Eczema help! Any tips and ideas that I haven

Lisa - posted on 01/20/2010

. "15 months on formula sounds a bit off but I don't know the history nor do I have a medical degree. I would think you could feed the child normal food and Nordic Naturals vitamins to better police the ingredients that are getting into his body. My kids don't drink milk, soy milk or rice milk but they are completely healthy (more so now)."


A kind response to this: My son is on a hypoallergenic formula called enfamil Nutramigen. It is for babies with milk protein intollerance. He can have other foods, but no milk. We tried milk and he was a red itchy blob from head to toe. The doc's are keeping him on the formula instead of milk. He did have breast milk until my supply ran out, but he still had the rash..I had to stop eating all dairy, no chocolate, etc. He had bad collic and was switched to gentlease then soy. The Nutramigen is the best for him. He does not eat fast foods or hot dogs. I give him a balanced diet, just try to stay away from dairy. It's the milk protein that flares up his rash, I was told the rash will be there either way:( I have been trying what all of you have been trying and actually have been doing alot of what was suggested! Hopefully he can outgrow this like my first son did:) Thank you for all your help and ideas!

Lisa - posted on 01/20/2010

thank you to everyone for your tips and help. I appreciate the encouraging results to those who have been dealing with this issue. My son is still suffering, but I am trying it all to see what works best for him. He goes to the doctor next month. He is 13 1/2 months and hopefully he will grow out of this. My 4 year old had eczema, but a very light case of it and has not had a breakout in over a year. Thank you again to all, I really am greatful for all the responses and help!

Annbritt - posted on 01/16/2010

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~Jennifer - posted on 01/16/2010

Thank you for your responses to this question.

Kristin - posted on 01/16/2010

See an allergist. My daughter had early breaks outs too and she is allergic to milk -- not just intollerant allergic. The allergist will help with getting it under control and then see a pediatric dermatolgist if it still does not clear up.

Donna - posted on 01/16/2010

My son also had eczema as a baby. My doctor suggested using Johnson's Baby Shampoo for his hair AND body instead of using soap (or other baby body wash products) because it doesn't dry the skin out. Also, the only lotion that helped my son was Aveeno Baby. There are two types for baby. The only one that worked for me was the one that says (Soothing Relief Moisture Cream) "Soothes & Relieves Dry Skin - Even Dry Skin from Eczema. I hope this information will help!

Lesley - posted on 01/16/2010

you need to find a moisturiser that works for your son, not all of them suit everyone. My son was given a common one that made him itch like mad. We now have Aveeno (a colloidal oatmeal cream - oatmeal is an old fashioned remedy for eczema) keeps him well moisturised and no real need for steroid creams.

Shamika - posted on 01/16/2010

Try bathing your son with cetaphil soap gentle cleansing bar, after the bath pat the child's skin dry and then put on some cetaphil lotion on the child's skin that helps keep the child skin nice and moist that really helped alot with my 22 months daughter's skin an her eczema is really severe

Mary - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter had terribel Eczema when she was a baby. It does go away. Keep it moist with the cream so you don't get scars. I switched her to soy formula and it went a way pretty fast. Your doctor is on the right track, but staying away from a milk based formula completely might be your best bet. She is now eight and her face is perfect. I have kept her on soy milk becauase even skim milk gives her terrible stomach aches at age eight. I hope this helps.

Rachel - posted on 01/16/2010

My 18 mos. old is completely lactose intolerant and any exposure sets her eczema into overdrive. Aveeno twice a day is helping, as is running a humidifier in her room every night. I have to agree with some of the other Moms, watch his diet to see if you notice any other foods affecting him. We just realized that pears/pear juice also flare her skin (experimenting with foods like when they start solids- it's a pain but worth it!).
I've battled with it since I was a baby, and staying away from scented laundry soap and drier sheets really does make a difference! Good luck!

