Baby/Infant Eczema

Hi Christina. I have eczema and probably always will. It's a dry skin condition that for me tends to worsen in the winter. My daughter has it too (from me I assume). I bathe her every other day which helps to keep from drying out her skin and use the Eucerin lotion. It's wonderful. The only thing I can suggest is giving him a bath every other day and using the lotion. Cortison is also good for itching and redness. I hope this helps.

As some of the other moms have said, check for allergies. Milk is often the culprit for eczema, or laudry detergents/ fabric softeners. I would try to avoid using steroids especially on a baby.
My son was getting horrible eczema all over his body until we switched body soap. All that he can use is dove body wash, or the store brand equivalent.

Christina,

I have had some luck with my daughter's eczema with a combination of OTC cortisone (1%) and Gentle Naturals Ezcema products. The Gentle Naturals are branded under the Disney name and I have found them at Target and Babies R Us. They are homeopatic items, although natual doesn't necessarily mean that your baby can't have a reaction to them. There is a body wash that you add to the bath and a heavy cream.

The cream is very greasy, so I usually apply it at bedtime and put her in longer pants. I use just enough cortisone (no more) to cover the area and then cover it with the cream. It works really well, but if I stop it for a day or two, the eczema come right back.

Sorry if you have already tried this.

Good luck!

Kali

I also started using Melaleuca products about 3 months ago. It does work and is chemical free. My son started getting some ecsema (sp?) spots on his elbows and shins and since we started using their products (kids bath soap, laundry soap, and lotion) it is completely gone! I feel good about their products and what I am doing for my family, house and the environment. It can be a little expensive when you first start getting their products if you want to switch your whole house over to these chemical-free/earth friendly products, but once you get what you need it is just a matter of ordering whenever you run out of something. I would encourage any moms out there to try this for themselves and their kids!

im not a doctor but i took my two year old to a dermatologist for a similar situation...we started using hydrocortisone and a gentle "bar soap" instead of baby washes. shes been prickle free for about 6 monthes!

Hi Christina,
My son also spend his first year with eczema. We used aveno which seemed to help but then it always came back.
Question - Did your doctor look into the possibility of any food allergies? My son's eczema would not clear up - as it turns out, we found out that he was allergic to milk. I was nursing and supplementing with formula because my supply was low. I had to work with the doctor to remove dairy from my diet as well as put him on a soy formula when I needed to supplement. The eczema was gone within 48 hours and there have been no issues since - he is now 2 years old.
Good luck to you!

Christina-

I'm so sorry your little one has eczema. My son had a bit on his back and on his forehead when he was really little. We started using products from a wellness company and with the combination of switching laundry soaps and other bathing products along with this awesome lotion they have (that is clinically proven to work), it hasn't come back at all. I know so many people that have had the same problems as you and switching the products they used really helped. The chemicals in your laundry supplies and bathing soaps can really make those problems worse. Other than switching products, using hydro-cortisone cream helped.

Good Luck! If you want more information about using the products I do (they only come in the mail but they are just amazing!) I can get that to you.

Wow- I made the above reply and then started to read everyone else's response. I really didn't want to push the company I buy my bath and laundry soaps from (and many other things too) but I was shocked to find out how many other people are dealing with this same type of problem. I started using these products from a wellness company (called Melaleuca) and I just can't believe what they have done for our son. I also have a friend that her son's face might have been scared from eczema if it wasn't for finding this company. If you all have any questions about Melaleuca please feel free to ask me. Their products can really help.

I completely agree with what has been said about Melaleuca products. We love them and use them at our house. I would definitley suggest their Renew lotion [compares to Eucerin] or DermaCort [better than Cortizone 10] if you need a stronger product. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about them. M.

My oldest suffered from eczema and it's not fun! Eucerin does work very well but I would also suggest when you get him out of the tub put pure cornstarch (found in the aisle with flour and baking items of the grocery store) on the places the eczema is. I would suggest bathing him at night so your not dressing him for the day with cornstarch everywhere...lol. Also, my sons got really bad in the winter the first year of his life I think it had something to do with the cool air, so just prepare yourself for that possibility. But after we got past that first winter it cleared up. He is 5 now and will occasionally get a patch behind his knee or where his elbow bends but it's not as bad as it used to be. Good luck and hope your baby's will clear up after hes 1.

