17 Month Old with Eczema....

Updated on June 06, 2008
J.P. asks from Grand Rapids, MI
41 answers

My 17 month old had a bath at grandma's house this morning and when she returned him to me he had an awful raised rash all over his arms legs and trunk. I have always known him to have very sensitive, dry, skin and after doing some research on the internet I am quite certain he has eczema. Does anyone have any advice on products or home remedies to help?

Thank You!

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So What Happened?

Thanks to everyone who responded to my request. I received a multitude of great advice and am going to take my son to the pediatrician today to make sure it is in fact eczema. Many of you suggested I go green, and actually I have been using nothing but products such as Aveeno Baby for eczema and All Free and Clear detergent since he was a newborn. He has always been very sensitive to anything else. This past break out was the worst I have seen and of course I would like to avoid it happening again as it just looks so uncomfortable! Thank You all for the advice, I will definitely be using it!!!

J. P.

Featured Answers

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T.A.

answers from Detroit on

Blue Star ointment is what we used on my daughter per the doctors recomendation and it worked great.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Detroit on

Hi J.,

My Cousins son had eczema, she used Equate dry skin cream. SHe recommended it for my son, and it works like a charm. Its very thick, and non greasy so it worked out great for us. You can find it at good old Walmart. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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C.R.

answers from Detroit on

If it is eczema, I second the response about the Arbonne products. My son was born with eczema and it is all I'll use on him.

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J.M.

answers from Lansing on

I have a daughther with dry, sensitive skin and a son with eczema. With my daughter she will show a reaction after a bath or show still (at 13). However it isn't treated like eczema. She just need good, thick, non perfume lotion. However that doesn't cut it with eczema. We have tried every lotion, which you'll need to find what works best for you. Our best on was "Bag Balm". It's an old product but it works. My son needs the hydrocortizone perscription cream when it's extrememly dry in the winter and mid summer. We have also put on the "Bag Balm" or heavy lotion and covered his hands (which is the worst for him) with socks and kept the product where it needs to be overnight and that made a tremendous difference. We've been working on it for almost 14 years and you need to try several things and see what works best for your child.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.Y.

answers from Saginaw on

Hi J.. I would advise you to get the toxins out of your home...everything can cause skin irritations from your shampoo, bubble bath and laundry soap! We use all natural products that do not have any toxins in them. I use Renew lotion that has been clinically proven to be more effective than Eucerin in fighting eczema. We switched to green products and my skin is amazing now!

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A.H.

answers from Detroit on

There are some homeopathics you can research. You can find them at the library or the bookstore, but without all the symptoms, it is too hard to give you a list thru here.

Bodywork (reflexology) and some essentials help. I am seeing a little girl for psoriasis and with the oil blend and the reflexology, it is almost completely gone - to the satisfaction of her mom and the little girl (as we all know how some kids can be in school.)...

So you do have some natural choices, you will need to research what is best for your son. It can beat having any side-effects of creams or other scripts for later on down the road, as this is when they seem to find the issues. (as I have experienced that myself!)

Until you find it; you can try regular rolled oats that you should process into a paste. This can help as oatmeal does have some moisture in it. Then put him into the tub. Or put the oatmeal into the tub, just make sure it doesn't get into the eyes.

Best of luck!

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K.A.

answers from Detroit on

A friend of mine gave her child flax seed oil in her bottle or you can put a little bit on food. I don't know how much to give though so it is something I would do a little research on to give to a child- its incredible stuff for adults to.

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J.S.

answers from Kalamazoo on

Aquaphor lotion is the best for this problem or eucerin.

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C.C.

answers from Detroit on

J.,

My husband, daughter and I all have eczema. When my daughter was a baby she had a spot on her head that would come and go and the pediatrician reccommended hydrocortizone cream applied once a day. Make sure you rub it in well as this helps it work better. It cleared up in a few days never to reappear.

Good luck!

C.

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R.H.

answers from Detroit on

Honestly, it sounds more like your son reacted to something that grandma used. Either the detergent used to wash the towel she dried him with, the soap to clean his body, even her perfume or lotion that she had on her body.

Eczema doesn't just show up after having a bath. This sounds very much like a classic reaction. Most likely since your son has dry sensitive skin he reacted quickly.

As suggested, I would get all toxic products ... cleaners, soaps, detergents, etc... out of your home. That will start to help with the dry skin.

Second, Bean sprouts are touted as a chinese remedy for dry skin. So.. eat those veggies!

Try to find all natural products for baby that are specific for sensitive skin.

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P.R.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My daughter has the same thing our Dr wrote us a prescription for a stronger hydrocortisone(spelling?) and that ointment has worked great!! Also use mild soap and laundry detergent. Stay away from scented lotions, good luck at least it should get better in the summer. :-)

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

I would think something with zinc in it. I would also change the soap being used. Go organic as they're less likely to have harmful ingredients that could cause this.