Alice - posted on 01/16/2010

Aveeno, for my son entire life I have had to bath him in it,eight years old. We took him to the hospital at under a month old, because we did not now what it was. Also they can not be in direct sun for an extended time.

Sarah - posted on 01/16/2010

"...eczema is form of candida and candida lives in all of us...if you want to stop it then you need to eliminate of all forms of sugar, grain, dairy and fermented products and all processed foods...(http://www.ninazu.com/treatments.html)...

creams or various types of topical treatments just coats the infection - it does not cure it! doctors will tell you that there is no cure but there is and it starts with what you eat...unfortunately in north america we have been programmed to eliminate alkalizing foods...alkalizing foods balances our acidity level and believe it or not by not attaining a balance is the reason we inflict bodily problems to ourselves..."

We also have addressed yeast issues and greatly reduced refined carbs and sugars, which has helped. One thing you can do with a baby is to get a bifidus supplement - it's a probiotic, which helps control yeast and aids in digestion. Find one without added flavors and open up the capsule and rub some on her gums. My lactation consultant recently recommended it for my 5 month old and I have used it with my older kids too. I have been giving my 7 year old an enzyme supplement, which helps with her digestion and skin.

One thing to keep in mind is that the skin is one way the body eliminates toxins. If you're seeing a skin issue, consider what might be causing it internally. Also, if you kill off yeast, expect to see an initial worsening of the skin condition caused by the "die off" before it gets better.

Joanne - posted on 01/16/2010

Try Vanicream...it works wonders! It is an over-the-counter product, but you usually will find it behing the pharmacy counter. They also have Vanicream sunscreen.

Sarah - posted on 01/16/2010

Also, a little oil in the bath helps condition, soften and moisturize the skin. I like sweet almond oil, but olive oil would work too. Keep water temp warm, not hot, and bath short - under 10 min. and then apply a thick cream that will act as a water barrier (I like shea butter, see above.) Our docs recommend a short daily bath which will soften the skin. And to moisten the skin (if not bathing) before applying the shea butter. You can google shea butter and buy it online.

Sarah - posted on 01/16/2010

My daughter (now 7 years) developed eczema when she was 6 months, just after we introduced solids. It appears in her creases: elbows, knees, armpits, etc. The best thing we have found (besides adjusting her diet) is pure unprocessed shea butter. It has a high amount of natural vitamin E and you don't have to worry about potentially dangerous ingredients of her becoming "immune" to it. It doesn't thin the skin like some prescription creams and doesn't have immune or bone implications like steroids do. You can buy pure shea butter online. I pay about $8 for a pint and it last us months and months. Incidentally, it's also the very best thing I've found for stretch marks - 3 babies now and no stretch marks on me.

Jia - posted on 01/16/2010

we use pearl cream. really good. work wonders

Cheyrl - posted on 01/16/2010

hi i have excema myself all my life and also my 16 mth old son has it i use sudacreme which is good you can use it when the baby needs it. also e 45 works but me preffebly use the suda cream as the cream gets into the skin clearing it up while e 45 just covers it he cant use soap orany fragrance all i wash him with just water which is also good as soap irritates the skin also my washing powder we cant use daz or surf so i had to change it but see what starts him scratching also pets not a good idea my dog dosent come in my livingroom because my son walks and goes on the rug and the dog hair could start it or cats hope it helps good luck and hope ur son ok

Annie - posted on 01/16/2010

My son has it too. When he has an outbreak I put eucrine aquafor on his rashes. It is gentle for sensitive skin. No frangrance or anything. I use it on my skin as well to heal my hands when my skin cracks on my knuckles from soaps. It was also what his pediatrician said to use. Hope it helps.

