Itchy Baby or Excema?

My 3 year old has similar symptoms. This is going to sound weird, but it really works for us. I have stopped using all laundry soap. I use baking soda and vinegar in the wash. I do not use dryer sheets, as they are irritating to him, too. If the clothes are particularly smelly (daddy's workout clothes, little guy wet the bed, etc), I put in about 1 tsp of Dawn dishsoap. It really works.
I miss the "clean" smell of clothes, but we don't have to deal with any itching or bleeding any more. Also, both of my boys sleep better now, too!

My daughter has excema here is what I do. When she was younger I would not let her play in the bath tub (I know I am mean). However I proved my point to my mom that when she sits in the tub she breaks out and when she is only in the tub to bath it is not as bad. However in the last 2 months she has started taking showers and I have yet to see her break out. the other thing that we have done is to stay away from any baby soaps (Johnson and Johnson shampoo and soap) I switched her to Dove body soap per her dermatologist (sp?). Now for lotions we use Aveeno. I used the Aveeno bath soap for excema and when I told the dermatologist she said not to use it, just because it says it is good or safe for excema it is not. Finally on to the laundry, I only use Cheer or Tide Free (dye and perfume free) and no dryer sheets, instead I use dryer balls. Also keep a log of what color of clothes you are putting on your son and see if he could be allergic to a certain color. We are 95% sure that my daughter is alergic to blue dyes. Everytime she wears bluejeans she breaks out behind her knees.
I feel sorry for you that your son does not break out in red or pink dry spots that you can see. I know this is hard and trying on a mom. My daughter has had excema since she was under a year old.

I just wanted to add that itch creams are safe for your baby but read the label! It shouldn't be applied more than a couple times a day for a few days in a row. It has a steroid in it and steroid creams thin the skin, so use it but just be cautious.

It could be diet related, but we're going through very similar things with my son right now too and I've asked the doctor TONS of food related questions. He said that 80% of kids who have food issues under the age of 1 grow out of them by 1 year. He also said that unless he gets a severe rash or blisters by the mouth that we don't need to cut that thing out of his diet just yet. After one year, if he's still having issues, is probably a better time for testing and experimenting.

Lastly, don't know if anyone mentioned it but we really like Aquaphor lotion. It's almost like Vaseline and it's a bit greasy, but I haven't had an issue with it leaving marks on the sheets or ruining his pajamas and we really like it and it seems to help the most on our baby!

I agree try free and clear detergent (like All Free and Clear...I switched to that from Tide Free and it seems to be better for my sensitive skin. The "baby" detergents have fragrance to make them smell sweet, but that's not good for sensitive skin) and you don't need fabric softenener (I found I didn't need it anymore on anything when I switched to All) (and remember, if you use it on your clothes, he is in contact with those too). I would stop using J&J lotion...try burt's bees or California Baby or something (look at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ to see how your current products rate for safety and to find a better alternative). It could also be a food allergy...think about what changed in his diet (or yours if you are BFing) when the itching started. Wheat, dairy and eggs are common culprits, but it could really be anything. (my daughter, almost 4, has always struggled with food allergies but just recently has her first eczema and I think it's due to corn syrup or a food dye). Good luck.

Did anyone mention dairy products?
I would eliminate any dairy and see what happens.

Hi there. My 6 month old son has similar symptoms. The pediatrician said that it is dermititis and that he might outgrow it. She prescribed hydrocortisone cream and it is doing the trick. We were using Aveeno bath and lotion, but now switched to Johnson and Johnson and Cetaphil cream. It is horrible! My son scratches the tip near his ear and bleeds and scratches his face. We use Dreft for his detergent. For a couple of weeks we just bathed him in plain water. We are now watching to see if he is allergic to squash or sweet potatoes and are stopping his stage 1 foods for a few days to see. Good luck!

ok, first of all, GET RID OF THE JOHNSONS. that stuff is horrible. it is loaded with formaldehyde which is a caustic chemical that can cause skin conditions and itching. My son was the same way and once i got rid of that stuff he was instantly better.

You have had a LOT of great suggestions! they are all right. you need to get a new shampoo, body wash, laundry detergent, etc. I dont know if you are comfortable buying on-line, but thats what i started doing, because it is a lot cheaper then trying to buy the naturally based stuff at the grocery store.

check out http://www.HealthySafeAndClean.com there is info on caustic chemicals and how it can cause skin issues and itching. if you fill out an information request and include that you are wanting information on your sons skin and caustic chemical free options, someone will call to help explain things. Dont worry, they are a non-profit team. they wont try to sell you anything. lol.

I have eczema, and I can tell you this--the J&J baby wash & lotions totally INFLAMED my hands. Dove soap or Aveeno works best for me. You might want to switch to free & clear detergents as well.

My DD had eczema when she was an infant and still has dry skin. You can use the Cetaphil soap at bathtime-you can get the bar-much cheaper that way. We also use free and clear laundry detergent and normally no fabric softener. We use aveeno baby lotion (in the tube) or the vasaline intensive on her, the vasaline kind is really good-it just came out a couple years ago.

My daughter is the same way.. she does have excema of the hair follicles, I use Dreft soap and Aveeno baby wash and lotion( even for her hair) On the itchy spots I use Cortizone cream mixed with lotion. She has been taking zyrtec for a while now.. I think you have to be 2 to take that though, but it really helps with her itching. Have you tired elimianting dairy? I find it that if she eats eggs, or milk( she usually drinks soy) she itches constantly