bit too. I have been moiturizing with Eucerin after baths, putting on Aquaphor and socks to protect the area while he is crawling, and using hydrocortizon to try to manage the outbreaks. We have a Dr's appt in a week, but I can't help but think that it must hurt him, though he does leave it alone completely; never scratches or rubs at his feet.
Has anyone else had this problem? How did you get rid of the outbreaks. Will it go away when he starts walking?
Hi,
We went to the Dr on Friday, and she prescribed Derma Smoothe for us. So far, it has started to quickly clear up the dry scaly patches like nothing I have used before, and my son is no longer scratching at his ankles.
Thanks for all your input, I appreciate how helpful everyone is willing to be on Mamasource
My grandson was allergic to an enzyme in milk. It took about 3 months after he was given a milk substitute before the rashes cleared up. (It takes a long time for it to work out of the tissues, especially the younger they are.)
My daughter had very bad case of eczema. I toold her to doctor after doctor..I was given this lotion and that cream...one doctor even told me to put crisco on her. I was livid when I heard that, so, I made the decision to take her to a dermatologist. He was wonderful! He mixed up a lotion made of part cetaphyl and part something else. IT WORKER WONDERS on her! She had such a severe case of eczema that she would claw and scratch until he skin was in sore patches at the folds of her body..the inside of her elbows, behind her knees, and on top of her ankles. The oozing was so bad that her socks would stick to her skin..and she would scream her head off when I tried to remove her socks beause they were adhered to her skin. This lotion that the doctor made up was wonderful. I remember moving and having to take the bottle to the new doctors when we would move with the military, so that they could see what this lotion contained in order to make out the prescription. Anyway...my suggestion would be to take you son to a dermatologist, but in the mean time, use cetaphyl that you can get over-the-counter, and maybe aveeno oatmeal baths. Good Luck!
J.
I have had eczema my whole life, first I would recommend not bathing him much...second I would not use the lotion you are using....lotions have always hurt me. I found that sesame and olive oil are the best. You can saturate his ankles and put socks on before bed. for less severe outbreaks it will be gone in the morning, more severe make take another day or so. It's inexpensive, natural and something you probably have on hand already....
My son has eczema caused by allergies. It turns out he is allergic to grass and mesquite trees. We have grass in the backyard and living in AZ you can't avoid mesquite trees. Our dog was brining in grass and tree pollens from outside and it was getting in our carpet causing break-outs when ever we played on the floor or with our dog. Our allergist recommended childrens Zyrtec which has worked but is only for children 2 yrs and older. We could not find a lotion that helped until the allergist recommend Vanicream, this lotion is wonderful. You can only get it from the pharmacy and you do not need a prescription, it is thick and non-greasy but it cost about $16. We apply the lotion twice daily and we have a very low dose steroid cream that we put on his eczema patches when they appear. Our pediatrician didn't refer us to an allergist until my son was 2 yrs old, I think they finally got sick of me brining him in because of skin issues. We were also advised by our allergist to use Dove sensitive skin body wash and upon making this change we have noticed a huge difference.
I read that yogurt - probiotics can help. Surely can't hurt.
Have you ever heard of Arbonne? They have AMAZING products that soak INTO the skin and help moisturize they're also PH correct, botanically based and don't use ANY harmful ingredients, my daughter had such bad eczema at 3 weeks old that my doctor wanted to put her on the steroid cream and I refused she was so little and although I couldn't touch her naked body, with out imagining how much it must have burned, I refused. I used Arbonne's Baby line and she was 100% better in less than a week! I was so thankful! my daughter is 3 yrs old now and has not had an outbreak like that since! she did have a small patch on her chest in the beginning of this summer and I used my rejuvenating cream (also Arbonne) and it went away by the next day. They have tons of stuff and you really don't HAVE to buy the baby line although it's the best buy with all that comes with it and it lasts forever... they have other stuff that would work too. but if you do get the baby line after bathing use the body oil first then the lotion, and then apply the oil and lotion whenever you remember. I'm sure there are Arbonne consultants in your area and if there aren't I'd be happy to help you get the product either with my membership or helping you get your own, you can look at their website www.arbonne.com and see if it's something you'd want to do. I know everyone I've told about it has been thrilled, I hope this helps.
