Does anyone else have a baby with eczema?

Ashley - posted on 05/06/2010

I work for a dermatologist but also have 2 kids with eczema. What we tell our patients is as follows:
1. Do not use soap on them. Only pure water. You can use Dove sensitive skin on really dirty parts (hands, feet, diaper area) but rinse well.
2. Only use Johnson and Johnson yellow shampoo. Not generic or store brand. Rinse hair and body throughly.
3. Do not dry skin all the way when getting out of the tub. Put a thick coat of Vaseline or Aquaphor from neck to toes. Dress her in a footed sleeper or long sleeves and pants. This will help to keep the moisturizer in and keep her from scratching.
4. Stay away from anything that smells good. Fragrance can be extremely irritating. Use a "free" detergent such as All. Don't use any lotions or powders.
5. You can use an over the counter cortisone cream if you need to . The dry patches or itcy patches are the only part that will need this. It may be that this isn't strong enough and you will need a prescription cream.
6. Sometimes an antihistamine is a great idea. Benadryl, Claritan, etc. will help stop the itch and also help her rest. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what would be best. Antihistamines work best if given on a daily basis not an as needed basis.
Although the discolored patches drive you insane, it can take several months to go away even if the skin isn't irritated anymore. They will resolve and return to normal skin color. I would not automatically jump to thinking food allergy. There can be many causes of irritated skin. Start small. Don't drive yourself crazy with it. MANY children suffer from this condition and most grow out of it. Good luck and I hope this helps.

Amber - posted on 05/06/2010

My Grandaughter is 3 yrs old and has eczema so does my 24 yr old daughter . We went to the beach one day took a dip in the salt water and it took it all away!

Debra - posted on 05/06/2010

Thanks

Dione - posted on 05/06/2010

My little boy has had eczema since about 3mths old. I have tried all the creams etc but couldn't really stomach the idea that he had this horrible painful condition for life. I was fortunate enough to hear a woman talk about how she cured her daughters eczma and read her book. It involved a huge change in lifestyle for our family - we have gotten rid of anything processed/chemical in our cupboards and my pantry looks i imagine fairly similar to what my grandmothers did. the difference is amazing. It is hard work - i make everything right down to my own bread, we even drink raw cows milk from a local farmer. my son will have a reaction to homogenised milk or pasturised but not raw. MSG is a dirty word in our house now and the health benefits for our whole family are astounding - people can't quite believe that i have lost 25kg and I cook in dripping lol (an unexpected bonus). for anyone who is interested her website is www.betterbods.co.nz. Good luck

Debra - posted on 05/06/2010

What did your Dr. write for you? My grandson has this.

Jenny - posted on 05/06/2010

My son had eczema since birth, and we found out that it was due to an allergy to something. It became obvious at about 6 mo. that it was milk, specifically casein that he was allergic to. I'd been breastfeeding him and just the dairy that I ate was coming thru in my breastmilk and causing his eczema. When we totally eliminated the offending protein from his diet (and mine), the eczema cleared up. So I wouldnt just look for a treatment for it, if I were you, I'd look for the cause.

Mandy - posted on 05/06/2010

My son had the same thing, he was diagnosed w/a food allergy... he was put on a gluten free diet for about 1 yr and then retested, luckily he outgrew his wheat allergy, the eczema is all healed... I would definily recomend going to an allergist, it really helped my son.

Linda - posted on 05/06/2010

invest in a water softner. they are very good for people with eczema. it helps calm down the itchyness. & calms down the redness of the skin. my cousins had it so bad that it used to bleed. since getting the water softner. he only has a few dry patcheds now. he swears by it. & says he wouldnt be without his.

Eloisa - posted on 05/06/2010

When I asked my doctor I was told to make sure that the laundry detergent be non scented and liquid never use power detergent the residue does more harm than anything. Also use Dove body soap free from scent, color… I was also recommended Aquaphor lotion. Hope it helps!

LATONYA - posted on 05/06/2010

Yes 2 of my sons had it 1 worse then the other.Aveno bar soap is good and so is Tone. After she takes a bath don't use baby oil or lotions.I got a strong cream from their doctor and I use petroleum jelly, it keeps the skin moist. You also have to watch the clothes and detergernt that you use.I must be mild and watch for the dye in clothing especially jeans. Hope that helped a little. Ask anytime.

