Eczema Help?

Updated on April 06, 2008
L.S. asks from Westfield, IN
56 answers

I have a 4 month old experiencing problems with eczema on his head, arms and back. The doctor has not prescribed anything other than over the counter remedies. Aquaphor, cetaphil. I apply cream at least 3 times a day and have been using 1/2% cortizone as well. My son seems uncomfortable and I think it interrupts his sleep as his itches. a friend had a prescription cream mixted with cetaphil plus a desonide cream for her son's head. I am not sure if use of these are ok or why my doc would not suggest them. My question is has anyone tried anything they feel is success in clearing up the problem? I am also breastfeeding and was advised to eliminate all diary? did this work for anyone. I will do anything to make my son feel better and help clear his skin. Thank you

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So What Happened?

Oh my goodness thank you so very much for all your responses. The biggest surprise to me was I never really found a pattern of things that worked for anyone. Seemed many had a remedy that worked for them. Through mamasoure a wonderful sweet Arbonne consultant has sent me products to try. I am currently giving them a try but it has only been for 2 days. His face improves during the day and then by morning it is red and irriated looking again. I am going to continue to fight it by applying cream. I did find out in the book what to expect the first year not to use vegetable fats or oils or petroleum jelly(such as Vaseline). When looking at products I was shocked at the ones I was using with petroleum jelly. I have stopped using them as of yesterday. Thank you all so very much for your input I can not believe what help I receieved and it was so helpful and thoughtful. Thank you again I pray all of us can be eczema free and our kids. It does not look like fun. Blessings! L.

Featured Answers

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S.F.

answers from Canton on

Hi L.,
My two year old son also has eczema and we first bath him using the cetaphil soap then we use the 1% cortizone cream then we put lotion on top of the cortizone cream and this seems to really work for him.

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T.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

Hi my niece had severe eczema from birth and is now 4 years old and doing great. She was so bad that she would rub her arms and legs on the carpet until she bled. My sister-in-law was given all kinds of prescription meds but they didn't work. I do remember that you have to be careful with the cortizone cream though because it thins the skin. They found something called hydrolatum which is similar to eucerin and aquaphor but a little different and not as greasy. This is the one thing that started to work....you get it at the pharmacy by asking the pharmacist if they can order it for you. It comes in a 1 lb tub or a tube and is under $10. I know that Target pharmacy can order it and usually get it in about a day. Good luck.

Tabitha

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A.G.

answers from Cleveland on

My 20 month old has eczema and has since she was born. Eliminating dairy was a very big help. I also have a lotion that I use with the break outs. It helps with my eczema as well. I am a stay at home mom but part time I work for a company called BeautiControl. That is where I get the lotion. I have had ezcema my entire life and this is the only thing I have found that works for me and some other people I know. I also use dye/fragrance free laundry detergent and sheets. If you want to know more about it you can contact me through my web site beautipage.com/ashley0711 or e-mail me. Hope this info helps.

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M.K.

answers from Cleveland on

I would stat by looking at everything that touches the baby's skin. I have a 5 year old who has had skin problems since she was born. I had to cut out baths except once a week. I had to buy diapers that didn't have a scent to them. I had to change to a dye free, fragrance free detergent. I never did stop her ezcema, but it's under control. She's also allergic to pets and alot of other things. That actually plays a part, the allergies and also her mood did too.

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S.W.

answers from Toledo on

Hi L.
It could be as simple as the product you are useing to wash your child with. I actually am in the health and wellness industry and I know that alot of children are having problems even with the "baby washes" out there. The over the counter remedies could be aggrevating his issue. Does he take any kind of vitamins? That also is very important in helping out with eczma. My name is S. and I would be glad to talk to you more about it.

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K.P.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi L.. The same thing happened to my daughter around the same age and I used a cream that I use on my own face. I used Neutrogena Emulsion. You can get it at CVS. Its the best cream in the whole world. I still use it on my daughter. The baby lotions just don't do it for her. Make sure you get frangrance free. Good luck!

K. P.
Euclid, OH

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S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

My daughter is 4 and she has eczema. i used all the items you said you used but I also use Aveeno eczema lotion. She likes it. It calms the itch for her.