Kathryn - posted on 01/15/2010

Hello, our son and daughter have aczema from a very early age, they are know 12 and 13, the cream that we always use is aqueous moisturising cream, which can also be used as a cleanser, it's a moisturiser and can be used as often as required with no side effects, have also used E45 cream, which is good too.
Good luck

Naomi - posted on 01/15/2010

...eczema is form of candida and candida lives in all of us...if you want to stop it then you need to eliminate of all forms of sugar, grain, dairy and fermented products and all processed foods...(http://www.ninazu.com/treatments.html)...

creams or various types of topical treatments just coats the infection - it does not cure it! doctors will tell you that there is no cure but there is and it starts with what you eat...unfortunately in north america we have been programmed to eliminate alkalizing foods...alkalizing foods balances our acidity level and believe it or not by not attaining a balance is the reason we inflict bodily problems to ourselves...

...all my cousins have had it starting at birth and my partner is attacking it as i write to you...its a long journey but in due time you'll be able to control it...the 'truth' is lisa, you son will have to stick to this diet for the rest of his life...

Julia - posted on 01/15/2010

My son had eczema from about 8 mths old. As I had him on a strict diet (breast feed & organic solids), I was convinced it was food related as there seemed to be a connection with certain foods he ate. The GPs said it wasn't possible. In the end I got them to humour me and give a referral for allergy tests. Turns out he is allergic to egg, tree nuts and has to avoid seeds. Apparently there is a connection between egg allergies and eczema. He is now 4 and on a strict diet to avoid allergies and has hardly any signs of eczema anymore. But we have to deal with the allergies (including epi-pen). My 2 yr old is now developing eczema so I am cutting out all the same food sources for her to see if that makes a difference! I don't know how young they do allergy tests but perhaps there is an ingredient in your son's formula that he is allergic to? Once we new what to avoid, it was a relief! It's hard getting used to what foods he can and cant have but we are all happier now!

Tina - posted on 01/15/2010

My son had the same exact thing, except his first doctor misdiagnosed it because it had gotten so bad his skin was actualy raw. when i took him to another doctor for a second opinion they decided it was eczema. we changed his formula at least four times before we got the nutramigen which worked the best. his doctor said eucerin, the jelly kind is best. keeping the skin moist helps it alot. my son is two now, and his eczema has decreased greatly. he is allergic to milk though so he takes a soy drink but other moms have told me he will probably grow out of that. at least i hope.

Hillary - posted on 01/15/2010

I am a mom with eczema. and so does my 10 years old son. the best thing I have found to use is palmer's lotion. the kind pregnant women use for stretch marks. it does not burn like the others and is safe for daily use.

RITA - posted on 01/15/2010

Use Noni Soap made by Hawaii Holistics. Great Stuff! Tested it on my niece for 2 weeks and there was a huge improvement. Because it is a glycerin soap keep it on a draining dish so it doesn't melt away. Not all Noni soaps work well, but the one by Hawaii Holistics does, because of how much noni is in it. Try it!

Jennifer - posted on 01/15/2010

My son is 6 and we have dealt with the same problems since birth. You may want to see an Allergist and be tested for food allergies. My son had multiple. There is a formula called Neocate for children allergic to milk protein, but it is very expensive. There ia also one called Ellecare that we used for about 3 years. Warm 20 minutes bath soaks, pat dry and while he is still damp, rub him in Crisco shortening and put old clothes on him as the grease will ruin them. Do this daily and you will start to see some improvement. Be careful because you can develop staff from the scratching and having open wounds. Keep the finger and toe nails clipped and just moisturize often. Flaxseed oil will also help. I pour some over my son's food and he does not even know it is there. Maybe this will be of some help.