-K.

Hi,
My now 5 yr old had eczema for 2 years as a baby. We used Protopic for most of that time and it worked quite well. It was just when he about outgrew the problem that Protopic was announced to have (if I am remembering corrctly) some connection with causing skin cancer in laboratory animals. Needless to say I was alarmed and never used it again. But, once I got over the initial shock, and having talked to the doctor and a pharmacist, I realized that these warnings are more based on extreme conditions in a laboratory than actual use on children. It is extremely unlikely that there was any real risk to to my son. It's much more likely that everyday actions such as not applying sunscreen correctly are going to lead a child to having skin cancer later in life. So, while I would not use the Protopic (or elidel) again (I would look at some of the other good suggestions made if I faced this problem again), take a deep breath and don't panic that you did something horrible to your child. The only other thing I would add is Aquaphor works well once the problem is a little under control.
Good luck.

We use the Aveeno body wash, as well as the lotion. It really seems to help prevent breakouts, and when my daughter does get a breakout I use a little steroid cream (can't remember the name, but it's definitely not the ones you listed). When she takes a bath and has eczema that doesn't seem to be clearing up, I take a sheer knee-high, fill it with plain oatmeal and tie it off, then let it soak up water in the tub with her and rub it on the rash. It doesn't always clear up right away, but it gives her some relief.

Hi Christina,
I went through the same thing...with my son who is now 10 (was 3 when his eczema started to get severe) I went through the same process as you with no success till I started removing products out of my home. I am an RN and also learned that the bleach incorporated into the detergents I was using was exasperating his skin issues...I would love to talk to you about what I did ..if you want to talk to me by phone e-mail me at ____@____.com
I know how horrible you feel not to mention steroid creams can be very damaging to infant skin (it thins it out so as the get older they have more skin issues)
Hope to talk soon
M.

My son had lots of rashes when he was a baby. The doctors all told me that it was eczema and had me put hydrocortizone cream on it. He would continue to get rashes. When he was about 3 I had him tested for food and environmental allergies. He is very allergic to egg whites and yolks. Since then I have removed eggs from his diet. The only time he breaks out now is if he eats any food by mistake that contains any egg. You should have your son tested for allergies. There are probably underlying reasons why your son is having rashes.

Hi Christina,
My name is Jennifer Smith. I have a great product that I use for my children as well as myself. I would be happy to give you a sample. It has absolutely no chemicals in it like the prescriptions you were told to use.
____@____.com

We had the same problem with our son when he was a month old. We had to switch him from milk formula to soy formula. Until it cleared up, we used eucerin to help relieve the eczema. His ped suggested using dove (or another plain) bar soap, and it seemed to help. We never tried Aveeno, but if it's working, keep it up.

Both my children have eczema. Other than applying the cream, there isn't really anything else you can do. My kids have it all winter long. The cream the doc prescribed you that has the steroid in it was more than likely blackboxed because it has been known to cause the tissue under the skin to swell. It does not happen to all babies, just some. When my kids have a flare up, I just apply the cream that my doc prescribed 4x a day. It does not make it go away totally, but it keeps it from itching so my kids won't scrath at it. Scratching causes it to spread. I know that milder cases can be treated with the aveeno baby lotion for eczema. I would try that first before using the cream the doc prescribed and if it takes the itchiness away, then just stick with that if you are worried about using the prescribed cream. Also know that with the cold weather coming, it will probably get worse. The key is to keep it as moist as possible.

I also fully agree with the post about Malleluca. I have a friend that huses it on her son and it does wonders for him!

Hi. My son is 16 now, but when he was born he had eczema too. The pediatrician at the hospital sent us home with a big jar of Eucerin. It took a couple of weeks, but it cleared up. Be patient! Call your doctor and ask them if they can prescribe something else instead of Elidel. Good luck!

I don't have too much info to add except that we love Cetophil soap. My son has outgrown the eczema luckily but still has very sensitive skin so that's all we use. On another note, I too had Elidel prescribed and was given a sample. My son was 2 months old and the dr. told me it was okay to put on his EYELIDS! (that's where it was the worst). Luckily I researched it first and was so horrified to find out all the warnings. I was furious with that dr. and to this day refuse to see him at the practice where we go. I just don't understand why doctors can take such liberties with dangerous drugs like that! I'm still mad, as you can probably tell. Good luck, I hope it goes away soon.
K.