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M.F.

answers from Dayton on

Hello L.,

I have read several of the other suggestions that you have received. I agree with a few of them. I can relate to your situation. My son has a major case of eczema, and we did find that he also has several allergies to different foods. He is a twin and his sister has several allergies to different foods but does not have the eczema. So it is really hard to say if it is the food allergies or just a skin condition. I am also with a health and wellness company and the reason I am with them is because of my twins and their health issues. The lotion that we use has kept my sons eczema under control. Along with watching the soaps that we use to bath him and to wash his clothes. I hope that you have gotten some answers that will help with your problem. If I can be of any further assistance just let me know. Good luck to you and your family. And congradulations on the new baby.
M.
Stay-at-home mother of four.

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T.H.

answers from Terre Haute on

Though my daughter is older than yours we use Udder Balm on her. The doctor put her on the hydrocortizon creams. He also told us to get the Udder Balm at the store it works great!!

I have also heard that people keep a food journal of what the child eats and or mother if mom is BF the child, just to see if there are any allergic reactions to food.

I have not done this because the creams and the balm have worked wonders for us.

I know it is very hard because the child is so itchy and fussy. Just take a deep breath and calm down. It will get better i hope.

My doctor also told us to switch to dove body soap. No more fragrance lotions. This could increase the eczema flare ups.

Just a few things that have worked for us I hope you can find something that will work for you.

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B.A.

answers from Cleveland on

hang in there! I was you! My son had severe eczema and what was thought to cradle cap. Dr. wasn't reacting with much more than vaseline. But then she mentioned that in his newborn jaundice bloodwork, his ImmunoglobinE (sp?) was high. I started to pursue this more and started to ask more questions of her. Turns out it could be a sign on an allergy in the body of someone so little. My little guy was 3 months when his skin got to the point of me not being able to soothe it.
So we went to a pediatric allergist with her referral and turns out, since I was breastfeeding I was passing food allergens on to him that his body couldn't handle. Through some skin testing on his back, in 30 minutes I learned to eliminate dairy, eggs, corn, tomatoes, peanuts, and strawberries. I did and basically lived on chicken and rice for 8 months. His skin cleared beautifully, he began to sleep for longer stretches through the night and was no longer needing to be held all night! He was never an overly fussy baby, but not as calm and content as my two older daughters were.
Please eliminate dairy (milk, butter, whey, and lots of other names in preservatives and flavorings). And ask to be scene by a pediatric allergist (if your insurance makes this possible). I have an excellent practice in South Euclid/Lyndhurst to suggest, if you are in this area.
At his one year allergist check up, he has outgrown all his allergies, except dairy and eggs.... but they have gotten less severe! So know that there is hope! Hang in there and let me know if I can be of any help!

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J.F.

answers from Canton on

Sometimes a prescription is necessary to clear up dry skin or eczema. I think doctors are sometimes hesitant to prescribe too many things for an infant. I love Aquaphor in most cases but I think it is to moist for a problem like Eczema. This next line might sound like a sales pitch but I am a consultant for BeautiControl and we have a great line of skincare that might benfit you. I would be happy to talk to you about the product and show you where and how you could get it. Reply to this or call me at ###-###-####. I use the Extreme Repair Hand Therapy on my 7yr. old hands where he tends to get very dry chapped skin and it is a miracle. Hope to hear from you soon! Jennifer Friedl

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B.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

My daughter use to get it really bad in her hair too till her head would flake. My doctor told me to get some Neutragena shampoo, can't remember what kind it was called, but it was really dark and smelled like tar, it was gross, but I washed her head with that stuff once or twice a week for a little while and it really worked. I also used and still use Eucerin cream every time she gets out of the bath and a few times through out the day and that helps a lot with the itching and some of the redness. Good luck, I hope some of that helps!

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L.U.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi, L.. When my son was an infant (he is 14 months now) he had severe cradle cap on his head and eczema on his face, back, arms, and legs. It was really bad on his face. His little cheeks were always red, flaking, and irritated. The doc wouldn't prescribe anything stronger than low dose cortisone, and then use that sparingly for the eczema. In between we would grease him up with vaseline or neutrogena hand cream (the thick stuff in the little tube). We would do that maybe 3 or 4 times a day. That helped give him some relief. For the cradle cap we got a prescription shampoo for him and that helped but the cradle cap cleared up by 5 months so that was good. I also was breastfeeding him and cut out all dairy and soy (boy, that was hard to do) and that helped a lot too. It takes a week or two before you would see any positive changes in your son so give it time. AFter a while I would start to add foods back in my diet and see how they would affect my son. It turns out that the soy was a major culprit so I eliminated that altogether. And my son currently has an egg allergy so that could have come in to play as well (I learned that the hard way). He nursed until 11 months and his eczema is not an issue anymore. He gets flare ups very rarely and they are little spots, not on his face, and I hit them with thick lotion and they are gone the next day. I don't give him soy products, but he eats everything but eggs and doesn't have any problems. Hopefully your little one will outgrow it too. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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T.M.