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M.W.

answers from Saginaw on

Hi J.,
My daughter has it bad. Our lives have been about her skin. We have never conquered it, you name it we have tried it or eliminated it from our lives. You have recieved good adivice from all of the other ladies. I just wanted to let you know that when you use oatmeal, to put it in a knee high nylon and tie it. Your son will have fun squeezing it in the tub and making the bath look creamy. It feels wierd also. I would always start with creams and try to stay away from steriod creams. My daughter has been on them for seven years and has noticable skin damage. Her skin in areas is thin and red. One doctor,(who we now love). Asked us how long she had been on steroid creams, before we ever told him. He could tell by looking at her hands. I don't mean to sound dicouraging, so many children have it and out grow it. My other daughter has a mild case of it and Vanicream works great. She get's bumps all over her body. The lotion is very mild, we get it at our pharmacy, but you can get it over the internet. They have soap and shampoo. I love it so much that I use the soap and lotion. Our dermatologist recommended it and she also recommended Blue Lizard sunblock, it doesn't burn open sores from itching and has like three ingredience in it. I have never seen it in stores, only on line. Then again we live in a small town. GOod Luck!

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K.D.

answers from Detroit on

Eucerin's products worked best for us. The Calming Creme works wonders.

Remember that too warm of water and bubble bath will make his skin worse so try to avoid those. And we use Cetaphil skin cleanser instead of a soap in the tub and have seen a big improvement.

God Bless
K.

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T.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hydracoritzone Cream (.5%) My son always has eczema and this is what we use and within 2 days it is gone. When he was only 3 months old he had to see a dermatalogist for this. He is the one that told me to use it. Good Luck!

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T.V.

answers from Detroit on

I can send you a free sample of the Arbonne baby care set. It is dye and perfume free and works great. Just send me your address.

T.

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M.V.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My niece had it and was told by the dr to use Head and Shoulders shampoo instead of any other soaps when bathing. You can also put vasoline on under pj's before bed. Both made a big improvement.

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A.P.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hi J.:

I am very sorry that your little one has those nasty rashes, but my son also has very sensitive skin and we use a thick lotion called Eucerin that you can purchase over the counter and in most cases it will work overnight. Hope this helps.
A.

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K.Y.

answers from Detroit on

Hi,
Before you decide it's eczema you should have your child checked by a doctor. There are a lot of things that can look alike. My first thought was your child had a reaction to whatever soap or shampoo was used during the bath, or the detergent in the towel. With sensitive skin it's easy to have a reaction to a different product, and it will go away on it's own after a little while as long as the skin isn't exposed to the new products any more.

Good luck!

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O.K.

answers from Lansing on

We've battled with eczema with my son for most of his life. Eucerin has a really good lotion, it was suggested by his pediatrician. We also use the Aveeno Soothing Relief wash.

Eczema can be affiliated with food allergies, so you might want to consider having your child tested for allergies.

Check out the Childhood Allergy March, http://www.isitallergy.com/IsItAllergy/PediatricMarch/ind...

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S.M.

answers from Lansing on

Hi, my 3 yr. old daughter has had eczema for about a year and a half. My doctor gave us some topical ointment for it and honestly it works best. There are other things that can make the rashes less severe though. DO NOT USE REGULAR SOAP OR BABY SOAPS. They have an extreme drying effect on sensitve skin and cause the worst rashes. I am still researching myself but I have noticed that castile soaps are better and oatmeal soap and lotions(although expensive) work great, especially for the itching. Use products with no dyes, or fragrance (i.e. clothes detergent, lotions). Look on some of the holistic websites that talk about skin care there are other ways of managing it like with diet. Unfortunately my daughter also has allergies and asthma so I have to be very careful about what I give or put on her.

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K.I.

answers from Grand Rapids on

ABSOLUTELY! I can introduce you to a great wellness company that has the best products that can prevent and treat exzema and other ailments. Please email me if you are interested. You can also visit one of my websites. www.switchingstores.com/leaf126 or www.WorkingHousewife.com

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C.S.

answers from Detroit on

My son's skin is very sensitive.  But, what you discribed sounds like a reaction to the soap gradma used.  Eczema just doesn't show up after a bath.  My son has major issues with the laundry soap I use to the deodorant he uses.  I finally think I found a deodorant he can use.  I find that my son breaks out into hives from Snowy White Bleach and deodorantswith fragrances.  I would start with making sure the things that you use such as soaps and laundry supplies don't contain fragrances.  I would start there.  He also has bumps on his arms that he has had since he was born.  Good old vasoline helps with that and it is cheap.  Good luck!C.