Sasha - posted on 01/15/2010

My son too, developed his eczema just weeks after birth. We tried over the counter lotions like, Cetaphil and Eucerin and were told to use only Aveno bath oatmeal and such to bath him. We were also told to bath him only when necessary. Meaning, no nightly bath routine. We did it probably weekly, or something like that. (now that he's 7 1/2, it's everyother day) We then had to move on to something stronger. The Rx Elidil (sp?) That seemed to help, till he had a really bad case when he was 4 and I took him to the ER. It was covering his whole body, even his face and I was affraid it might get into his eyes. Over the years, his eczema changed a bit. Earlier in life, he had big, dry patches of it on his ankle crease, elbows and knees and a bit on his tummy. They too turned a bit whiter than he already was, but the pigment has since come back. Now it's more of a colorless, sandpaper rash that breaksout usually only on him tummy. It's a hereditary issue and mine is more of a moist eczem I get on the bottonm of my feet. I've grown out of it since I was in 3rd grade and every so ofter I have a bout, but I do the following...At the ER, the dr perscribed us a even stronger cream called Triamcinolone .1%, to use 2 times a day and to follow by Cetaphil. (only once on the face, b/c it thins the skin) He said that you must always put lotion on after the cream, b/c it helps to trap in moisture. NO one had ever told us that. And you know what, it cleard it all up in a few days and I've been doing it every since...going on 3 1/2 years now. Hope this helps. I sure rambled on a bit, but I thought you might be interested in the different things that we have tried. The formula issue is new to me, I was never told about anything like that. I also breastfeed for 3 months, again, not being told to stay away from dairy or anything. Hope some of this information helps!!

Shonterrical - posted on 01/15/2010

well my 5 year old daughter has it, a warm bath, eucerin calming cream, the aveno lotion, hydrocotisone, keeping him away from chocolate and acid, keepin his skin moist, change his soap, DOVE is the best....

Heather - posted on 01/15/2010

there is a powder that is made by Aveeno it is oatmeal bath powder you add it to the water and I have also used regular diaper cream and I found that helped.

Liz - posted on 01/15/2010

Aveano Lotions, etc. work very well and also when he takes a bath but oatmeal in it. You can get packets near the bodywash aisle.

Mimi - posted on 01/15/2010

My daughter suffered from eczema from a very young age (she is 9 now). When she was younger she was prescribed Balneum soya oil for bathing followed by aqueous cream as a moisturiser. When her acema flares out bad then fucidin or hydrocortizan creams. These cream work straight away but in the long run you will see the side effects beside just being immune. On my daughter the Hydrocortizan has tinned her skin so i would not recommend to use it very regularly. I relied in a lot of mosturiser though possibly with ones with no parfum in ingredient. Similarly watch out on washing powder avoid the ones with perfum which may trigger dry skin...having the radiator on too long. Another thing i found is about 2-3 years ago I went on holiday to Africa since then I found her eczema has gone down a lot. I am assuming the hot weather may have helped??? I only find it that it comes back between her joints during winter season when it damp outside again the radiator are on etc...

Stephanie - posted on 01/15/2010

My 2 yr. old has "baby eczema" which means as he gets older it will fade away, but for now the only products non-prescription that seem to help is Aveeno. I use the baby bath (with oatmeal) & then lotion after baths. You can apply as often as need be & it doesn't burn the areas like some of the products that have menthol in them. Give it a try. I've also heard aquaphor is good, but since Aveeno is working for me I haven't used it personally.

Cori - posted on 01/15/2010

Shaiki dry skin therapy lotion is great for that and have heard of it solving the problem on some kids. Not sure if it is good for infants or not, you should try looking into it though. You can find it at vitamin cottage or some similar type of health store. It comes in a blue colored box, look for the teddy bear with a cross.

Donna - posted on 01/15/2010

collodial oatmeal products such as aveeno are great, also try a sock of oatmeal in the bath. Never use fabric softener or liquid washing detergent, avoid soap on the skin if you can and only bathe them a couple of times a week to reduce skin irritation and dryness.

Emily - posted on 01/15/2010

I was researching eczema treatments because my husband has it really bad on his hands. I ran across and article on Web MD about bleach baths for children with eczema. I know this sounds strange but the study showed great results apparently. They added 1/4 cup of bleach to the bath water. Check out the article on WEB MD, just search for bleach baths for eczema. Good Luck!

