Help my son is scratching his skin off at night...

Mandie - posted on 01/06/2013

If it seems to be a rash that keeps popping up from time to time(especially when the weather changes or you happen to change laundry soaps or body wash),most likely it is eczema. All 5 of my children have it. Or it could be dermatitus (which is just a little more severe than eczema,,,itch-wise). Try using some Cortizone (1% for baby,higher percentage for over 18 months) cream on the spots that itch.After this put on some Eucerin cream. If it is eczema you want to steer clear of lotions as the only thing lotion does is cover up the itch,it doesn't really help it. In other words lotion is mainly to hydrate the top of skin. You want to use creams,thick ones at that,like Eucerin or Aquaphor. These not only hydrate the skin but lock the natural moisture in the skin and keep excessive moisture out/off of the skin. Most of my daughters ended up needed Cortizone cream with added steroids (prescribed from their doctor) to get rid of it but unfortunately even with that it can still come back. Try not to bathe them too much because that can irritate it and make it flare up. Don't use any laundry detergent that has perfumes or dyes as this can also irritate it,stick with Free and Clear soaps for their clothes,and bed clothes. Try to use Johnson's baby wash (or the generic store brands that are the same,which is what I use) because its easy on their skin.Try to stay away from the smelly good ones that have dyes and perfumes in them. Good Luck

Sarah - posted on 01/06/2013

thank you ladies for posting! both my 4 year old and 17 month old have been itching non stop and itch badly at night. at least my 4 year old wakes up itching badly. I bought an alie plant and have been putting that in them multiple times a day. the itching is so bad that I cry! I hate it. I need to find out what's wrong. my 4 year old gas been itching since about 2 years old but it comes and goes. first I.thought it was stress because he was going back and forth between my house and his dad's. Idk what to do. I'm going crazy. I hate seeing them like this. I NEED HELP!!! PLEASE!!

Judi - posted on 09/24/2009

Massage oil made of Grape seed oil with a few drops of lavender and camomile essential oils worked for my son, and washing clothes in tea tree/euclyptus oil rather than soap.

Brandi - posted on 09/24/2009

my son also has a mild case of eczema. My dr. told me to put a cream that is just Eucerin and an antihistamine cream. Mix the two things together (Your pharmacy can do it for you too, I"m pretty sure). Also, try to keep his nails trimmed as closely as possible to avoid the scratches. This really helped my son.

Cristina - posted on 09/24/2009

Thank you so much,I'm so much at ease knowing that there are many moms that know what I'm going through, I will try those creams and home made treatments, I do have to get this in control for my sanity and his welfare. Thanks

Tabby - posted on 09/24/2009

Hi. I hope something has helped you son. But, if not, I have a son who had the same problem and it breaks your heart. Something that helped him is Jojoba oil andtea tree oil mixed together. Just a few drops of tea tree to the jojoba. I would put it on at night and it would look better in the morning. I had to put it on for a couple weeks to completely go away and would try to catch it before it got real bad. I hope this helps you. Please let us know if something helps. We can learn form your expertise. Wishing you the best.

Erica - posted on 09/24/2009

would benadryl help?? Its all i can think of besides the lotions u use. Gold bond medicated lotion is really good for itching too, it is the one in the teal/greenish colored bottle

Maria - posted on 09/23/2009

My daughter has a dry skin problem and I use Sarna lotion. It smells bad but it works so I don't care. It is sold pretty much anywhere, but is a little on the expensive side, but worth it to not see your child suffering with the dry skin!

Kimberley - posted on 09/23/2009

Eczema is often due to environmental toxins found in household cleaning products, lotions, shampoos, laundry detergent, etc. If you'd like some information on how to rid your home of these toxins I'd be happy to help. I work for a wellness company that specializes in natural, non-toxic and environmentally friendly products for your home. visit my website at www.workathomeunited.com/kimberleyday

Laura - posted on 09/23/2009

I'm interested martha give it up!! j/k thank you

Martha - posted on 09/23/2009

Hi Jackie - I didn't mean to offend you or make you feel pressured. I was simply offering something that might help. It is not a product I sell. It is a lotion you can purchase from an exclusive green manufacturing company similar to Costco. You do need a membership like Costco to get discounted prices. I would be happy to share it on a one on one basis with anyone that is interested. If you are not interested that is OK too. There have been some great ideas from all of you.

Jackie - posted on 09/23/2009

Quoting Martha:

OMG to all of you. I have a solution for all of you that does not require prescription medication or creams. Unfortunately many of those cause cancer and most don't even work very well. I would love to share a great solution with you.Your poor little ones.

If you have such a great solution then why aren't you sharing it?  Is it because its a product you sell?  Because high pressure sales tactics in real life weren't bad enough we now get exposed to them on forums for moms?  And I would like to nicely point out not all of us suggested medication including myself.

Martha - posted on 09/23/2009

OMG to all of you. I have a solution for all of you that does not require prescription medication or creams. Unfortunately many of those cause cancer and most don't even work very well. I would love to share a great solution with you.Your poor little ones.

Sarah - posted on 09/23/2009

I've had the same issue. My 9 month old daughter will still scratch at her neck and chest at any opportunity, even though we have the eczema pretty much under control. I made her some sleeping bags out of a light material - think an adults long sleeved t-shirt with the hands sewn up and a zip on the bottom to get her in and out and for nappy changes. It has enough room around the legs that she can still kick and as the material is light she can still pick things up with her hands through it. It has the added benefit of keeping her warm when she kicks off all her blankets. Check out http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa265... for a pic of her in it at age 4 months (I made it big and she is still wearing it).