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B.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My son (10 months) has been covered with eczema since the day he was born. I also have hydrocortizone precription to put on twice a day for the really bad spots. I also use Baby Aquaphor gentle wash by eucerin for his baths. I put Aquaphor healing oniment on the really bad spots after the bath and Eucerin calming cream all day and after baths. He still has it, I've never really been able to "get rid" of it, however, those creams and lotions help. I have also noticed with the hot weather, it seems to flare, so I need to make sure to keep the cream on him more. I also noticed in the winter if I didn't run my humidifer it would also flare. Eczema can be caused by a food allergy too, just keep that in mind. I was told they can grow out of it, but who really knows. I was also told that there is a home version of Eucerin that you can make, however, by the time you get all the ingrediants, it's just as expensive as the real stuff. Just ask your dr. for a bunch of samples to see if they work firt. Good luck!

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S.W.

answers from Lansing on

Hi J.,
I had eczema once and bought some over the counter cream for it, it seemed to clear it up. But when my daughters hands broke out and I didn't know what it was I took her to the doctor and they said that's what she had and gave her a perscription for it. That stuff worked good and fast and wasn't as runny as mine was. But I'm sure there are many over the counter stuff you can find or if you take him in they might recomend something.

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A.M.

answers from Detroit on

Your doc will probably give you hydracortisone cream for it. It's a steroid and will thin the skin and not really help long term, but do more damage. My daughter's comes and goes and I'm not really sure what triggers it. I'm hoping she'll outgrow it. Since we moved to a house that didn't have chlorinated city water, it's sooo much better.

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J.T.

answers from Grand Rapids on

My son who is 6 months old also has eczema and we have found that the Aveeno baby for eczema works the best. The Dr also told us to use hydrocortizone cream (I'm pretty sure that isn't spelled right - but the stuff you use for anti-itch)and to use it 2 times a day. He actually gave us a prescription for a the cream in a bit stronger strength to get it cleared up. We would use the cortizone in the am and pm and aveeno in between. We also used the Aveeno baby wash - he specifically told us to stay away from baby soaps) and he made sure that we knew to lotion him up wet (right after bath).

It took a bit, but I think we finally have it pretty well cleared up. :)

Good luck!

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T.B.

answers from Lansing on

When my daughter was 9-10 months old she had the same rash from eczema. The doctor recommeded Eucerin. You can buy it anywhere. She went to stay with my mom for a week during this time. While she was there my mom and grandmother were givng her a bath everyday and rubbing her down with Vaseline. It worked! The rash went away in a matter if days. Before we were giving her a bath every other day (Doctors' orders). The moral of the story... Vaseline works for everything! It worked wonders for my little girls eczema and diaper rashes. Hope it works.

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R.M.

answers from Detroit on

My son is 3 1/2 and has had eczema since he was a baby. You can use over the counter courtizone cream if it is really bad but I use this stuff called gentle natures it has no steroids in it and I use it all over his body every day when he get out of the bath. It really works well. I dont use any other lotions on him (other than sunblock) and I also use baby soap no perfume stuff!! I would also wash his clothes in non perfume laundry soap (all free and clear) good luck...

R.

ps I buy that lotion at Target(gentle natures baby eczema cream)

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B.A.

answers from Detroit on

It might be that the products grandma used on your son in the bath had artificial scents or dyes in them which can be very irritating to sensitive skin. I would recommend Arbonne's ABC Baby Care line - specifically the ABC Hair and Body Wash and the ABC Body Lotion. I would also use the Rejuvenating Cream (which has a lot of vitamin E in it & is great for highly stressed skin) on the areas where it is most irritated. I recommend it frequently for exzema. Arbonne's products are all pure, safe and beneficial & contain no artificial fragrances or colors. I would be happy to send you samples if you are interested in trying it.

Good luck.
Barb ###-###-####)

P.S. Please look for and avoid products with mineral oil or petroleum in them when it comes to products for your son. It will make his problem worse & these ingredients are in the majority of skin care products on the market in the U.S. today unfortunately.

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L.L.

answers from Grand Rapids on

The company that I work for has wonderful products that help with the excema, from Baby bath products to creams and lotions, even wonderful laundry products.

You can just email me and I can help.

I know it is hard to see a little one sufer, my grandson has excema and now it is under control with these products and not the toxic medicine from the doctor. I will even give you my daughters number so you can talk to her.

www.gogreenisthescene.com
www.livetotalwellness.com

C.D.

answers from Detroit on

J. -

Both my husband and my son have eczema. They use a lotion called Aquaphor and it seems to work well for them.

I've heard more and more compelling arguements about the correlation between eczema and asthma. Maybe it's a subject worth asking your child's pediatrician, if he has breathing problems?

