Eczema - Northfield, MN

My daughter was diagnosed with eczema when she was about 7 months old. She is 15 months old now and doing much better. She is however allergic to milk, dairy products, eggs and peanuts, so she was on soy formula and now on soy milk...but I don't think that makes a difference with the eczema. A couple things my doctor and allergist suggested were to use Lubriderm about 2-3 times a day on their skin to help keep it moist, especially right after baths when their skin is still damp. Also, limit baths to 2-3 times a week, use Dove or another gentle soap or even no soap if they're not extremely dirty, and never bubble baths or pronlonged baths, use tepid (slightly cool) water and pat the skin dry. In addition to that, use free and clear (perfume and dye free) laundry detergent (roundy's actually makes a brand which is much cheaper than name brands)and don't use fabric softner sheets; they tend to irritate the skin more. And finally, when they do have little breakout patches, use hydrocortisone ointment and it clears up within a day, I have found, and there are generic brands of that which work just find at Walgreens and Target. Hope that helps!

I didn't read the other responses but my three month old has eczema as well! He has it on his forehead which he is constantly scratching at! I use Aquaphor healing ointment on it! I put it on him at night before he goes to bed and put him in pajamas that fold over his hands! You will literally see the difference overnight! I swear by this stuff! It is a little pricey, but a little of it goes a long way! Good Luck!

they have a prescription that works great for it Elidel it is a non steroid cream a little greasy but very worth it my daughter (9 years old) has always had it and she has a prescription from her pediatrician for it and it has worked so well she hardly has to use it (she has been using it about 4 years or so) we also use suave with oatmeal lotion when her skin is healed and starting to get dry

My wife is a member of this site and informed me of this question. I am a dermatologist in the area. Here is the deal. Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a skin disorder with unknown cause. There is inflammation in the skin. Sometimes food allergies can make it worse, but patients usually have other allergic symptoms as well to the food or there is a distinctive correlation to eating the food and flares. The problem that I see a lot is that parents put babies, todlers, children on restrictive diets thinking that this can improve the eczema. They usually still have the eczema and can be undernourished.

If your baby has mild eczema, try these steps:
1. give your child a bath daily if it is not to cumbersome for you. bathing does not dry out your skin, it is not putting on moisturizers after the bath that can. studies show that you need to apply moisturizers withing 3 minutes after getting out of the bath or you can dry out more.
2. use soaps without fragrance (j&j products have fragrance, so avoid). try aveeno or cetaphil or oilatum.
2. apply copious aquaphor or cetaphil cream right after the bath.

if this isn't working, your child may need a mild topical steroid to calm down the inflammation. You may get other information on this site, but this is how we treat eczema at the major children's hospital where we see a lot of babies.

hope this helps.

my 11 mo old had eczema so bad he was given a steroid cream my husband and I where no ok with giving him steroids so we talked to a friend of ours and where told to give 1/2 of an avocado per day and after each bath to massage in olive oil this has worked wonderful and have not had to use anything else....I hope if you try this it works as well as it did for us....good luck!

There is a whole line of products called Mustela. They have some cleansers and creams for sensitive and gentle skin. My son had eczema on his face and arms this is the only product I found that worked. They also have some shampoos for cradle cap that worked wonderful. You can find it at some of the large Bath and Body works or on line. www.mustela.com
they will give you a list of stores in your area that have certain products and on line retailers.
C. L

C. --
As a grown-up who STILL suffers from very sensitive skin, I know how frustrating it is to deal with eczema. I have mostly outgrown mine, though on occasion I will have dry scratchy spots. The very best lotion I have found is called Vanicream. Their website is www.psico.com I use it on my 6 mo. old son, my doctor says it's the best stuff out there. I usually can find it in the pharmacy section, and always at the local hospitals. I put it on immediately after I get out of the shower, and actually I use it throughout the day.
I have also found that in general, I have better luck with the organic soaps and detergents than with regular kinds.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me.
Good luck! I hope some of these suggestions work for you.

Hi C., Changing the formula won't reduce the eczema. I have two sons that have it. One is 7 months and the other is 9. I wonder have you discussed this with your pediatrician? I just wonder how sevier is your baby's eczema because based on that it may require diffrent types of treatments. I use Aveeno soothing relief baby cream on my 7 month old. It works well and he has not had any flair ups in a while. I put it on him day and night. My 9 year old has very bad eczema. I have to use Eucerine cream for him and a cream prescribed by his pediatrician. My doctor suggest bathing everyday and only using soaps on the areas that really need it. She prefers plain water baths. I use aveeno or dove sensitive soap. Gentle naturals has a great eczema line of soaps, lotions, and itch sprays. I buy those from time to time. Its just a bit expensive. Its in the baby section of stores.