My son had eczema on his face -- it was so bad that it turned into open sores. I found this product by Arbonne (www.arbonne.com) that is all natural baby lotion. It literally cleared up in a week's time with regular application of the lotion. After the outbreak had cleared up, I bathed him in Aveeno products (which are available in the baby aisle) and then lotioned him daily with the Arbonne lotion. You need to find someone who distributes Arbonne products (I know some people so email me if you want their names). It's the safest route to go for serious eczema. I hope you will try it. I did not feel safe putting steroids on my newborn, sounds like you don't either.

Our ped recommended to limit eggs and cow's milk for my one daughter and it did work. We switched to a soy formula and stopped giving her any straight egg food like french toast or scrmabled eggs. The Eucerin worked great, every night after bath. I mixed it with the regular nivea lotion so it was easier to spread and rub in. I never used the aveeno bath i thoguth it was too drying...

My youngest had baby eczema. Daycares made her so sick that I have to tell you that was the least of my worries. She had it on her face and neck - then down her back. I found a nutritional product that helped her build her immune system and then - about six months later realized that her eczema was gone. Our families health results were so awesome we went into business to help our friends and family get healthy. If you're interested call 800-697-0141

Hello, my son has Eczema and we saw a ped. dermatologist. They gave him a perscription for a steroid cream and told me to use a cream called Carmel 20. He gave me a perscription for the cream also (hoping that my insurance would pay for it), but I belive it is over the couter. The cream has worked miricles. You can't even tell that he has Eczema and better yet I never had to use the steroid cream. The Carmel 20 did the job on it's own. I also was told to use a soap that it dye free and scent free and a laundry detergent that is the same. They also told me not to use fabric softner or dryer sheets when doing laundry. Hope this helps you.

Hi Christina -

My son is 3 years old & has eczema since he was about 6 months old. I took him to a pediatric dermatologist & he also prescribed Elidel cream for him. I had the same concerns about the black box warning. First off he told me that he uses the cream on his own children & he then explained to me that you would have to use so much of the ointment to cause any problems. He also told me that they have never really tested to steriod creams for any major side effects. I can tell you that I have & still do use Elidel on my son. It works so well. His eczema is not real bad, so I can also control it with alot of lotion (aveeno, aquafor, curel). Just keep his skin moist as much as you possibly can & you might not even have to use the Elidel or other prescription creams. Good luck to you!!

My son suffered from eczema form 6 months of age until 26 months. He went through a few different prescription steriod creams with mediocre results. What seemed to work the best was a compound the pediatrician asked the pharmacy to mix made of aquaphor and hydrocortisone cream. It looked like petroleum jelly. We also used the Aveeno products (still do) - washes, lotions and oatmeal bath. It was recommended to lotion him at every diaper change (for ease of remembering to do so). We bathed him as infrequently as possible in lukewarm water, often giving him a sponge bath as opposed to letting him sit in the water every time. I personally would not use the Elidel. I don't trust it. I would try other things first and if necessary use it as a last resort.

I am going through the same thing with my 3 month old and I have been told by soem friends to try and use extra virgin olive oil. They say it clears ti up within a week.

I understand what you are going through. I have twin boys (now 3.5 yrs old) and they have eczema also. The doctors have said they have a form of ichytomosis(spelled wrong but this is how they pronounce it. (I haven't been able to find it on the web.) But when they were about 4 weeks old they started shedding their skin like a snake does. Frightened me. They still get the prickly skin and very rashy. After many prescription lotions and soaps the doc I see now suggested not to use bubble bath or any baby soaps and lotions on them and this can actually irritate it. (The other docs didn't tell me that)He suggested that I use Cetaphil wash and Keri oil. I have to ask the pharmacy for the Keri oil; they keep it behind their counters. But if you do use the Keri oil it works wonders. It mixes with the water to help moisturize the skin. Within a week of doing this every other day, their skin was better. They still get the spotting on their legs and triceps however, but it does help. I hope this helps, for it did on my little ones.

in addition to the hydrocortizone, which i only used when my son has a breakout, try cetaphil cream. there's a tube of lotion, and a tub of cream, which is much thicker. it seems to be keeping my son's breakouts at bay. i also wash in aveeno bath and i love it!