Dana - posted on 01/15/2010

BTW I bath him every 3rd day.

Dana - posted on 01/15/2010

I was told NOT to bath my son everyday because it washes away his natural oils. When I do bath him I use the Aveeno oatmeal bath powders. I also found a perfume/dye free shampoo and use Eucerin bath oil body wash. Lotion while wet.

Perfume/dye free detergent

Eucerin cream for all over and the prescription coritzone for the red spots.

The above is what works best for my two year old. Oh and I lotion the hell out of him! Everytime his pants come off for a diaper change I lather up his legs. (it's mostly on his legs)

Other than that good luck and I hope he outgrows it like my oldest....which was around 12 or so.

I still get flare ups on my arms when stressed....I use Udder cream.

Kimberly - posted on 01/15/2010

My FiL is a dr and told us to put the kids in a bath with 1Tb of olive oil. I haven't tried it yet. We just moved from a d r y climate and their skin is soo dry. I just keep using moisturizers and have a humidifier on.

Missi - posted on 01/15/2010

We had the same thing happen with our 2 year old. I took him to 5 different dermos. I tried many different things before I found anything that helped. I changed his detorgant to Free and Clear products. After his bath we do baby oil and lotion. We also only give him 2 bathes a week. He hasn't had a break out since I started all of this this.

Ogo - posted on 01/15/2010

My son also suffered ezema from about two week old. The doctor placed him on a prescription medication, but what really worked was mosturization with nivea cream. I had to mosturize his skin each time I changed his diaper. now he is ezema free and five, but I still have to mosturize his skin with nivea or any advanced dry skin cream.

Charlotte - posted on 01/15/2010

My daughter had it and it turns out she is allergic to wheat, milk, eggs and sugar. We took it out of her diet and her ADD-like symptoms decreased and her eczema went 95% away. Look to her diet for any of these other items. There is a book called "Is This Your Child?" by Dr. Rapp that is full of great information. What concerned me with my other children is that putting things in their diet that makes their skin react also changes their brain chemistry--neurotransmitters. Google this and you'll be amazed at what you aren't being told at the pediatrician. 15 months on formula sounds a bit off but I don't know the history nor do I have a medical degree. I would think you could feed the child normal food and Nordic Naturals vitamins to better police the ingredients that are getting into his body. My kids don't drink milk, soy milk or rice milk but they are completely healthy (more so now). We checked their calcium levels too. They are in fact, healthier than they have ever been AND are completely calm. Other parents notice all the time how calm they are. It's because they don't get (most of the time) all the junk ingredients that harm them. We try to follow this 80% of the time. There are times when we eat pizza, gluten-free, hot dogs, etc but the kids don't like how it makes them feel now.

Isa - posted on 01/15/2010

My daughter has suffered with eczema since birth. She was about 4 years old when I started to eliminate the foods and clothing (wool) that affected her. She loves cheese, milk, eggs etc., and all of those foods were causing her to break-out. Once she had stopped eating milk based, eggs and cheese products her skin started to improve. I also gave her flax seed oil which really helps them to retain the moisture on their skin.

You're little guy is still too young to try these things, but don't lose hope. My daughter is now 15 years old and has not had a severe break-out since we changed her diet. She can now enjoy those foods, but in moderation. Good luck with your little guy!!

Karrie - posted on 01/14/2010

My advice is different. My daughter had eczema since she was born till about 2.5 years old. We changed formula but found out including dairy, eggs, nuts she was also allergic to soy. So when it came time we put her on Goats Milk. I heard from other mom's how it help their child and read about it. It is easier to digest than cow's milk, soy and rice milk. Also healthier. It was wonderful. The breakouts got better and fewer. We used Johnson and Johnson Eczema Cream and bath wash. It's in a green tube. We also found out it was better to keep her clean and rub her down with cream right after bathing her. Use no die/perfume clothes detergent. Also use no perfumes. Our family/friends were also helpful for the time to not use lotions with perfumes and some even changed their detergent. She reacted to their clothing too. With big breakout's we had a prescribed hydrocortizone cream. She has not had a breakout since 2.5. She is now also eating eggs and dairy. No nuts still. Good luck.