answers from Terre Haute on

Don't use your friends meds! If your child has a reaction to them or isn't the proper age for them how would you explain where you got a prescription that isn't yours? Besides, if it worked how would you tell your doc that it is what you needed. I think your doc is probably trying the path of least resistance first. Some of the prescription meds for this condition can burn. Your child is not old enough to tell you if he is hurting. One thing that seems to ease my son a little bit with the itching and stuff is sweet oil. I rub him down with it in the bath tub. Good luck, Shannon
PS. If you want to know why your doc isn't prescribing something better, ask them. I'm betting that they are afraid of side effects due to age.

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S.J.

answers from Columbus on

Hi L.. You've received a lot of great advice. I've tried a lot of what's been mentioned. There are three areas I focus on: skin care, laundry detergent and allergies.

For the skin care, the best luck I've had is with the Mustela brand called Stelatopia. It's made for dry and eczema prone skin. They have a moisture cream that I use every day, a cream cleanser and bath oil I use when I bathe him (no more than twice a week) and they have a no rinse cleansing water that you can use if you water is really hard and can be extra drying to your baby's skin. I use this for my baby, my 6 year old and for myself. It's the best stuff I've found. Right now my son's eczema is mostly under control. No red spots only a few dry patches that I can't see but can feel with my hands.

I also switched all my laundry supplies to the no dye/no fragrance type. They have laundry soap, color safe bleach and softener these days that made this way. I've been doing this since my daughter was a baby and the switch seemed to help her a lot.

The last thing I try to keep in mind is that a baby can have an eczema like skin reaction to a food allergy (either one that comes through breastmilk or by introducing new foods). Removing dairy from your diet might help to see if that might be a culperit. Something that my pediatrician told me with my baby is that I wanted to wait until his eczema was more under control and the temperature outside was at least 40 degrees before introducing new foods. She said that his skin needed to be more clear so I would be able to tell what was his normal eczema from a skin reaction to a newly introduced food. The temperature outside was important because when the weather is below 40 degrees, the air is drier and can aggravate eczema making it worse. I have noticed that when it is warmer that his skin (mine and my daughter's as well) seems to be so much clearer. Another suggestion she had was to make sure I had a humidifer in the house to help combat the drying of the air.

If you decide to remove diary from your diet to see if that has any impact on his eczema, make sure you read food labels carefully. There are hidden dairy products in a lot of foods that you wouldn't expect (like non-dairy creamer). You can google "hidden dairy" and one of the sites gives you a list of hidden dairy items to watch for in food products. I've been diary free since my son was about 2 weeks old. If you have any questions about it, feel free to email me. I've got a lot of practice with it. :)

Good luck!

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L.H.

answers from Cleveland on

My little babe had eczema too. I simply cut down on her baths and only use Aveeno creamy wash & lotion (especially for babies with eczema). The very first day I used it I saw major improvement. I hope it works for you :)

On another note, do you have well water or city water? From my understanding, well water is very good for dry/sensitive skin because of all the minerals (I have well water). I assume city water has harsh chemicals in it which may irritate delicate baby skin.

Best of luck!

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M.R.

answers from Columbus on

when my daughter was small and experienced dry eczema patches throughout her body, I began using olive oil on her entire body (from head to toe). She was a bit shiney, but it seemed to releave the dryness, itchiness and overall discomfort.

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R.J.

answers from Cincinnati on

Hi L.~

I am the mommy of 3 and they all have suffered with eczema. I have found with my 8 month old, the thing that helps the best is take her out of her bath water, just barely dry her, soak her in vaseline and put her pj's on and it works wonders. Give it a try! Good Luck!