Hi, C....

Our son had some eczema at about the same age (he is now 8 months ). At the time, he was in to the pediatric dermatologist for a vascular birthmark. The doc also ended up treating the eczema. He said that we should not get a prescription, but instead to get Aquaphor or Eucerin. He also said not to buy the over the counter baby eczema creams. We ended up getting Baby Aquaphor (same ingredients as the adult version but cheaper for more). We put it on his cheeks after his bath each evening. It worked great! Also, he said it was not a result of what he was eating...at the time he was getting breastmilk exclusively. We started introducing formula and cereal part of the time after that, and it didn't make it worse. Hope that helps!

Blessings,
V.

My nephew had it, and its something that will have to take its course. They got some creams for that. Not much you can do besides that. Good luck and remember, it goes away.

I don't agree that "you just have to live with it until they outgrow it." Eczema is an allergic reaction to some sort of trigger. It is essential, but not always easy, to find and eliminate the trigger. For my kids who were breast-fed, eliminating dairy from MY diet seemed to do the trick. I would definitely experiment with diet - switch to soy formula and see how that goes. Take away anything that could be a potential allergen (soaps, foods, pet dander, etc.) To help with the dryness, we would use Vitamin E caps (just cut them open spread gel directly on skin). We also liked Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream(available at Target). Even though it is petroleum based, it has some extras like calendula and aloe that we liked more than just Aquafor or Vaseline. If the condition persists, I would try to find a holistic doctor who may be able to help. I think a traditional pediatrician, dermatologist or allergist would probably be more likely to prescribe hydrocotisone or other steroid cream. I agree that you should try all else before resorting to any prescription creams!

My first child had problems with eczema also, and I followed what the Dr said and put some strong prescription stuff on him- was not happy with it once I researched more on those creams! With my other 2 boys I found some great washes/lotions/baby oils that have done the trick! Let me know if you want more info, good luck!!

C.,

My little one has eczema too and what worked for us is Cetaphil liquid soap to wash him, it's almost like washing with lotion. I have even used that for his shampoo and his hair looks great, I was worried it would not be a strong enough soap for his hair but no problem. For lotion we use Aquaphor, I started with the "baby" Aquaphor that I found at Babies R Us and then just switched to the big round jar. The Aquaphor makes him look SLICK which kind of bothered me in the beginning but then I realized better a slick baby then an itchy one :) His eczema comes and goes but it's so much better now. Now if he does have it his skin just feels dry in spots, it's not red or blotchy. Good luck!!

My oldest son who is almost 7 had has had eczema since he was about 3 months old. He had is so bad and would scratch himself all the time. It was awful. We went to the dermatologist and he went through mny different creams and ointments and liquid medications to help stop the itching. Gradually it has been better as he has gotten older and now we just use Aquaphor everyday before bed. My youngest is 9 months old and has a mild case of it also. We use a perscription lotion and aquaphor for him, even though we have a scheduled dermatologist's appointment for him. I did find that elidel and euciren cream did not work as well. What you're not supposed to do is bathe everday. It dries out the skin. It should be every few days and don't always use soap or shampoo and pat their skin dry when you take them out. Also pets mke it worse that you should keep them out of their room and keep their crib free of stuffed animals and lots of blankets. But usully it goes away with age. Good luck!

use Eurcin (can't spell) but it is an awesome product

My son also has eczema and here are some suggestions that his doctor gave me. Only bathe him once or twice a week at the most, increase the humidity in your house or at least in his room and make sure that you are using dreft laundry soap on his clothes. I also used 1% hydrocortisone cream 2 times a day for two weeks, and tried Gentle Naturals baby eczema cream both worked pretty good. His doctor also suggested using a lotion for sensitive or hypoallergenic skin such as Curelle, lubriderm or aquophor. If it doesn't get better you can get a prescription for a higher strength hydrocortisone cream which is what we ended up having to do. I hope this helps. C. V

Hi. All of my four children have had eczema issues. I think that there has been some studies connecting milk products to eczema and that might be something you'd have to explore if you have him on cow's milk formula. However, I didn't feed my kids milk or formula and they all still had problems. With my first, I tried just leaving it alone - I thought that if I put lotion on it, it might become dependent. His wasn't that bad of a case and after time it did go away. I couldn't ignore it with my third or fourth. It gets so bad that it itches, opens and oozes. I know it is eczema b/c it's being watched by several doctors. With them, I have to lotion them up twice daily. That seems to help, for the most part. It still will get bad, though, and when it does, I use hydrocortizone just on the patch and follow it with eucerin and then more frequent lotioning until it's back to under control. Good luck. I know this can be frustrating!
- M.
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My son had (and still has a little) eczema too. We found the most success with using hydrocortizone cream which was recommended by his pediatrician and baby eczema cream after his baths. The hydrocortizone is just over the counter stuff. The baby eczema cream is in the baby aisle at Target. My son's eczema significantly improved with these two things. Use the hydrocortizone first then put the cream over it. The cream is thick and kind of petroleum based, so I usually used it after a bath and them put on his pajamas so it didn't get all over everything. Good luck!

