Seeking Advice on Infant Eczema

Dealing with eczema is not easy. My son has also been dealing with it since he was about 2 months old. He is now almost 11 months. It is better. He still is up at night itching which is the worst part. I don't really have any solutions except, keep up with the antibiotic creams to prevent infection. Prescribed antihistamines help along with creams. Hang in there. I hope that it's better.

Hello,
Our son is now 7 months old and had pretty bad eczema on his face and head. We tried the OTC hydrocortisone and it didn't seem to do much. After seeing a different ped in the practice, he perscribed Locoid Lipocream. That, along with bathing him with Dove, seemed to clear it up. He still gets an occasional flare up on his face, but within a few days of using the cream, it's gone.

Hi J.!
Its so hard, isn't it? What I found when my son had severe eczema, was that what we tried to treat topically didn't help until we found the source of the problem. In his case, it was dairy that he was having issues with. When we eliminated dairy from his diet, his skin cleared up. You may want to look at her diet (and at 9 months, there is probably not a whole lot that she is eating) to see what is affecting her skin.

There might be something in her formula (milk based formula?) that is bothering her.

I would be leary of continuing to try antibiotics and other harsh medications on such a young child.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to share more of what we did.

B.

Hi J.!
My son now 4 yrs old also had and still has eczema. First of all, I would try not to use the cortizone cream very frequently because it has a steroid in it that could cause problems later (per our pediatrician). Also I would limit how often you bathe her to every 2-3 days. Frequent bathing dries out the skin and contributes to the eczema "flare ups". We had to stop using all bath bath products (lotions, powders, wash, etc). We switched to Dove for sensitive skin (body wash and/or bar) for bathing and Eucerin cream (not lotion)twice a day. We recently started using Aquaphor by Eucerin because the cream was no longer doing the job and it is wonderful. All of these products are perfume and dye-free. Unfortunately your baby won't smell like a baby! :( But her skin should feel alot better. I hope all of this helps and let me know if your have any more questions. Good luck!

D.

Eczema is awful! My son has had it since eight weeks old and for the last six months has been eczema free. It is important to find out what is causing the eczema. For my son it was the laundry soap, not food allergies. I was using Dreft and it was bothering him. I use Eighth Generation Free and Clear now (All & Tide make it too). Even the Organic laundry soap that I was using for the rest of us bothered him. Just make sure the bath tub (or where ever you bathe your daughter) is rinsed really well too. Since your daughter is so small, you don't need to bathe her everyday it really dries out the skin. I use Cetaphil soap and after baths I use Cetaphil lotion from head to toe.

Hi J.,

Finding the underlying problem is the key. I looked in my copy of Healthy Kids which is a testimonial book of what products Shaklee consumers used for health issues with their children. One baby's eczema went away with Shaklee's Small Wonder Baby Oil. I would also investigatee all personal care products and laundry products you are using and look for nontoxic alternatives. Dr. Doris Rapp in her book "Is this your Child?" talks about discovering allergies in children and adults. She considers eczema an allergic reaction. It takes some work to figure out what is causing the problem, but once you find what's causing it you can eliminate it. If you are interested, I would be happy to send you a copy of the Healthy Kids Booklet and also some information on Shaklee's Get Clean household product line which is used in many homes with allergic children.

Hi! My son, now 4, has suffered from eczema since he was a newborn. Based on your notes, I assume we see the same dermatologist you will be seeing. My son had a flare up in October, and the doctor was booked for months in Tinley, but I was able to get him in within the week by going to her office at Children's in Lincoln Park. You should try that! If it is indeed eczema, one thing that she recommended and we use all the time is Cetaphil cream. The cream is better that the lotion. Apply it to the entire body every day, especially right after bathing to lock all the moisture into the skin. As far as prescription medication, we use Aclovate, and it works great. It is applied it to the affected areas twice a day, and the spots clear up in a couple days. It will be important to check for new spots daily, and to put the medication on as soon as they appear, because they become very itchy, and naturally kids scratch at them, which makes for a longer healing time. Good luck!

Are you open to trying to start breastfeeding again? It is possible and would probably REALLY help.