Sarah - posted on 05/06/2010

My daughter had eczema even on her face. I used several things. What worked best for her was "gentle naturals" It has winnie the pooh on the front & i got it at walgreens. Its all natural & thicker than lotion like an ointment. Also have a friend whos daughter had patches of eczema all over & the doctor told them it was a skin disorder...he used that & it cleared up. Also children that age have allergies to food. My daughter would break out in hives & i didnt change her food or soaps. I researched it & most commonly it is "preservatives" in the food. A build up of preservatives causes outbreaks. Could also cause eczema. Good luck i hope u find something that works for her.

Kathie - posted on 05/06/2010

AManda I second what another poster said about Coconut oil. Using that in conjunction with Evening Primrose Oil, rubbed into her skin, will take care of it. Usually eczema is a nutritional issue that starts from the inside out. EPO can give your baby the Essential Fatty Acids she needs, safely, to alleviate the problem. Coconut oil..organic, cold pressed, also is a HUGE healing item!

Megan - posted on 05/06/2010

Hi Amanda, My two year old had eczema shortly after he was born. I tried several different products with little success. Then I decided to use the organic coconut oil that I had in my cupboard. Coconut oil is naturally saturated which means it is a solid at room temperature, but turns into an oil immediately upon warming up to body temperature. This makes it highly absorbable and so skin friendly. It took the redness and crustiness of the eczema away almost immediately and effectively broke the cycle. Eczema is such a hard cycle to break once it gets going (I am sure you can attest to that!). I did eventually discover that our baby was reacting to the feathers on our bed and that was what was causing his eczema reactions. His breakouts were worse in the morning which isn't typical of allergies, so I knew it was something about the night time. I also used the coconut oil on his head which completely eliminated the cradle cap which both my older boys had for their first few years. It is such a wonderful, safe, effective oil for skin....for babies and adults alike! I use it after swimming and on any of our kids if their skin has been irritated by something. Anyway, I was so happy to find something that worked and I hope you find it helpful too....it's so hard to see our little ones suffer isn't it?
Good luck and all the best to you and your family!
Megan

Jenni - posted on 05/06/2010

I had it growing up. One of the things I remember about it was that it would get worse in some areas during the summer because of being sweaty, just something to be aware of with the weather getting warmer. Also I used to have cream to put on when it would get bad so maybe her doctor can recomend something. Hard water also still bothers my skin. I don't know/remember what doctors had told my mother about mine and I am sure some things have changed since I was little but just some ideas. I will say that I have since outgrown it. Good luck to you and your daughter.

Patricia - posted on 05/06/2010

See a dermatology pediatrician, change her diet to non dairy, wheat free, use nonsynthetic clothing, limit rugs, carpets and heavy drapings from her room and in your house!

Cathy - posted on 05/06/2010

My 15 year old had it bad as a baby, but we got a whole house water filtering system and it cleared up. It turned out she was allergic to the chlorine in city water. We also switched to dye and scent free soaps and detergents as well as bleach free EVERYTHING. She has no problems now except when we stay at a hotel because of the bleach.

Karen - posted on 05/06/2010

My daughter had it as a young child. What soaps are you using? Might be to harsh.... I found Melaleuca products and by using them it cleared up. The Renew lotion is a healing lotion and the gentel gold bar bath soap.
My family has been using these products since 2004, I can tell you they're really great! Let me know if you would like to try some, I can order for you.
Another thing maybe try some oatmeal body wash, oatmeal is very calming to the skin. Now what about your laundry soap?
Please don't use powder soap! It has cardboard, ground glass to agitate the clothing to get them clean but if you've got sensative skin it's awful. This say daughter, broke out in a rash, we were on vacation I thought it was prickly heat, I'm putting baby pwdr/corn starch on her, nothing helped. Took to Dr. when we got home, she had to go on prednisone to clear it up. My husband did some laundry, we ran out of liquid soap he borrowed Tide powder. That is how I learned not to use powder soap.
Hope this helps, I'm not knocking Tide powder soap, just some people cannot handle those harsh ingredients, my mom used Tide pwdr laundy soap for us, we were ok.
Take care,
Karen

Judith - posted on 05/06/2010

Having a great daughter and she was a wonderful baby. I am also a stepmom. Some of us raise other's kids and give them stability. I love everything about being a mom and would not trade my life for ANYTHING.