Our son just turned two, and has had the same problem since he was tiny. Our doctor just told us to change laundry detergent to All Free and Clear. We found this at Sam's Club. She also said we shouldn't use dryer sheets, as the fragrances in them are bad for eczema. We also switched to Cetaphil soap for baths. The best lotion we have found for our son is Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion. Our son's skin gets so bad behind the knees it will bleed and scab over. At those times, we use small amounts of hydrocortizone cream, then cover him in the Gold Bond lotion. Our doctor said hydrocortizone cream is fine, but that we shouldn't expose the skin to sun immediately following this application as it will bleach the skin where it was applied. Switching soaps hasn't made the eczema go away, but it has helped lessen the symptoms.

Have you seen a doctor about the eczema? My daughter developed the same thing when she was about the same age, and it turned out she had food allergies. They can test with a blood test to find out for sure. Depending if you baby does have food allergies will determine if changing formula will help. They can also give you a perscription cream that will help with the itching. Hydracortozone also helps, but you don't want to use it long term. If your baby does have food allergies I have a lot of good info on that topic, having been through it. My daughter is now 3 1/2. she still has her food allergies, but now she rarely ever gets eczema because we know what causes it and can avoid it. She ended up being allergic to wheat (which is the allergy that causes her eczema), eggs, nuts & fish (which have a different reaction for her). For her we noticed the eczema show up shortly after we stopped breast-feeding her and put her on formula. We didn't know about the wheat allergy until she was almost one... and it was probably just that there were wheat fillers added to her formula. So it could be something very simple that is causing your baby to have this reaction. I would meet with your doctor or even a pediatric allergist and request a blood test for your baby. Good luck! And please feel free to contact me if you have food allergy questions.
C.

Try switching to soy formula, its usually best for helping with a gassy baby but perhaps your baby has developed an alergy to the formula, laundry soap, (try dreft) try a cream based lotion not a lotion because they are creamier. Try to stay away lanlolin (spelling) somthing this might make it worse. good luck

If it's just on the body then I use
Gentle Naturals baby eczema cream-use 1-2x a day
Gentle Naturals eczema baby wash-it's used as a soak
Aveeno baby soothing relief creamy wash-used as body wash and I've also washed my daughters hair with it
Cortaid 1% Hydrocortisone-it's a steriod my doctor told me to use 1-2x week when real bad
My doctor said I could use Aquaphor after a bath. Just blot dry and smoother it all over. We bathe at night so it really soaks in overnight
I also use just regular frag. free lotion. Just make sure your child stays lotioned up.

I have been dealing with the same thing you are.... My son is almost 6 months. He started getting rashes before he was a month old and his skin became extremely dry. When he was 2 months he had real bad cradle cap as well as very dry skin and rash so the dr changed his formula to the Similac Alimentum. I sees it was almost immediate that you could see a change with his skin. Then a couple months ago his skin became really dry again and NOTHING seemed to work. I must have tried everything that you can buy online at the stores even did the all natural like castor oil which is an amazing oil, did the blending oatmeal to a powder form and putting it in the bath water I mean nothing worked. Brought him back to the Dr last week Friday and the Dr prescribed Zyrtec to give him every morning, a medicated ointment to put on 2x a day and Crisco Shortening. When he said that I was like really? Well within 3 days his skin was 10000% better. He was scratching so much that he would make his legs bleed. He hasn't scratched his legs at all and his skin feels soft. See if your dr thinks alimentum is an option. That formula is amazing. It smells awful and is a little pricey but it is great for babies with milk allergies and babies that have a hard time breaking down the protein in milk.

All natural soaps and lotions free of chemicals and artifical-preservatives have been the trick for us as well as keeping milk to a minimum and nuts out. Laudry detergents that are fragrance and chemical and artifical preservative free. We use all the baby line from Daisy Blue Naturals. I am also now a consultant for the discount. Our dr. diagnosed eczema at 3 months and then suggeted cortizone and eiledel (elidel was also later blacklabled by FDA as not safe for children under 2 cancer causing) we found the relief we were looking for going the all natural skincare route and we feel really good about our decision. Its now very undercontrol and she's 2 1/2 no presrciptions or flareups for over a year. Daisy Blue offers a 60 day money back guarentee....let me know if you want more detail. I have posted n his before and several others have found simular releif.