The key thing is that it began when you stopped b-feeding. I have had several friends that when they have eliminated dairy from their diet (either child or mother) it cleared right up. If your formula is milk based, you most likely will need to switch formulas. Also, you will need to supplement her with a probiotic since she has been on some antibiotics and this kills the good bacteria in their system making her digestive system (where 80% of the immune system is located) unable to fight the eczema. And she is not getting the enzymes she needs from your breastmilk no more. Whenever anyone takes a round of antibiotics, they need to replenish their immune system with a probiotic. I gave my daughter FloraBaby by ReNew Life, can be found at www.smartbomb.com
When I had to supplement I used Nutragimen since the milk based formula's would trigger gastric distress for her. What you eat comes out in your skin and dairy is a big cause of inflammation in the body for most people. So even though she is on formula, it will still trigger an inflammatory response in her system which is coming through in her skin.

For my daughter, since I was already dairy and gluten free, it was peanut butter and all nut butters that triggered the eczema while I was breastfeeding. The other thing is to avoid putting mineral based oils on her skin. Try avocado, coconut or olive oil on her skin, it is the best all natural product out there and to nourish it with good fats. Olive oil works for cradle cap too. A few other things, do try to switch laundry detergents like the other post said, I use Method Brand by Target and I also use organic cotton sheets which can be reasonably found at Babies R' Us, not stylish, but nice to know your baby is sleeping on something "green"

Make sure you find a derm that specializes in food allergies too, they are out there but hard to find. The book, "Is This Your Child?" By Dr. Doris Rapp has a section on eczema and food allergies, that is how I figured nuts and tree nuts. www.drrapp.com is her website. You can find the book on amazon too and I highly recommend it for your bookshelf.

Good Luck!

I would definitely talk to your doctor about the possibility of a food sensitivity since they are often the cause of eczema. My son has some that gets flared up if I have any dairy (nursing). Also, the antibiotics killed off all of the good bacteria in your daughter's body along with any bad bacteria. Since she is too young for yogurt, you should give her some infant probiotics. You can buy them at Whole Foods or other health food stores. My sons have been on them since birth, and they are very healthy. As an extra bonus, probiotics are excellent for dental health since they promote gum health.

Is the gas bad, and what color is the poop? Gas, eczema and green poop are all related to a dairy intolerance.

Also, if you doctor doesn't know that you are using the hydrocortisone, make sure to tell him/her. I've read that children and teens should not use corticosteroids because they build up in their bodies.

Hi J.:

My first daughter had this starting when she was about one month old, the same time as I stopped breastfeeding. I took her to a derm who prescribed "Elidel". It's a non-steroidal cream and it worked like magic.

Good luck!

Hey J., I have 4boys (17, 15, 8, & 7yrs.) & 1 (4yr.) girl. Only 2 of the boys have had battles with ecezma, the 15 & the 7 year old. Though recently these past few months it has been battling it the worst. And they both had been the ones that have had issues with asthma as well. Several of the things that I have found that have worked VERY WELL for us...and you can consider these old wives tells if you like. But sometimes we learn the most from the wise ones. LOL. I give the boys a bath in Selsun Blue Medicated Shampoo and mix it with the Aveeno Oatmeal Bath (though the generic version they sale at WalMart works just as well). When they get out of the bath I make certain that they rub down 1st with Vitamin E Oil(this too can be purchased from Wal Mart)and then apply the Daily Moisturizing Lotion with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal. This has truly been very successful for my us. The dry patches of skin were really bad on my sons neck, chest back, under his arms and it made the skin on his face very splotchy (sorry if misspelled). But since we have been doing that routine every evening and morning after bath time, his skin has cleared up immensely. I wish you much look with your daughter's battle with ecezma, it can be a very frustrating one. Just have patience and I'm certain you both will endure.

L. B.
Richton Park.

Hi!
My daughter also has very sensitive skin and eczema. She has never had the oozing, but all kinds of rashes and break-outs everywhere. When I finally got into the dermatologist, she said next time tell them your daughter's condition is severe and they CAN get you in sooner! I also use vasoline. It's messy but it is the best thing I've found to keep her skin under control. My ped. doctor and the dermotologist both recommended it and it works wonders. They also warned me about using hydrocortisone too much, so ask you doctor about that at your next appt. Good luck! S.

My son had terrible eczema. Assuming it was a milk allergy we switched to soy. It didn't improve. We tried rice water and his eczema went away completely.

I think we only did the rice water until he was 2 or so. Now he has as much dairy as he wants with only an occasional, mild, reaction.