5-Month Old with Eczema

My 7 months old has this same problem. Our doctor told us to bath her everyday but only in warm water with no soap or lotions. We can only use soap in the tub 2-3 times a week. We have special lotion, eucrin that we put on 2 times a day. It has cleared her up!

3 of my children had eczema as babies, but it never seemed to bother them. It left all of them by the time they were between 9mths and 1yr (which is what's normal for baby eczema). It came back with my middle son when he was about 15mths old, and he'd had problems with it off and on until about 5mths ago (about 2 1/2yrs). I don't know if it just goes away in the winter time or if it's gone for good, but I guess we'll find out in about a month or 2. My niece and nephews all had baby eczema, also, but it never stayed with them past about 9mths-12mths with them, either. It's actually very common. Just keep him rinsed off well with clean, clear water, don't expose him to chlorine especially, without rinsing him off VERY well. We used a few different lotions...all over the counter until he became 2yrs when we went to prescription. We used Aveeno and Aquafor (sp), but I Gerber Oatmeal was what we used the most after baths.

Don't worry about it too much, chances are high that it'll go away before he's a toddler, and it probably bothers you a lot more than him. :)

K.
SAHM of 4 (6,4,2 & 8mths)

My son (11 months old) has had a bout with eczema. Before 6 months old they really can't give her anything strong but what helped my son (recommended by my pediatrician) is take vasaline and a little bit of baby lotion and lather the baby up after her bath. Use hydrocordizone cream 1% on the really bad spots during the day. Hot or really warm baths irritate eczema so it will get really red afterwards. Also eczema is extremely dry skin and in the winter time her skin (as everyones) drys out really easy so put on a humidifier. You should see a difference really quickly.

A.,

My little one has the same issue except his is in another category I guess because it's so severe. With him, the dermatoligist that he saw suggested over-the-counter treatments included using Selsun Blue and just bathing him in it. Also at EVERY diaper change, rub him down with Aveno, dry/sensitive skin lotion and alternate with a product called aquafore......it's kinda like vaseline. These products work very well for my son when he just has the mild cases, but when it gets really bad, he has a steroid that I have to put on it called Cutivate and prescription strength hydrocortizone.

As far as being allergic to his soy formula, it's possible. Or it could be an allergy to the laundry detergent, something in the carpet or even something in the air. We found out that our son is allergic to all dairy, eggs and peanuts, but that he's also allergic to animal saliva, because he can play with the dogs and cat all day and never really have an allergic reaction, but one of them can lick him and he turns into a little red lollipop. We also think that he could also be allergic to something outside that comes in with him after his brother and sister have been outside playing or if the animals come in from outside.

I have come to learn that eczema and allergies come hand in hand, because everyone that I know that has a child with eczema or atopic dermatitis, also has a child with moderate to severe allergies.......

Hopefully your son is the exception to the rule. Good luck, hope my experience is able to help you out.

The eczema could be a food allergy or could just be eczema.

My youngest struggled with it when he was an infant. His Dr. reccommended Vanicream lotion and we use Vanicream moisturizing bar for his bath.

Talk to your pediatrician. I ended up having to get a prescription for Elidel cream for my sons eczema it dried his eczema up and when his skin starts acting like it is going to break out again we start lathering it on.

Hello A.,

Little 5 mo olds just don't have the immune systems to deal with a lot of things. Something as simple as your laundry detergent could be the cause or it could be an ingredient in the OTC stuff your applying now.

Here's a link to a 30-minute video every person who has or takes care of kids ought to know about - it's a real eye-opener!:
Toxic Brew
http://www.theglobalsuccessteam.net/resources/wmv/toxic_B...