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

If she is really itchy you could try bathing in luke warm bath with 2-3 tbsp bicarbonate of soda. Really takes away the itch. Also works wonders for chicken pox!

Tonya - posted on 05/06/2010

My little guys do too. I have found an all natural Pumpkin Soap from Rocky Mountain Soap Company that works great. Order online... it arrives quickly, with a thank-you card and a small gift every time. Nice.

Kristy - posted on 05/06/2010

My son HAD eczema. The doctor said it was an allergic reaction to milk/dairy (even though I was nursing, dairy makes it through). I went on soy milk while nusring and then when he was 1, he was on soy milk for awhile. It is an allergic reaction of sorts becasue babies have a hard time digesting dairy. The soy along with AVEENO every day worked. He eventually grew out of the eczeema, but I know there are some hereditary eczema too and this may not be the case for you.

Kristine - posted on 05/06/2010

My daughter (now 13 months) had terrible eczema as well. We finally took her to a dermatologist, but his recommendations were basically to cut back on the amount of time she spent in the bath and make sure the water is not too warm. He perscribed a creme, but we only used that briefly b/c the warning labels are scary! We have been using Aquaphore on her religiously every mornng and night and she seems to have cleared up!

Cynthia - posted on 05/06/2010

What knew food or 'treat' did you add to her diet recently? My own children tend to mild eczema when anything with food additives or colors tended to cause it, along with a pea allergy, for us the eczema also went along with mild asthma so finding the triggers went along way to helping keeping them healthy. good luck with your research.

Liz - posted on 05/06/2010

Oh and also, my doctors have recommended using scent free and dye free soaps including laundry detergent as sometimes the scents and dyes can make the eczema worse.

Liz - posted on 05/06/2010

Both of my children have had problems with eczema. My doctor has recommended Aquaphor. It has worked well for my children. You can purchase it at pharmacies or I've purchased it at Wal-mart. I would recommend taking her to see an allergy specialist to see what they say, as that is where I was able to get the most information for my children. I hope she gets better!

Sally - posted on 05/06/2010

The only way to cure it is to find out what is irritating her and eliminate it. It can be an allergy to something she is eating or something in her environment can be an allergen or irritant. It can take months to figure out the problem, but it's worth it in the end. The most common baby allergen is cow milk. Other common food ones that cause eczema are: wheat, eggs, soy, berries, citrus, and refined sugar. If she is nursing, you can't eat the allergens either. (On the bright side, giving up dairy and eggs to make my baby feel better has taken about 2 inches off my butt this past month.) Many babies have reactions to even the most gentle soaps, lotions,and detergents. Dye free, scent free laundry detergent with a double rinse and no dryer sheet will take most of the irritants out of babies clothes. Try to keep her from scratching because that will make it worse and if she breaks the skin she can get infected.

In the meantime, these will make it itch less and may lessen the rash but will not cure the problem. If you prefer medical helps--Hydrocortisone cream and ask the doctor for a safe dose of an antihistamine. If you prefer natural helps--colloidal oatmeal baths and very light massage oil infused with calendula and/or camomile. (If she has hay fever, camomile might make things worse.) Colloidal oatmeal is just real oatmeal (the rolled oats kind, NOT instant, run through a coffee grinder or food processor until it is a fine powder. Dissolve a cup or two in the bath water and baste the baby so all of her gets soaked in it. A light rinse with no soap and no rubbing; pat almost dry; lotion heavily while still moist. Lotion at least twice a day and more if you can fit it in the schedule. Use the lightest lotion with the fewest ingredients you can find until you figure out her irritants. A couple of the lotions we tried on my daughter actually made things worse because they had too many chemicals or scents.

Kristy - posted on 05/06/2010

my youngest is 7 and she has had it since birth, but in the last few years or so has started outgrowing it. She had it behind he legs, in the folds of her arms, behind her ears.. and the doctor prescribed a steroid cream that really helped alot. I bath her in luke warm water, don't let her play too long in the tub, make sure she is dried off really well, and apply the steroid cream only when needed. No pefumes or bubble baths when she had a flare up.

Jonelle - posted on 05/06/2010

My son is six months and he has it. it has gotten much better though and we have been using the Aveeno baby stuff and before when it was really bad we used Aquaphor and vaseline and that helped ALOT so maybe you could try that they helped me though it doesnt sound as though my son had it as bad as your daughter poor girl....;I hope something helps!

