Can Prolonged Use of Hydrocortisone Cream Affect Growth of Child?

M.,
Like you, I had some concerns about the steroid creams prescribed for my son's eczema. It was so bad that he was almost admitted to the hospital with skin infections. After trying so many things we finally found our cure. We used Desonide Ointment Tar (a prescription) to calm a flare-up, but once it was under control we would use ShiKai Borage Dry Skin Therapy - Children's Formula (found at shikai.com). We put this lotion on religiously, morning and night and more often if it's needed, like when the seasons change. No joke, my son had the worst case of eczema and he has not had a flare-up in almost 2 years! I know he hasn't outgrown it, because if we do forget to use the lotion or if we're in a hurry, he does get itchy. I've recommended this lotion to lots of moms who have all reported great results with it. I swear by this stuff. Good luck, I hope you try it too and that it brings you all relief.

2 moms found this helpful

Someone else posted it - Omega 3! My son had mild eczema - we used lots of aquaphor. When he was 6 we started giving him Fish Oil capsules. His eczema AND sinus problems just vanished! At 18months, your son is a little young to take a capsule, but I noticed they make gummy versions now. Try it - it works!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,
My daughter, now 10, has and has had mild eczema sine she was a few months old. Her pediatricain prescribed hydrocortisone cream, but only if she had severe flare ups. It was 1.0% ointment and was sdvised to sue once or twice a week. Too much of the cream affects a babies immunity to illness, especially viruses. Be carefula and talk to your doctor. What also worked with my daughter was Eucerin cream, not the lotion, but the thick cream that comes in a plastic tub. It will run you about $12-$15, but well worht it and lasts a long time. Rub it on right after your child has a bath when body is still moist. Goog luck!

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Hi-my son is 3 almost 3 1/2 and I have used every cream and oil imaginable - I did not want to use cortizone-I used the mild .5 % and I finally took him to a homeopathic dr. who was able to diagnose what he was allergic to. I already had him off milk and he was allergic to soy too. He now drinks rice mild. In reading the other moms responses I concur if you keep them away from what your child is allergic to, the eczema stays away. I had the best luck with Cetaphil cream (not lotion) in a jar - aquaphor would irritate my sons skin as he was allergic to an oil in it. Also calendula oil is another good oil. I just recently threw out all the creams, lotions and gels that I have tried. Good luck to you!!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi: I don't know about prolonged use of hydrocortisone cream, but I can tell you that my grand daughter's eczema has been almost eliminated as a result of having one after another of her allergies cured. We go to Dr. David Karaba in Fullerton, who is NAET certified (NAET = Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques).

Best wishes,

M.

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In alot of cases, eczema is the result of allergies. Try taking him to a allergist or pediatrician who is interested in finding the root cause of his skin problems. For my girl it was milk allergy, but I know other kids who had problems with things like wheat or animal hair that have caused eczema. When we took the dairy out of my babe's diet, her skin cleared in a week. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,
I think it's good you are concerned. My friend recommended Alba's Un-petroleum Jelly to me; her daughter has eczema and it's worked wonders for her; she's never had to use a cortisone cream. It's worth a try! We use it and love it.