I see you posted your question a few weeks ago, but just felt like I should still respond. My son is now 25 months old and has severe food allergies. He is actually allergic to eggs, wheat and milk. Since it took us almost 1 1/2 years to get all of his allergies diagnosed, he ended up with severe ezcema as well. It is very frustrating. One thing I found that helped greatly was the baby wash I started using. I changed from Johnson's and Aveno baby wash to a baby wash put out by Shaklee (a great company that only sells chemical and toxin free products). It is called "Small Wonder Shampoo and Baby Bath". It has been months since I have had to use any prescription creams on him. I have also changed to using their cleaning products in my home because of my history of asthma and for the safety of my children. Children with allergies are more prone to develop asthma later in childhood, so I wanted to make sure I was already living chemical free. Shaklee products can only be bought through Shaklee or a Shaklee distributor. I have actually started being a distributor, so if I can help you in any way, please contact me. You can also look at the products on the web at www.shaklee.net/takecontrol. Best of luck!!!

I dont know what causes it but my daughter gets it. Hers is worse when its cold. Just be sure that when you bathe him put babyoil in the water and cover him with lotion or something afterwards. For some reason having a bath always dries my little one out worse than anything.

My daughter has it really bad. Huge patches all over her arms, legs and chest. I was using the over the counter creams as well and they didn't work. I talked to her dr. and she said use Cetaphil (sp?) lotion and soap and she also prescribed a hydrocortizone that is working great. Just mention it to the dr and I'm sure they can give you something.

The best thing we've found to do is apply unscented petroleum jelly all over ASAP after her bath. Making her baths a little cooler than normal seems to help, as does using the Aveeno Creamy Bath Wash on her hair and body. Oatmeal bath in her bath sometimes helps. Hope this helps!

My son had eczema when he was a baby due to a milk allergy and my pediatrician prescribed Elidel cream which worked like a miracle. You can't get it over the counter. That was five years ago so I don't know if there is anything better now. We found out that my son was allergic to milk and cheese products but he out grew the allergy by the time he was three. My doctor said to put him in the bath water for like 30 minutes to moisturize his skin where the eczema was. We never lasted that long we did more like 15-20 minutes. That really helped. We would pat him dry and put the cream on immediately. It really worked! Good luck!

This may sound nuts, but both my children have ecxema to the point of their skin bleeding. I purchased Corona cream from the feed store on the advice of another mom and to this day at the first sign of an outbreak, it prevents it. You should see a difference within 24 hours.

I work from home for a business known as melaleuca they carry a product (lotion) that is known for its wonderful performance in clearing up eczema, in little as 12 to 24 hours. You can find this at www.melaleuca.com or go to my website at www.momstakeaction.com. if you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them. if you go to the web site and become a customer you will only pay the pc price not the other price. but I guarantee you will love this product and be amazed how safe and quick it works.

aRenew Intensive Skin Therapy 8 oz.
Clinically shown to help moisturize even severely dry skin associated with eczema.
Contains More than just Melaleuca Oil

Another Great product is the DermaCort™ Anti-Itch Cream
Tackle bites, rashes, and plain old itches with DermaCort.
Contains More than just Melaleuca Oil
Size: 1 oz.

these products contain a natural healing oil known as melaleuca. very safe even on infants.

C. Safford
www.momstakeaction.com
Moms Helping Other Moms to a brighter future..

I used Gentle Natures baby eczema cream and wash on both of my kids. It works really well. Eczema will get worse in the winter and summer months. Kept the baby lotioned up and do it a couple times a day if you can. It will really help.

Good luck
Wendy

My 7 month old had some spots on her and my pediatrician told me about Gentle Naturals Eczema Cream. You can get it at Walgreens or WalMart. It seemed to help us! It has Winnie the Pooh characters on the front of it. Good luck.

Hi A.!!
Wow... you've gotten a lot of great advice!!! I love this website!! I just wanted to mention another alternative. I have a 4 month old little boy. So far he doesn't show any signs of eczema, but his 1/2 sister has had many problems, (she is 5.) All natural, botanically based products are super important to me and my husband, which is why I am directly involved with a company that prides itself on being: pure, safe and beneficial. ARBONNE!! They have a line of products specifically designed and formulated for babies/children. Did you know: when you go to your local supermarket and buy a product that says, "Tear Free", that actually means they have included additives to numb your baby's eyes???? I FREAKED OUT!!! Seriously, that was a huge turning point for me, and my family. You have so many great suggestions, but if you are interested, I would love to tell you more about our products, and why I feel certain your little guy could benefit from the ABC line of Arbonne.
**I would like to add: whatever you do, try to stay away from anything containing mineral oil..... for your son, and for the rest of your family too. It is impossible for anything good to get in, or anything toxic to come out when there is a layer of mineral oil on the surface of the skin. I truly hope this helps!! **