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K.E.

answers from Columbus on

Right after my daughter was born she began to get eczema on her face. It was terrible. Everyone told me that it was infant acne and that it would go away. One day I received a baby magazine in the mail which had pictures and descriptions of all the rashes babies could have. I saw the picture of eczema and knew that was exactly what she had. Eczema is caused by an allergic reaction and so I began to read more about allergies. It was then that I realized that she was allergic to milk. I switched from breastfeeding to soy formula and eventually had to switch to a hypoallergenic formual. At one year, when the doctor tested her for allergies, we found out that she was allergic to eggs, milk, wheat, soy, peanuts as well as some other foods. It can be kind of difficult to figure out what he's allergic to, but finding out can change everything! My daughter went from being a very fussy baby to being calm and easy and her eczema cleared up!

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T.N.

answers from Indianapolis on

limit the amount of baths you give, because it'll dry out the skin even more, and make sure you lube them up afterwards MAJORLY w/ lotion. My kids have all had ezcema, and I've found that the Gerber Grins and Giggles oatmeal lotion works really well.

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R.R.

answers from Cincinnati on

My daughter also suffers. At that age our doc gave us 2% hydrocortizone. He said that anything stronger has steroids in it and dosn't give it to babies.

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S.B.

answers from Evansville on

My dr won't do anything for my daughters eczema either. If it gets to bad I use the origel baby eczema cream. (can be found at Target in the baby isle) I put that on my baby before she goes to bed and it looks so much better in the morning. ALso give alot of baths. (unless you have to). Give a bath about every three days. Origel has a eczema bath product out there to use also! Hope this helps and good luck!!

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D.A.

answers from Cleveland on

I am an adult and I have the same problem. I have found that 3 cups of epsom salt and one box of baking soda in my hot bath works for me. Maybe change the amount but it defently wont hurt the child. It is wonderful! you'll enjoy it. Take a soak bath with your child. 2 for 1 You will love it!

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C.S.

answers from Lima on

My six year old has eczema, but a very mild case, he rarely has outbreaks. The main thing I know to do is use ONLY Dove Bar Soap, I use the sensitive skin kind. We can not do fun bubble baths with all the cool smelling bath soaps or anything like that, but we do still have fun in the tub =)BUT, Dove Soap is the main key ingredient that we use to keep outbreaks and rashes away. I really don't know any other tricks, I wish you the best!!!!

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K.E.

answers from Lafayette on

Try Arbonne Baby Hair & Body wash, Baby Oil, and Lotion. The combination of these three has healed exzema in babies, children, and adults. You have to buy it through an independent consultant. If you need help finding one, let me know! Hope this helps!

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K.P.

answers from Indianapolis on

Organic COCONUT OIL -- this is an awesome natural product with many healthy benefits. Unlike most oils/creams it is quickly absorbed into the skin. Just remember a little bit goes a very long way. Walmart has coconut oil that is not organic & runs under $5.00. I've not looked many places but the Natural Foods food store in Avon has the organic but is pricier at $16. This is working for us for eczema, pre-teen acne, adult acne & dry skin. Since this is a natural oil you should also be able to use it for yourself following nursing to keep things soft & from getting dried or irritated :-) Hugs to your babies & what a wonderful Mommy!
~~Blessings, K.

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S.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

I agree with Beth 100%. Talk to the Ped about getting an allergist referral! My son was in the same boat and we found out that he was allergic to wheat, peanuts, dairy and eggs. No one in our family has a history of food allergies so it totally shocked us. Get it done ASAP! Good luck!

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L.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

L.,

I have a health and wellness business and I have worked with other children who have eczema. One recommendation is to consider switching cleaning and laundry brands to nontoxic natural alternatives. Traditional brands may be excaberating his eczema. I can also provide information and resources for alternative assistance which others have successfully used--reducing possibly even eliminating medications. If you are interested, please send me a message.

Thanks and good luck!

L.

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K.T.

answers from Columbus on

My daughter started to suffer from excema at about 3-4 weeks old. It was awful!!! I could not tell you how many times I cried. After months of trying to find the right medicine it was elidell(sp?). It worked great!!! The only problem is that it was not "approved" for children under two. We had absolutly no problems with it. Her excema began to clear up so I was able to stp using it. It will flair up every once in awile and now we use Atopiclair. It is a nonsterodial cream. It also works wonders!!! I hope this has helped.