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My daughter was on steroids for quite a while. We learned a lot of things through trial and error. First, the percentage means nothing. A .5% solution of one steroid can be 10 times stronger than a 2% solution of another steroid. So don't go by the percentage written on the label. Go by the actual steroid that you are using. Second, growth is not the only thing you need to worry about. My daughter has problems with her teeth because of the steroid use. The teeth that were developing while she was on the steroids have come out with brown patches on them where there is not enough calcium and enamel. We have to be very careful with these teeth to avoid decay. Luckily, they are baby teeth so she will eventually lose them. We have finally figured out that dairy foods trigger her eczema, and are keeping her skin clear through a strict skin regimen and avoidance of all dairy products. We only use a topical steroid for the very rare flair up. Thirdly, after using the steroids for a while, they will not be as effective, and you will have to switch to stronger and stronger ones. This is what happened to us, and led to the teeth problems. I would advise you to make a concerted effort to find out what is triggering your child's eczema, even if it means forking out for a pediatric allergist/ pediatric dermatologist. It is worth it in the long run for your child's overall health. Remember that the lotions you are using are useless if you are putting them on dry skin. After your child gets out of the bath, you've got less than 3 minutes to get his whole body moisturized. The idea is to get the lotion on while the skin is still dewey from the bath. The lotion serves as a protective barrier to lock the moisture into the skin. We have found this to be the most effective in combating eczema. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My son has excema too and we've been using hydrocortisone for a while...almost 2 yrs. I don't think it has really affected his growth.
The other night I couldn't find the tube of hydro., but he wanted something on his itchy patch so I just grabbed a tube of his baby brothers diaper cream, Walmart's Equate brand vitamin A&D ointment. It says it is good for diaper rash, chafed skin, abrasions and minor burns. Honestly I was just tired and wanted him to go to sleep so I put it on him. It worked! The next morning his leg was less red and the bumps were fading and he wasn't complaining of itch!
It never worked well on the diaper rash, but it seems to work on his excema. It looks like vaseline and smells like diaper cream.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

It can permanently thin the skin which didn't sound too bad until I looked it up on the internet. We were told to only apply it for 5 consecutive days and then take 5 days off. We also switched to a 1% formula when we could.

My daughter had constant eczema but hasn't had any problem with it for several months now. (She was tested for allergies and doesn't have any that could have been blamed.) We've been giving her fish oil tablets daily. It took awhile to build up and really start helping but she hasn't used hydrocortizone in many months.

We use Nordic Naturals. It's purified and safe for children. It doesn't taste bad but in the beginning we offered chocolate-covered raisins as a reward for taking them. They're expensive but really worth it.

Also we have a humidifier running in her room, especially in winter. We are careful about using soaps in the bath (only soak when possible, then slather on lotion right after). Our dermatologist told us to use Cerave instead of Cetaphil or Eucerin. It's expensive so you could try using it only on affected areas or alternating it.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My son has ezcema on his back and bottom...

His Pedi gave us a prescription only to fill if the Aveeno Wash and cream didn't help. It did, so we only use the prescription for 'flair' ups that happen occasionally.

My understanding is that it shouldn't be used daily due to the steriods...ask your doc or take your son to a dermatologist that can offer better answers.

Also, diet does play a big role in skin care.

Good luck!!

Has your son been to an allergist? My boy is 6yrs. old and has had eczema since he was an infant. He just went to get his first allergy skin test and is alergic to DUST MITES....argghhh. He is also has allergy/viral induced asthma. I only use the cortizone when is skin gets really bad, really itchy maybe once a week. Everyone is so different. His fingers and feet are the worst ( feet and hand touch dust the most)I make him wash his hands and immediately put eucerine cream on them and use bandaids to keep him from itching (it works for us) same thing for his feet. Bathing regularly is important too. Keeping the skin clean and hydrated. I do not like petroleum and aquaphor if feel like it make it worse sometimes. Creams work best for us Eucerine and Cetaphil. I tried to go all natural too but it made no difference...i thought maybe it was a chemical allergy. We have encased all our mattresses and pillows in dust mite proof covers wash blankets and bedding twice a week and it has made a huge difference....for all of us I sleep better now too. Good luck!
p.s. I clean (dust)like a maniac & vacuum like a mad woman too. It had to be dust mites.
P.s.s. The steroid thins the skin that is (one reason) why you should not use it on a regular daily basis...heal the skin then use your creams to manage it.

M.,

My 2 y.o. has eczema and I've only used the creams on when absolutely necessary (which is rarely once we got him under control and as long as we maintain our routine). Some things that have helped us:

cutting dairy and soy out of his diet. If he eats either, he breaks out like crazy.

soaking him in an oatmeal bath. It is called "collodial oatmeal" and you get it at the pharmacy. Soak in lukewarm water for 15 minutes or as long as your babe will do it.