Rosina - posted on 05/06/2010

My little guy had exzema, the only thing that worked was the baby line from Arbonne ... I used the body wash and the lotion ... worked like a charm ... now he has beautiful skin.
Another little relief is the Spectro Kids Eczema Care Cream ... you can buy it at any drug store or grocery store. I used it right after a bath and it helped quite a bit.
Good thing about both my suggestions, they are cortisone free.
I'm sure you will love the arbonne stuff ... I promise it works ... if you don't know anyone that sells it, you can buy it online at www.arbonne.com ... worth every penny.

Michele - posted on 05/06/2010

It's really very manageable. My son has had it from birth and ended up with an infection which occurred before we knew what it was. We took him to the doctor and we were advised to 1. Use a glycerin soap, like neutrogena, because it's not actually soap and won't dry out their skin. 2. Use hydrocortizone cream on the spots of skin that are irritated. We were prescribed some and it is the ONLY thing that clears it up. Good Luck!

Sonia - posted on 05/06/2010

Limiting bath time help my daughter, as soon as she was old enough it was showers only and haven't had a big problem since. She still loves to take bath and play in the water so I allow it once in a while but she get itchy and red patches after each time. Now she knows, it's bath and pain or shower no pain, her choice ;) I also used an old grandma remedy but it worked wonders on the worst patches, grey clay. Apply after bath or shower, cover with cotton badages or just band-aid for the smaller patch and wash the next morning. After just a few days you can see a big difference. Doctor gave us a cortizone cream but i found that the clay worked better and it's more natural, can apply as much as needed for as long as needed.

Amanda - posted on 05/06/2010

what also works great is that cetaphile lotion its the boby cream it is in a round tub with a blue lid. It works great my son had it really bad when he was a baby but i give him short baths in luke warm water cool water and wright after he gets out of the tub i put that lotion on him. i put that lotion on him 2 - 3 times a day and he hates it . but we have not had any problem in a long time...

Dana - posted on 05/06/2010

I suggest going to a pediatric dermatologist. Not a regular one, I did with my son at first and ended up going with a ped one, which was MUCH better. I had my sons under control in a matter of no time and it was gone within 2 months.

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

I forgot to say i never use anything but non-biological washing powder. I also only use medicated shampoo and a very small amount to wash his hair and i wash his hair last so he is never sat in soapy water!

Laura - posted on 05/06/2010

My son is two at the end of this month and ahs suffered with eczema since he was tiny. We struggled to get it under control but after endless visits to the doctor he was prescribed betnovate cream to apply to the worst areas. The red, sore itchy patches cleared in days and I was delighted. I also use double base cream all over twice a day, bath him in oilatum junior no more than necessary usually every other day or even every 3 days if we can.. I still apply betnovate cream if a patch appear but within 2-3 days it is always gone. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Julie - posted on 05/06/2010

try adding 1 cup epsom salt to the bath water. you can buy it at walmart, walgreens, etc. Worked great for my granddaughter.

Dana - posted on 05/06/2010

~MESSAGE , FROM MODERATOR, TO SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE POSTED~

Please check your messages, I have deleted many posts with solicitations. Please review the rules of NO T.H.U.M.P.S if you wish to continue being a member of Circle of Moms. Thank you, Dana ~ WtCoM moderator

Audra - posted on 05/06/2010

Use Canus Lotion! Its a goats milk lotion that is one of the best for eczema. You can get it at Walgreens online and in some stores! It's is easiest to buy it online. They have a baby line as well! Diaper cream, baby wash, baby lotion etc. And the smell is fantastic! I get more compliments when I use it on my 11 month old than any other lotions!!!

Sharon - posted on 05/06/2010

My son is now five months and has suffered with eczema since he was 8 weeks. We have been referred to a specialist and he now uses Double Base from head to toe three times a day, Aqueous cream at each nappy change and a mild steriod cream on particularly bad patches, when needed - the results are unbeliveable. Its awful to see your little one in discomfort, and its hard work for the parents to manage the condition as well, but most of the time, children do grow out of it.

Good luck!

Stella - posted on 05/06/2010

My son also has had eczema since birth and ive tried all kinds of creams with not much success.recently i started giving him bleach baths twice a week and it seems to be working.Apparently bleach helps to destroy bacteria on the skin that causes it to dry up and itch alot.The proportions are 20ml of bleach for about 30-40 litres of water.always ensure to moisturize with pure aqueous cream atleast twice or even thrice a day!