LaGenda - posted on 01/14/2010

I don't know if they told you or not but it help to keep his skin well moisturized. I used the Aveeno for sensitive skin fro my daughter who has it real bad as well. It also helps to give him Aveeno oatmeal baths. This comes from my pediatrician.

Nikki - posted on 01/14/2010

My husband and I just adopted his nephew at 6 months of age, when we were finally able to pick him up I noticed he had an eczema patch on each cheek of his face. My pediatrician recommended that I apply Hydrocortizone to his spots a couple times a day. It worked great. all cleared up, I have no idea about allergies though..

Cortnee - posted on 01/14/2010

Having children with this condition can be tough! I have two children who suffer with this condition. What has worked for my children have been oatmeal baths, I use All to wash their clothes, the non scented white Dove to wash them in and Nivea lotion the light blue bottle seems to work best on their skin. When they have major break outs I use cordizone cream. It is a process that you have to stay up on.

Dawn - posted on 01/14/2010

ALL NATURAL Jameson vitamine E 100% pure oil. Buy it at the pharacy, beauty section at a grocery store, Walmart or Zellers. IT is safe without chemicals of hydracortizone and or other over the counter products.

It works and it very soothing. It has a very thick consistancy and all you need is a little drop and it spreads out onto skin. Use it right after cleansing. Cost around $10.00 and will last about 6 months with infants.

Jolene - posted on 01/14/2010

For my 2 sons the best cream we found is Cetaphil. LOVE IT, we tried all the other so called home remedies and prescription meds. The prescription we love is Protopic. My sons are 23 and 13 now and they manage the eczema with these 2 items.

My oldest son would cry when we would lotion him with Ercerin and Eulactin

(Spelling ?) which my 2 sisters love for their eczema. He would tell me it burns every time we would lotion him. Some times you need to just learn by trail and error. We tried oat meal baths, changing soaps, detergent etc.... For us the trick was Cetaphil and Protopic. We were given the prescriptions Metronidazole, Nizoral, Dermatop, and Triaminacinalone. They did not work for us. Just make sure you let the Dermatologist know what isn't working so you can figure out what does.

Maggie - posted on 01/14/2010

aquaphor, mild soap like dove, no fabric softners, maybe plain tide...aquaphor right after bath... every bath....try bathing every other day, oatmeal bath is good too. Works for my girl always has. no steroidal treatments ever, but she occasionally uses Benedryl by mouth, never use benedryl cream and liquid at same day, overdose of active ingredient!! hope it helps.

Michelle - posted on 01/14/2010

Both my children had had eczema since birth too. My son's is awful. Our dermatologist gave us a prescription called Derma Smoothe FS oil (it's actually for the scalp) but we put this on his damp skin. It has changed our lives!! He also recommended to use All Free N Clear washing liquid and Downy Free and Clear. We bath him in Aveeno wash (fragrance free) & use the Aveeno lotion daily. My little boy looked like he had been burned on 90% of his body before we started. He is now a totally different child. I hope this works for you and your family!
Michelle Hamm

Brooke - posted on 01/14/2010

I have eczema and so does my middle daughter...first breastfeeding is best when you have a chikld with allergies...I don't know how old he is, but you may be able to relactate. Second....don't use any soap when you bath him, just water. Use eucerine severalo times a day. Like you said use the cortizone cream prescribed only sometimes as it is also not good to use too much steroid based creams (although they do work well). Wash clothes and bedding only in baking soda. Try to pin point food allergies to thew best of your abilities if he is eating foods. Good luck!! BTW overheating and weather wind that is cold makes it worse...and dry air as well...if you are using heat in your home be sure to keep the temp around 69 degrees and run a cool mist vaporizer at all times.