Washing his bedding at least once a week in hot water and keeping all pets out of his bedroom.

We got a HEPA air purifier for his room (about $120 at Home Depot) and run it constantly.

We went to an allergist and she told me that eczema is an itch that rashes not a rash that itches. So it is critical to control the itching. The oatmeal baths help when it gets bad, as does using Aquaphor or Eucerin or Cetaphil cream (not lotion) on him after each bath and letting him soak in the bath until his skin wrinkles (you want him to soak up as much water as possible before you moisturize). Walmart has Eucerin and Cetaphil generic versions and they are WAY cheaper than the name brands.

So for us it was a combo of identifying his food allergies, and then trying to keep his "environment" as free of irritants as possible and then bathing him a lot and moisturizing him. We have an HE washer and I use unscented detergent and don't use downy on his clothes or bedding.

I realize this is contrary to what a lot of parents told me they do for their kids with eczema but it has really worked for my son.

Good luck,
T.

My daughter (4 years old) and son (18 months old) both have had mild eczema and the doctor gave us .5% cortizone and said not to overuse. I am unsure if the 2.5% can have any affects on your son's growth. Perhaps you should get a second opinion on treatment?

Yes, HC cream is dangerous. They gave it to me for my infant and I cried after I read the risks. Praise God, He gave us a natural alternative. I have heard that Eczema is becoming extremely common these days in children. That means that it is probably diet and environment related.

God Bless!

J.

Dear M.,
The most natural advice I have tried that WORKED on my daughter is this:
1- Increasing the GOOD oils in the diet (especially Omega 3's, olive oil, etc,)- and:
2- Supplementing the diet with extra digestive enzymes. For some reason her vitamins weren't getting absorbed before then (I had been giving her a good multi-vitamin already before that). It took a few months but gradually went away! We had to keep up the good diet regimen, though, and it hasn't come back as long as we do. But good health is never a waste of money, right? I'm sure you can find more info on it at the health food store or on google.
Hope that is helpful!
Best,
R.

Hi M.,

You need to consult your pediatrician! Hydrocortisone cream should not be used for long periods of time, only 5 days to a week max...not every day for a year. There are steroids in the cream that can thin it as Michelle mentioned.

Eczema can be caused by allergies and it can also be hereditary. My daughter had patches of it when she was little and eventually they stopped showing up by the time she turned 3. My son is 15 months and he had a couple of patches when he was an infant too. We would use hydrocortisone cream for a week once per day along with Aquaphor.

Arbonne Baby Oil also works wonders. We eventually discontinued the hydrocortisone and Aquaphor altogether and just used the Baby Oil.

-Char

Hi M.,
I see that you've already gotten a lot of advice about exploring allergies. I would encourage looking at possible allergy causing foods, as well as chemical sensitivities. I'll focus here on the chemicals. Baby soaps and shampoos and even the creams that you are using are loaded with chemicals. The way that the baby's body tries to get these out of the system is through the skin, thus the arrival of eczema and skin rashes.
I would personally suggest eliminating all chemicals. Try using no soap at all on his body if you can, just to see the effect. I personally had switched my son to Caifornia Baby bath products which solved our problems. There are many other lines of baby soaps out there that are natural.
Something like eczema is really a sign that his body is trying desperately to rid his system of something to which he has a sensitivity.
This is one of those things that no one tells us about in advance, that we find out about as we come upon it. The good news is that you'll probably be able to identify what's causing it and finally be done with this.
All the best to you and your little one.
M.

Is it possible that your son is allergic to something? Or perhaps sensitive to gluten, preservatives, pesticides or something that he is eating or is in his environment? My husband has had chronic eczema and he has been talking to many other adults that have it, and it seems that drinking lots and lots of water and eating a diet rich in organic foods and cutting out processed foods is a big help. for the last month, my husband has been eating largely organic whole foods and he has cut out juices and soda and drinks only water (after his morning coffee, of course) and his eczema has really improved. Not sure if this can translate this to a toddler, but you can try it.