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E.G.

answers from Indianapolis on

Both of my children had very sensitive skin, I found that part of my sons issue was our detergent. My sons sensitivity was on his head and ears, his skin would develope ulcererated places that would weep and sluff off creating a sticky mess. Our doc started out thinking it was a form of Cradle cap and had us scrubbing his face with a soft tooth brush and dandruff shampoo. We changed his detergent to Dreft and he still had the issue finally we realized I needed to switch as well because when I would feed him he was against my clothing. After about 2 weeks of all of us using dreft and keeping his blanket between him and anyone who held him he cleared up. Try changing detergents before you go to meds if possible. Also make sure and keep his skin clean or he may develope Impentago which isn't any fun to deal with either. It is just a simple infection of the skin but it is ugly and sometimes hard to clear up.... I hope this helps at least a little and just to let you know my oldest who we struggled the most with out grew his allergy but the youngest still deals with a little bit of it...

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J.V.

answers from Cleveland on

I just read an article in parenting that suggested expressing a little breast milk and rubbing that on the eczema...wouldn't hurt to try, right?

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B.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

Definitely Arbonne...ABC line...soap and lotion. Bathe only every 2-3 days with the Arbonne soap and coat him in the Arbonne lotion. Worked wonders for my son. Definitely "free" laundry detergent such as Tide Free. Hopefully these things will help his skin improve and relieve his discomfort.

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M.T.

answers from Columbus on

Hi L.. My son gets eczema pretty bad as well. I recently starting using a product called Arbonne and it is the lotion in their baby line and I have noticed a huge change. You can get on line and order it or even try eBay. I have also used Gold Bond lotion and that does help as well!
Hope this advice helps!
M.

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A.K.

answers from Columbus on

Aveeno has an eczema wash and body cream that work well. I have only been able to find it at Walgreen's.

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B.B.

answers from Steubenville on

My daughter is 9 now, but had to go see a Derm about her Eczema on her arms & head. Her regular Doc. gave her some creams, but I didn't think it help, so I took her to see the Derm myself. If you don't think the Doc. is helping I always get another opinion. B.

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D.Z.

answers from Cleveland on

Hey L.! I work with an International Wellness company that provides all non-toxic products for your home and personal use. One of our most popular products is our lotion. It has literally cured eczema when no other product would do so. Mainly because most other products have toxic, carcinogenic ingredients like Quaternium-15 and phthalates. They have been linked to cancer and they totally dry out the skin. Our lotion has even been proven to significantly improve psoriasis. Its an amazing product. If you'd like to learn more you can contact me and/or go to my website: www.GoGreen4Health.com

At my webiste you can learn a lot more about toxins in the home, not only in cleaning products but personal care products as well. Best thing about our company is that the products are guaranteed to be safer, higher quality and more economical that what you are using today. Gives you great peace of mind that you are keeping your baby away from harmful chemicals as well! That's the main reasom why I started shopping with them!

Again, check out my website so you can learn more and then contact me if you want more details.

Have a great day!

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S.E.

answers from Cleveland on

You can always eliminate dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, nuts, peanuts, fish and seafood from your diet and that might help, but unlikely. Your body breaks down the proteins and it is unlikely that these are the issues. Wash only every 3 days or so in Cetaphil, use lots of unscented vasaline, get a humidifier, and ask your doctor about a perscription. I used one with my boy, who is now almost 4. Cleared him up immediately. He was to the point of bleeding, within days it was like he never had a problem.

I saw a bunch of people mentioned Eledel. There have been show risk of that with kids. The regular steroidal/cortisone creams are the safer choice.

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N.M.

answers from Columbus on

Hello.....My 18 month old daughter has had eczema since birth. To no avail had I founf anything that cleared up the scaling dry patches. Her skin is like leather and the doc keeps telling me to cream her up with something thick like aquaphor. Personally that would feel yucky to me so I dont. Here's what I do...I have tried EVERYTHING! She only gets a bath every two days unless needed obviuosly. I rub her down with the Johnsons creamy baby oil. It's white with a pink cap. I lather it on thicker..... much like sunscreen...her skin is SO dry its like gone within 20 minutes. I'll do that liek 3 times each evening within a 2 hour time span. MIRACLE! her skin drinks it up and results overnight. Gtanted after a bath it's like starting all over again. Her scalp was REALLY scaley...NOT cradle cap....and it would flake every 4 days or so. Drove me nuts. Believe it or not I bought Head & Shoulders sensitive scalp. Works like a charm within like 3 baths. These are obviously your everyday products one for baby, one not. But seem to be our saving grace. We do have steriod cream for those tough spots but never to be used on face, hands or scalp. These are very sensitive areas and not good for such a strong cream. Well, hope this helps and if you want to chat more feel free to email me at ____@____.com luck and remember to lay it on thick! The good think with the creamy baby oil is it isn't greasy nor sticky. Yes....this time name brand makes a difference!