Also, I learned that while using Aquaphor and Eucerin or ANY product with mineral oil may seem like it's protecting and soothing, it's not healing because it doesn't absorb into the skin... that's why it hasn't gone away so if you don't decide to go with Arbonne, try using a VERY MILD soap, like the natural alternative you can find at Babies r us or a health food store or the natural section ion the grocery store (not popular name brand) find something NATURAL it's more likely to not have harmful ingredients and it is probably more ph correct than more "popular brands" and switch to a lotion that doesn't contain mineral oil or petroleum products, you'll have a better time with it. Do not use Baby oil from the grocery store unless it says the ingredients are botanicals because all baby oil is, is mineral oil.
there is a fun quick project you can try at home, take 2 saltine crackers, smother one in baby oil, the other just plain and place them both in a dish of water see what happens.
R.,
My son has eczema too and we use cetaphil on his skin. It doesn't contain soap and you can use it with or without water. We also give our son a bath everyday to keep his skin moisturized. We stopped using Eucerin and Aquaphor because it stings when you put it on, especially when it's weeping (oozing). My son would scream when I put it on him after his baths. The doctor prescribed 2.5% hydrocortizone instead of the regular 1% you get in the drugstore. I use Baby Aveeno on him to keep his skin moisturized during the day. The doctor told us that Eczema is food related and we found that the milk-based formula was causing it and switched to soy based. His skin cleared up within weeks. I hope this helps.
T.
Kids who get eczema often have family members with hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. Some scientists think these children may be genetically predisposed to get eczema, which means characteristics have been passed on from parents through genes that make a child more likely to get it.
About half of the kids who get eczema will also someday develop hay fever or asthma themselves. Eczema is not an allergy itself, but allergies can trigger eczema. Some environmental factors (such as excessive heat or emotional stress) can also trigger the condition.
Specific triggers may tend to make eczema worse, flare-ups can be prevented or improved by avoiding possible triggers such as:
******harsh soaps and detergents
******allowing the skin to become too dry
pollen
mold
dust
animal dander
dry winter air with little moisture
certain fabrics (such as wool or coarsely woven materials)
certain skin care products, perfumes, and colognes (particularly those that contain alcohol)
tobacco smoke
some foods (Which foods may be eczema triggers depends on the person, but dairy products and acidic foods like tomatoes seem to be common culprits.)
emotional stress
excessive heat
sweating
I advocate for families to get rid of harsh chemicals in the home. My business, Green Kidz R Us, educates families about the dangers of chemcials in the name brand products they purchase at the local store. I offer solutions and options so that families can have the safest environment possible for their homes.
K.
www.GreenKidzRUs.com - watch the videos
If you're open to trying something new, consider seeing a "classical" homeopath. Skin conditions are the body's way of releasing a sort of illness in the body. Traditional (allopathic) medicine supresses the illness deep into the body where it can return later as something else. For example, homeopaths have found a connection between eczema and asthma.
The first session is usually 2 hours and about $200. No, insurance doesn't cover it, but it is well worth it. Follow up sessions are usually an hour and are around $60, but not many follow up sessions are typically needed.
The best homeopathic college in the nation is here in Phoenix. Maybe you could start there.
B.
California Baby is sold at health food stores, such as Whole Foods and Sunflower Market, and makes wonderful, odor free products. My baby had eczema as well on the chin with horrible itching and redness. I used the Calendula cream which comes in a small tub and applied liberally throughout the day. It eliminates the redness right away and the itching very quickly as well. Weleda can also be found at health food stores and makes baby products and are very good as well. I would definitely try the California Baby Calendula cream, especially because your appt. is a week away and the baby's skin is so delicate! My daughter would help me rub it on and it didn't burn or irritate any further before it cleared the eczema up!