S. B.
www.askmewhy.myarbonne.com

This may sound crazy, but is it a true eczems out break or is it little bumps? My daughters ped when she was little said eczema and I knew it wasn't because I have severe out break my slf and hers were no way similar to mine. Hers took 2 1/2 years to properly dig and her break out are karitosis palaris that some docs say is eczema because they just are not sure what it is. Her out breaks are affected by dairy, lotions and soaps that unknowing to the averege person have dirivatives of lactose in them (this caught me off gaurd). For the longest time we thought she had an allergy to bananas but it was the hidden dairy in the baby food. weather and water also affect both eczema and karatosis palaris.

I used on my son~~Mary Kay Intense Moisturizing Cream. Yes, I sell Mary Kay and never thought to use it until I didn't know what else to try. IT WORKED! If you want some let me know! It honestly worked within 2 days! C. H

I have a 6 mo. old with similar problem. My friend said her dermatologist told her to use cetaphyl lotion. I got the one that is think in a tub and it cleared the rash right up. I slathered it one several times a day for several days and then just use it once a day now. Worth a try.

My 4yr old daughter has had eczema since she was about 6 months. The only thing we know is that skin conditions are hereditary. So, if anyone in your family has had any kind of skin problem, that is most likely where its coming from. Some babies however, grow out of it. My daughter will be fine for months then she has a full breakout and is crying from the discomfort. Her Pediatrician gave us a prescription for a mixture of hydrocortisone and acid mantle base. It works within a day. It is even wonderful on diaper rash. I hope you have better luck and that your baby grows out of it!

My 7 yr old has had eczema since he was 4 months old, the best thing we have found is keep it dry and cool. My son gets it on his feet really bad so i let him run around the house barefoot as much as possible. When he has to wear socks, he changes them 3-4 times a day depending on how hot it is. Him & I both have it on our scalps and I found that Nioxin, found only at salons, works GREAT!!! It smells strong, because of the mint, but it really isn't. Good luck and we will keep ya'll in our prayers.

try after bathing him rub all over with baby oil then dry off--baby willstill feel like hes got baby oil on but thats ok --be sure to cover him with footie pajamas so he doesnt lick it off hope this helps

Hello,
I know exactly how you feel! My daughter got excema when she was 7 months old and had it until she was 23 months old. I think that your climate has a lot to do with it. We lived in Oklahoma and then moved to Colorado when she was around 20 months old. It was a much dryer climate. Plus, we decided to stop putting so much stuff on her and it just went away on it's own. I think that I kept it on her longer by trying so much stuff on her. I hope you can get it cleared up. I know how miserable it makes them. best of luck.

My little girl was diagnosed with eczema when she was 1 year. We have taken her to a dermatologist here in the City and She is wonderful.....she recomended Cera-ve cleanser,lotion to use and you can get it at most CVS stores....not all...We also run a humidifier in her room 24/7....Cotton clothing helps to keep them cool and keep your home at a comfortable temp.....I hope this helps..

J.

I have had excema by entire life--unfortunately never grew out of it! but the main thing besides the great advice of medicine, is make sure not to aggitate it. This means no perfume soaps, lotions, powders , oils, shampoo, laundry detergents, etc. Try to buy everything in senstive skin, all natural, etc versions. If it ever gets really bad, an oral dose of an (infants) antihistimine works too.

My 4 year old has had eczema since birth..the poor thing has gotten it so bad on his little legs that he cries in pain. My sister works at a dermatology office and recently sent me a box of samples for Aveeno Eczema Care lotion. It has worked WONDERS. His skin was almost like sandpaper on his legs and now it's baby soft. It's been the only thing that has ever cleared it before. It's mostly only available in stores on the west coast but Target is supposed to carry it. If you go on www.drugstore.com they have really good prices on it and give you free shipping on orders over $25. Good luck.