Niki

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B.H.

answers from Cleveland on

My six month old son also has had really, really bad exzema. The doctor told me to try over the counter stuff too. The one that worked the best was triple cream. Eventually I got the doctor to prescribe elidel but I think the reason they don't start with that is that it costs 180.00 per tube (most insurance does not cover it.) and it didn't work any better than the over the counter stuff. Doc also told me that as soon as the weather gets better it should clear up a bit. Hang in there.

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K.F.

answers from Columbus on

My daughter was covered with eczema head to toe by the time she was 4 weeks old. She was miserable. She rubbed her face in the blankets during tummy time and against me when I held her against my chest. She also cried A LOT! It turned out she was highly allergic to dairy, with a number of other things. I went off all dairy by age 6 weeks, and she was a new baby. She finally slept, and the eczema was gone within a week. My son had the same problem (I figured it out quicker the second time), but he was not as fussy as she was. I recommend going off dairy. As I ate other things that triggered a response, the eczema returned, but going off dairy was the start. They were later diagnosed with food allergies, but that is hard to do until they are older. The best bet is to watch your diet carefully and note any reactions based on your food intake. Look for eczema, severe diaper rash, red cheeks, spitting up, waking up in the night (more than usual), and fussiness.

K.

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D.E.

answers from Indianapolis on

My son had the same issue for quite a while starting around three months. When it would get really bad our doctor prescribed a steroid. We had strict instructions to only use it for a certain amount of days. The other things that helped were only bathing him every three days or so and to use very mild soap. Arbonne Baby is pricy but it seemed to help. Since we've run out we've been using Dove for sensitive skin. Cetephil lotion every day, morning and night. We wash everyone's clothes in All Free and Clear detergent and do not use any softener. It takes some adjusting but he's been clear for some time now. And doesn't wake up itchy. Good luck!

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K.K.

answers from Canton on

Dear L.,

The reason that I am writing is that I also eliminated dairy for a long time while breastfeeding and it helped my son a lot. If you have time, you can look on the internet at some articles about it - here is one reference: this article in the Journal of Pediatrics is from a group in Finland who did a lot of research on babies allergic to the (cow) milk protein which crossed over into their mothers' milk when the moms drank milk. The babies in the study (pictures are included) got really characteristic rashes on their faces which matched exactly what my son had - that helped us and the pediatrician
figure it out. The article is
"Cow’s milk challenge through human milk evokes
immune responses in infants with cow’s milk allergy"
Kirsi-Marjut Järvinen, MD, Soili Mäkinen-Kiljunen, MSc, and Hanna Suomalainen, MD, The Journal of Pediatrics, volume 135 Issue 4, pp. 506-512, October 1999.

A health food store owner helped me find Rice milk (Vanilla tastes good) and other things with no cow's milk. Milk is EVERYWHERE in our food, it's really surprising where it turns up! It's my understanding that going to sheep or goat milk doesn't help much because the proteins are similar to cow's milk protein, I don't have a reference on that though. There's probably tons of info on the internet. Have the pediatrician keep checking growth and progress, and make sure you and the baby are getting enough calcium.

Good luck!
K

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A.M.

answers from Indianapolis on

Well, my daughters both had eczema, when they were little babies, like before and after one... and my doctor prescribed them Elidel... it worked very well you just put a thin layer on the irritated areas... ask your doc about that one...

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K.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

We were having some similar problems with our newborn son. We used some cream in samples given by the doc. Mostly the doc said sometimes too many baths can cause the problem. Sure enough...we lessened the amount of baths he was getting per week and he seems to be staying clear for the mostpart now. Good luck!

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T.N.

answers from Indianapolis on

Sounds like you are doing a great job so far. Our daughter had eczema when she was little, now 1 year, but she seems to have very little now. We did Aquaphor as much as possible, and we also changed our bath products to 100& Organic/Natural. I have really noticed a difference in both of our kids skin. May not be the cure all, but worth an extra try. Do some research...we use Aubrey Organics and love them. http://www.aubrey-organics.com/categories1.cfm

Hope things get better soon!