Vicki - posted on 09/22/2009

OMG my daughter has mild eczema too. I have yet to find anything that completely helps but with some prescription creams and lots of Aveno lotion and oatmeal bath we soothe it so it is not to terrible. It never completely goes away on my daughter but her doctor says that she may grow out of it, she is 6 now and I am hoping that day will come soon. My poor baby itches alot and I am always asking her and trying to get her to stop but its hard when she just wants to scratch it to make it feel better. I use no perfume and dye laundry detergent, always wash her clothes before she wears them, shower gels that are made from natural ingredients and that are simple, benadryl when it is really bad etc. My friend has a son who had it pretty bad he would scratch himself at night and bleed. She finally had to put socks or mittens on his hands at night to keep him from scratching himself so badly. Also, keep his nails cut back and pay attention to what seems to make it inflame and itch. It is hard to watch your child be uncomfortable and I understand and sympathize with your concerns and fears. Just keep watching him (to see if any certain thing inflames it), trying things and keep asking his doctor for things that may help. I hope you find something that will help you and your son and let me know if you find a miricale cure that helps with the itching :)

Cristina - posted on 09/22/2009

Thank you so much I will try them, I am loosing sleep because of this, you ladies are bringing a bit hope back into my days. Thanks

Laura - posted on 09/22/2009

oh yeah mandie i forgot about eucerin, and also i though of aquaphor that i use.. yeah and aveeno didnt help me too much.. and making sure the nails are short is a must and i put on lotions when hes still kind of moist after bath.. which i only bath him like twice a week b/c too much bathing dries out the skin.. luckily my younger son doesnt have it

Mandie - posted on 09/22/2009

All 3 of my daughters have Eczema,some worse than others. A couple KEY things to ALWAYS have on hand are Aveeno Bath,and Eurecin Cream(sorry if spelled wrong). When you give him a bath always put a half packet of the Aveeno bath in and let him soak for about 10-15 minutes(let him play around if he gets bored just sittin there) and when you take him out pat him dry don't rub the towel on him cause it could irritate the eczema.Make SURE to put the Eurecin Cream on the infected areas and make it a generous amount(its a little tough to rub in but if you work at it it'll rub in) Eurecin cream blocks out extra moisture from gettin to it which causes it to flare up(especially at night when kids tend to sweat). And if ur comfortable with it let him air out a while...like walk around the house without a shirt or pants(wherever its at,eczema) letting a little air get to it can dry it out which I found helps a lot whereas clothes tend to irritate it more because it constantly rubs against the eczema. If it starts to bubble up(my daughters knee began to do that when it was irritated really bad mainly in spring and fall weather) then the doc might prescribe steroid cream which reduces the inflammation and takes away the itch.They only do that in severe cases tho. I wouldn't waste your money on the expensive Eczema cream that Gentle Natures has because honestly it didn't do much of anything for all 3 of my daughters...I found that Aveeno products and Eurecin cream were the 2 most handy things to have on hand.My oldest is 5 yrs old so I've gone through this for 5 yrs plus my other 2 younger daughters havin it...so I figure if its worked so well for them it might work well for others. Best of Luck with it and keep clipping his nails because even tho he might still be scratching a bit its not half as worse as it could be with long nails.

Sorry I forgot to also put that you should use Laundry sound that is free of dyes and fragrance and no fabric softener unless its free also because that is a huge irritant to eczema... also I would advise against using actual lotion and go with creams instead such as Eurecin because Lotions just take away the appearance of dryness it doesn't really help it in the long run like creams do.

Laura - posted on 09/22/2009

my son has eczema pretty bad on his legs especially. i use vanicream, the bar soap,and there is also lotion. vanicream has nothing in it like fragrance or other harsh things that can affect sensitive skin. i wouldnt suggest using any other baby lotions even though they smell good lol.. i miss that.. also ALL detergent that is free and clear.. or any other detergents that are free and clear on the bottle.. depending on where you live allergens in the air can affect it as well.. pet dander in the house, dust, i actually just made my cats outdoor animals bc of his condition.. i also give him a tsp of zyrtec pretty much daily, its not as strong or medicated as benydryll.. i also put on a prescribed stronger version of hydrocortisone on the bad spots.. def take him to the doctor to make sure these things would be good, b,c all these things i've told you were suggested by his dr. hope this helps i will try to think of other things i use too

Jackie - posted on 09/22/2009

Thick mitts and tape them on him. Oven mitts would work or even socks. Then tape them tight at the wrist but you don't need to place the tape on his skin. Its important to stop the scratching because he can give himself and the rest of the household nasty infections like impetigo and you will have have to stay in isolation until its gone. That includes not going to the corner store or outside to play.

Oatmeal baths and check all your lotions and soaps make sure they don't contain Lanolin. It can be hiding in a larger more chemical sounding word. Also don't dress him in wool at all. Lanolin is a common childhood allergy and found sadly in most baby products and soaps/lotions. If you notice the rash goes away.. you got your cause :). I hope it works out for you!

Sonia - posted on 09/22/2009

Have you taken him to the doctor? He may need prescription strength medicated lotion. Other than that, all I can suggest is taping mittens on his hands at night.