Katie - posted on 05/06/2010

double base is the best, you can bath them in it as well, its a cream with oil base in it, my niece had eczema very bad, bleeding and bad at night, this helps right away you can get if from the doctors

Michelle - posted on 05/06/2010

Forgot to say we used and still use goat milk, cheese and soya yogurts for my son...limiting the cow dairy intake. We also limited the full body bathing...just doing the necessary bits :-)

Michelle - posted on 05/06/2010

Hi, my son had eczema from birth also. I discovered he had a lot of food allergies that triggered his skin outbreaks e.g whole egg, cow milk, potato & nuts.

You need to use a very thick non water based cream on the skin, I used it every nappy change from top to toes and sometimes more often.

I tried to limit the use of cortocoides unless he was really itchy. I sometimes had to put socks tapes at the wrist to stop him from tearing his skin open...and yes even with really short nails he could scratch.
Also I would recommend a daily spoon or 2 of powder form pro-biotics...you can just dissolve it in a small amount of liquid or put it into yogurt...see WWW.UDO'S choice probiotic blend for infants to 5 year olds

My son was also allergic to chlorine in pools...sea water was wonderful for his skin.

Thankfully now he has grown out of the eczema, he occasionally gets dry patches but all our efforts when he was very young paid off. Good luck

LORNA - posted on 05/06/2010

Hi there, i also had a daughter who was born with eczema, but eventually outgrew it - if that is something to look forward to! My daughter is now 17 years old and occassionally gets small dry areas in winter or when eating alot of dairy products - this is something to look at - i was told to take her off all dairy and feed her soya milk where possible, the other thing we did when it was really bad, we only bathed her using aqueous creme - with no perfumes - i even had to wash her hair with it! I must say cutting the intake of dairy and the combination of the aqueous creme made a world of difference.

Anita - posted on 05/06/2010

My Daughter now 4 also had eczema & I tried many things until I came across Calendula Ointment made by Basic Nature. It’s an all natural product which was important to me; you can only purchase it online. I also used Goats Milk Soap during bath time. The Calendula Ointment I still use it’s a wonderful skin healer, cuts, scratches, bruises it’s a must if you have kids. The other great thing is that the whole family uses the ointment & soap so you not buying a hundred a one products. Take a look www.basicnatureskincare.com

Jill - posted on 05/05/2010

I had such bad eczema when I was a baby that it caused me to be pigeon toed!
My mom would bath me in an oatmeal and milk bath which would bring down the redness and apply cold clothes to make it stop itching. Once I got older I was prescriped cortizon cream (A type of steroid) and normally that helps take it away.
I'd talk to a doctor about what they'd suggest

Julia - posted on 05/05/2010

Try cutting out all dairy products or all eggs out of your diet if you are breast feeding or out of her diet. I cut out all eggs while breast feeding and my daughters skin improved heaps, although never perfect. Now at 30 she still can't tolerate eggs.

Jo - posted on 05/05/2010

My little bloke just turned 1 last week and developed excema at around 6 weeks, so I am sympathising very much with you and your daughter. I tried natural creams from Body Shop, Moo Goo and chemist and they didn't really help. They worked on friends baby's though. I ended up going to the doctor and getting the cortisone creams because he wasn't ever getting a break from the itching, so never sleeping properly or travelling in car well. Thank God he has mostly grown out of it, with a few patches and flare ups from some foods we think. I bathed him in olive oil and water which seemed to help too. Some foods really seemed to affect him eg mango, nut things ( not allergic, more intolerant). I even had to start swaddling him at night again to stop him from scratching his head all night!
I hope it passes :)

Roberta - posted on 05/05/2010

My granddaughter has eczema all over her body it has been there since birth also, we have been using cetifil cream and it seems to work but also keeping their skin moist helps with the patches to go away so you have to put it on more than once aday. Hope that helps. Best of luck. In the warmer months it gets worse.

Alba - posted on 05/05/2010

My 3 year has something similar the doctor though it was eczema when i took him to the dermatologist he concluded that it was psorasis and gave him a expensive prescription the ointment was about $75, We tried Blue star as he got older and by that time it was all over head, ears, bottom well that work miracles, but only for a while because it is hot onto the skin right now we are using campho-phenique and it has work a miracle its almost gone i would try it.