My daughter also has eczema I have been told it's common to have if your african american or have asthma. We are not african american but my daughter does have very mild asthma. I think milk makes my daughter (age5) worse. I hardly ever give her milk, usually only with cereal and at school. I wish I could give her more milk but I swear it makes it worse. I have also noticed our dry winters make it horrible. We went to Florida in January and within a few hours of being there her skin was better, and before we left it was so soft and perfect. But we can't live in Florida so we do what we can. I haven't had any luck with prescriptions from the doctor.

The only thing that works for us and works good is our little regim. I buy the generic Eucerin creme at Walmart in a tub called Dry skin creme.It's extremely cheaper than name brand I wanna say 8 dollars cheaper. I give my daughter a bath and I limit her baths like twice a week in the winter and very quick baths no bubbles ever. When she get's out she stands up like she's being patted down by the police and I put the creme on her so thick like 1/2 inch atleast on every nook and cranny.I then put long sleved jammies on her so it can soak in and not make her sheets a mess. She wakes up with nice skin not perfect but almost. It's hard to keep up with this but it's the only thing that works for us. In the summer things are much much better and she can have more baths.

Baby lotions, oils, and regular lotion doens't come close to working. Prescriptions are a pain and I haven't had any real sucess from them. Infact some prescriptions stain clothes.

I also noticed that when I took my daughter to the new Tropical Rain Forest thing at Como Zoo it's super hot and tropical in there magically her eczema cleared up. I know that seems weird we were only in the exhibit for maybe 20min. but it did. Maybe you could take a trip to Como Zoo LOL!

They say you can outgrow eczema but so far we haven't. Good luck!

Hi there! My son had eczema for a while....I used Aveeno baby lotion - and that seemed to clear it right up! My pediatrician said that babies can have eczema on and off for up to a year. Though it may be itchy for baby, the rash doesn't really do any harm. Or, as another mother said mustela is a wonderful line to try. Also, if the baby Aveeno doesn't seem to provide relief try Aquafor cream. I prefer the Aveeno though, it has natural ingredients (oatmeal) that won't be so intense on baby's skin. Also, use an all natural baby wash when you bathe baby. I hope this helps!

LRC

My oldest has had eczema since around 2 months old and I hate to tell ya but its probably from the formula, and since he has it already switching probalby won't make a difference, he'll now either have to outgrow it or live with it.

Equate Dry skin cream (it is in a white tub with a twist off lid at Wal Mart) is what works for us. ITs super thick sticky cream. We've had prescrips, OTC meds, liquid meds, derm visits, allergy testing, just about everything you can think of. A doctor told us how eczema works, and after tons of research myself, and now that its 'in his bloodstream' he'll have it or outgrow it around 10/15. Basically he was exposed to something before his 'gut' was sealed, and I breastfed but intro'd formula like most parents becaus eI had bad information about formula and breastfeeding.

ANYWAY, warm baths every night, followed by the dry skin cream, and apply it again in the morning. DO NOT USE HYDROCORTIZONE CREAM! it can weaken the skin making it more susceptable to breakouts, and it has been linked to cataracts in the eyes, so don't use it.

Giving our daughter Acidopholous (sp?) in her milk has really helped. Skin irritations are reactions to something going on in the body.. they're simply symptoms of something bigger. Its very easy to get paracites (sp?) from things we ingest. He's too young to do a colon cleanse on, but that's what I'd reccomend when he's about a year.

My children had the same problem. My uncle sells watkins products and they make a red clover salve that works wonders for Eczema and it is totally all natural. you could look up watkins on google and you should be able to find it

Hi C., boy this brings back alot of memories. For my son who from a few days after birth was covered with eczema, the soy formula helped. When you go to baby cereal, the rice based might be better. Always introduce one new food at a time, so you can identify if something triggers a new rash.

Also, control the enviroment. Pets may worsen things. Your laundry soap you use on the baby's things, including bedding can be a big culprit. Use a soap like "Ivory Snow", and no fabric softener additives. The doctor prescribed a cream of Eucerin with a low dose of cortisone. We "greased" him up all over, especially his ears which looked so bad like they were ready to fall off! Poor thing!

If your baby is scratching alot, you will have to put little socks on his hands to stop him from making it worse. Scratching seems to increase the itch too.

Definitely ask your baby's doctor about any creams that can help. Eventually, it can get better; my son's was a bad case that finally seems under control - he's 21 now :-)

Congrats on your baby, and good luck! Pam.

You might want to consider using non toxic products for your son. The store brand products usually have chemicals that are toxic and can case skin irritations. I know you can get some of these products at Target and online. I have a product line that I use, just email me if you want more info.