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N.K.

answers from Detroit on

Before you do anything else, ask her what kind of soap she used. It might be a kind that's too harsh for your babies skin. I know this because my daughter has extremely sensitive skin. Also, if she wiped her down with a towel of hers, ask her what kind of laundry detergent she used. That way you can have that in mind in case if it is any one of those items. Good Luck. By the way, my daughter had very dry patches and the doc told us to use Cortizone cream 1%

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K.P.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter is now 12 and has had eczema since she was a baby. I try to use laundry detergents and dryer sheets that are no dye, no perfume for her clothes, and I buy liquid shower soap that is for very dry sensitive skin. This all helps her from getting new patches, and when she does still get it, the best product I've used is Gold Bond lotion. This cleared up a pretty bad case a few years back, and I've sworn by it since. To me it sounds like your son had an allergic reaction to whatever grandma used, so I would make a point to find out what it is, so you can avoid it in the future. Just buy grandma a little care kit for baths to keep at her place, that way she can still give him a bath, and you wont have to worry about the rash again. Good luck!

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi, my baby had very dry skin at 5-6 months... my doc suggested hydrocortisone cream for 7 days (once a day right after a SHORT bath, while he/she is still damp.) And to use Keri lotion as well. You have to use the hydrocortisone very sparingly, and be sure that you don't rub him dry, just pat dry. I also made sure I switched laundry detergent to Ivory Snow, and only use cotton clothes. Hopefully this helps, I'm actually in Canada, so I'm not totally sure if these products are available to you. After a week, my baby was clearing up so I stopped using the hydrocotisone and used only the Keri lotion until she was completely clear, and now use it whenever I feel her skin is drying out. Good Luck!

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C.W.

answers from Detroit on

Hi there J.,
I am sure you will receive much advice with this topic. My heart goes out to you. My sister's boy at 15 months old had such horrible raw wounds from eczema that she was at her whit's end. She is an RN and had already tried products after products mostly natural ones (some from a naturopathic MD)with limited success> When her doc stated she would have to put him on long term steroid shots her response was:"not over my dead body" ! Just around that time our family was introduced to a product that literally changed our lives! A GOD send gift ,if you know what I mean! Everyone of us got results of various kinds: I got more energy which was huge since I was 6 months pregnant at the time and always was tired and exhausted esp. at the end of the day, no more joint aches, and one sister no more menopause symptoms the other avoided a knee replacement surgery (was bone on bone arthritic from a tragic car accident in her mid thirties, also her neurologist lowered her seizure medication she had been on for 20 yrs.( from 1500 to 100 mg Tegretol). all sound to good to be true and there were more results with my friends who had allergies, asthma, ADD/ADHD, autism, high cholesterol, diabetes,depression, fibromyalgia and cancer etc.too many to mention! It was amazing! Then we put Ezra, my nephew, on the products and his eczema started clearing up by the third week ...Needless to say we will never get off these products ( they are safe, simple to use and work)!
Fast forward: He is 8 yrs. now and the products are keeping his eczema under control. He shows no symptoms!
You can imagine with results like that you can't but help share that with others you care about! So I decided to help many more people as a distributor! If this is the route you'd like to explore, I'd be happy it share more..Our company happens to have an informational event coming up tomorrow evening ,Friday, where you can learn more about this amazing company and the products.Call me, if you wish, and I'll be glad to give you directions and time ###-###-#### cell or ###-###-#### home office
Have a blessed day,
C. W.

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K.C.

answers from Saginaw on

My four year old has always had excema and rashes do to food allergies and cattle allergies. Oatmeal bath is wonderful. You can either buy the kind at the store in the little convenient packages or put oatmeal in a plastic baggie and poke holes in it to let the oat milk out. The pharmacist actually told me about using the oatmeal in a baggie method. Smooth that oat milk on the child and then wash it off. It really hydrates the skin. Even now that she is older if her skin is very dry or itchy we will do an oatmeal bath.

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J.S.

answers from Detroit on

Aveeno is a very good product to try because it is mostly natural.

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D.S.

answers from Detroit on

If it just showed up overnight like that, it's probably not eczema. If she gave him a bath, he may just be sensitive and reacting to the soap and/or lotion she used on him.

Dana

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L.S.

answers from Detroit on

Hello J.,

Our little guy (32 months) has very, very dry skin and I put lotion on him 2 times per day. I use Eurecin and Cetaphil. He has very sensitive skin too and if I don't stay on top of it, it becomes red bumpy rash looking.

Hope this helps! L.

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C.T.

answers from Detroit on

Hello,

Welll eczema runs in our family. WRight now our 6month old has it pretty bad. I had to take him to the doctor and they presecribed him with a cream. Its usually a hydrocosezone(sp?) 2.5. That should help. You also might want to always use some eucerin lotion. Its very thick but it helps keep your skin mositurerized.

I pray that helps.

C. Thomas

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