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M.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

Well, my son is almost 8 months old now and we have had to deal with this issue as well, however, my doctor prescribed a steroid cream because his face had become so bad with a "cradle cap" type of scaling that it had bled and leaked out a clear liquid. It was so scary I thought he would be scarred. This cream not only helps his little face it helps still with these spots he gets behind his knees and pretty much anywhere that gets dry. We did put him on Lacto-free enfamil...I don't really know if that helps it but he does still get a little red here and there from time to time. I hope this helps, I would definately ask the doctor for the steroid cream though.

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K.S.

answers from Cleveland on

Everytime anyone asks about eczema my first question is how often do you bathe your baby? I found that giving baby a bath every day caused the skin problems (I was even using Aveeno products) As soon as I started bathing him twice a week instead of everyday I saw a marked improvement and now he never has any skin issues. I make sure all his dirty parts(hands,feet,face,diaper area)are kept clean but as far as baths go, twice a week. The doctor approved and actually applauded that I approached the problem this way. I would try it before using any medicated creams and if it doesn't help I would look at diet again. For what it's worth, most of my baby's breastmilk/dietary issues were gas related not skin related.(he had some dairy issues but ONIONS were the worst!!)

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T.S.

answers from Columbus on

I have 2 children with eczema and I have found that the over the counter remedies do not have the risks of other drugs. I use only All free and clear detergent on anything that touches their skin, including my own clothes(I breastfeed) and I use the aquaphor the most. Another helpful tip, I always put onsies under anything with a tag. Make sure they are the tagless onsies. Hope some of this helps.

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M.K.

answers from Columbus on

My son is 10 years old and for a couple of years now we have been dealing w/eczema. I had to become my own doctor. I have discovered that Lactose free products work for him. He was or I should say is a big dairy fan so it was hard to take it away from him, so I decided one day to try Lactose free milk and after a couple of days I noticed a huge change in him. He was not itching his head or his arms. I toke him to an allergist to get tests done and he tested fine with everything. The Dr. said that he is not allergic to the dairy but his body can not process it correctly so it shows in the form of ezcema. It wont hurt to try Lactose free dairy products. I was at my wits end until now. I am happy to say that for about a year he is ezcema free.
I hope this will help.

M. K

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M.C.

answers from Cleveland on

my son had bad eczema as a baby too. We (doctor's advice) cut baths down to 2-3 days, and started using plain Dove soap (the white one, not pink)to wash him, and Aveeno bath to soak. Also, we were prescribed Elidel and used a very mild moisturizer (Cetaphil or plain Aveeno). Good luck!

ps. a few breastfeeding friends I know also tried eliminating different foods from their diets, and never seemed to help

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A.B.

answers from Columbus on

My son has Eczema as well. He gets it to the point where he wakes up crying in the middle of the night. His doctor prescribed two steroid creams for when it gets bad. Elidel for all over usage so to say for winter time, and Elocon for when he gets really bad rashes in a certain spot. In the summer/spring months I normally just coat him down with Euccerin lotion after his bath.

I also use the dye free detergents, and the kids shampoo/soap for sensitive skin. Every little bit helps.

Also in the winter I don't give him a bath every day unless he really needs it. We try to do every other day. These things seem to help a lot.
I don't know why your doctor wouldn't prescribe those meds, start trying the Euccerin dry skin lotion to see if that helps, it's not cheap but it's worth every penny!!!

Good Luck!

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D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

Encylopedia of Health & Natural Healing for Children by Weber

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A.W.

answers from Elkhart on

Hi L.,

I used to sell Arbonne and the baby care they have really works. I haven't sold in awhile so I don't know what new things they have out...but I do believe they have a skin conditioning oil or something like that. I'd give it a try.

Good luck!!
Blessings,
A.

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J.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Have you ever heard of a wellness company called Melaleuca? They manufacture products w/o the harmful chemicals that most companies put in their products. Because of this many families that have switched to Melaleuca products have seen eczema dramatically improve or be eliminated completely. Also, they have this lotion called ReNew that was developed for people with eczema and psoriasis. If you would like to learn more about this company I would love to share the information with you. Email me at ____@____.com

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M.C.

answers from Cleveland on

I used dandruff shampoo on my son when he had excema. I washed his head with it twice a week and really lubed him up with lotions and used hydrocortisone cream twice a day for a week during flare ups. He outgrew it and he's fine now. Don't get the shampoo in his eyes and rinse really well. Also try a cool mist humidifier in your home to help the dry skin.

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