Good luck!
R.
It sounds infected, you should long socks or pants on him while he's crawling, he might be having a reaction to your carpet.
Instead of a product that contains skin-irritating chemicals you might want to try a completely natural skin cleanser, vitamin C serum and moisturizer. There are a lot of toxic things in "baby" products and even (especially) in things "prescribed" by your doctor. Be very careful what you put on your baby's skin - skin is the body's largest organ - it both eliminates waste (through the pores) as well as absorbs nutrition (as in topically applied products). If you are applying anything with MINERAL OIL in it STOP. It clogs the pores so waste can't be eliminated nor nutrition absorbed. I can give you a researched list of some highly toxic ingredients often included in products labeled "natural" which you can check your baby's product labels against. I can also suggest a completely natural and extremely high quality product line made from wild grown Amazon rainforest botanicals that works on all skin types and ages. The herbal extracts have been proven to protect skin and repair damage naturally by providing the body with the things it needs to help itself - without harmful or toxic ingredients. You could actually eat this skin care system and it wouldn't do you any harm. It literally feeds skin the nutrients it needs to be healthy. It's never too late - or too early - to start repairing the body. Feel free to contact me for any more information.
My daughter was born with excema. Take him off milk, and it will clear up.
R.,
I am so glad that you are not comfortable using all of those products and what the Dr is going to suggest! My son had the same problem and until I starting using Arbonne, it didn't clear up. I tried EVERYTHING.
I can help you! Using products that are pH correct, botanically based and pure is the answer. Have you ever heard of Arbonne? The products are amazing and there are many testimonials besides my of helping eczema.
I would love to send you a sample and share more with you.
the best lotion for eczema is melaleuca's renew lotion. It is better than Eucerin but from what I hear, Eucerin is good too. You may know someone who is a member of Melaleuca and you can order the renew from them...Just thought I'd let you know. I've used it for over a year and it is the ONLY thing that has helped me and I only used it once a day. Now I hardly ever have to use it anymore and I've struggled with this with the doctors for 13 years...
Hi R.,
My son experienced everything that you have described. We didn't have much luck with doctor advice but we did take a chance and consulted a Chinese herbalist. After seeing him we were able to cure and control our sons eczema. He explained to us that eczema is the body's way of releasing toxins that are building up in the digestive track. When the digestive track/ system slows, it creates stagnant food and if it cannot be released through the bowel it releases itself through the skin. Sugar is the main culprit for slowing down the digestive system. So we omitted all sugar, including fruit. It wasn't easy but we stuck to a veggie, root vegetable, low meat, and low wheat diet for a few months.(It was recommended by our herbalist to try to keep him off the fruit for at least 4-6 months.) We were amazed at how quickly he was cleared of all his eczema. We bathed him in luke warm water with no soap and when we washed his hair we washed it with a very light, non-fragrant, herbal shampoo at the very end of his bath, this was to prevent him from sitting in the soapy water. Aquaphor after his bath in the most serious of places worked better then anything herbal we tried. Cetaphil lotion was recommended by our doc for a head to toe moisturizer. But by that point we had already found a natural product that was taking care of that, pure shea butter.
Our boy is 15 months now and we reintroduced fruits just last month. We have taken it slow and so far all is clear.
I hope this helps you. It was a life saver for us.
Best of luck, A. W.
My daughter too had eczema as a baby. Most eczema is food allergy related, believe it or not! So first off I would start narrowing down food groups to find the culprit. In the mean time Eucerin and the Aquaphor (how ever you spell it) tends to burn the eczema. I recommend aveeno eczema cream and also anything with tea tree oil in it. The tea tree oil really helps the healing process and the itching and scaling.
I worked with a little boy who had really bad eczema and got it there. the only thing that seemed to make it better was the aquaphor. we put it on at daycare everytime we changed him, before and after nap and everytime he washed his hands. I know that his parents were doing the same thing. the scaly red patches at the wrist elbow and ankle did eventually die down. it took everyone being really diligent about applying the aquaphor.