All I know is, these hydrocortisone creams are NOT supposed to be used for prolonged use. Only for a few days at most... and especially regarding usage on a baby. Using it everyday, for months on end, is over-medicating.

I read this on a Dr. Sears website once, and online when I did research about it before.

**HERE IS A LINK ON SIDE-EFFECTS FROM HYDROCORTISONE Cream:
http://www.drugs.com/pro/hydrocortisone-cream.html

I am frankly surprised that the Pediatrician did not delineate proper usage of the cream or tell you this.

I would stop using it now. It's been too long. much too long.

Many times, eczema is the result of some sort of allergy. My Mom for example, gets eczema whenever she eats citrus things or oatmeal. Some get it when they ingest dairy.
To me, to treat your son's eczema PROPERLY... I would first find out if he is allergic or intolerant to anything he is exposed to or eating. This is usually the first approach.

What has your Pediatrician recommended for his eczema? Just aquaphor? The thing is, eczema is not just "dry skin" ...it is many times a reaction to something... so I would REALLY ask your Doctor about it further.
What helps one person, will be different for another. Not all eczema cases are the same for each person.

**Also important is: I would also find out how this prolonged use of steroid/hydrocortisone cream on your baby for all these months... can affect him, side-effects, long-term, short-term... if it is a "residual" side-effect or permanent... how does it affect his endocrine system etc. ANY side-effects should be found out now...

All the best,
Susan

Hi M.. My son, who is now 13, also had chronic eczema from about 6 months. I took him to 2 pediatricians and 2 dermatologists looking for relief for the scratching and awful oozing at his ankles, behind his knees and wrists. He was on cortisone creams and urged to take oatmeal baths to soothe his skin. After the last dermatologist told me "Don't worry, he will grow out of it", I took him to an allergist. He had skin tests done where a series of allergans are pricked
on his back, and then you wait to see which ones cause a reaction,as a welt will develop.
This was not a painful test, and guess what. We found out he had food allergies to oats, eggs, lamb, salmon and some grasses. Bye, bye
Cherrios, oatmeal baths, scrambled eggs! Lamb and salmon were favorite foods in our house, so cooking them was curtailed. Lo and behold my son's eczema symptoms went away. I couldn't believe the doctors I visited prior to finding the allergist did not recommend having my son tested for food allergies. Hope this helps. By the way, my son is able to eat oats and occasional eggs now that he is older, but he still steers clear of salmon and lamb. B. H.

I would also advise to look into food allergies or sensitivities. As far as products, I reiterate the Arbonne baby care line. That is the reason I started using Arbonne products was my then toddler's eczema. I used the oil on the sensitive/drier spots for sure and then lotion all over. The bath wash is all I use on both of my boys. Occasionally I have added the Unwind bath salts or a couple of drops of the body oil to his bath if his skin is feeling a bit dry and it seems to moisten right up. I follow with the lotion. I haven't really changed anything about his diet, but he hasn't had a breakout in over a year since I have been religiously using the Arbonne products.

Hi M.,

I know you have received lots of replies but I thought I would add my own and hope it isn't a repeat of anything already said. You NEED to eliminate dairy from his diet. Even if the allergy test says he is not allergic to dairy. I won't go into the negatives of dairy but kep in mind your child is not a baby cow so shouldn't really be drinking/eating cow milk or dairy products. I had to do this with my child. Ocourse the doctors said she wasn't allergic to milk and so did the test. I saw a naturopathic doctor swho suggested I do it. It wasn't easy because everything contains milk. But it worked! You should really give it a try for at least 2 weeks and see what happens. The worst thing that can happen is that your son will get healthier and you will learn to be more creative with meal time. I really feel bad for your son and the pain and discomfort he is going through. Good luck and PLEASE do some internet searches on the impact of milk/diary on children. And any use of medicine prolong or not will eventually impact his perfect little system.

M.,
My son just came up with a mild case of eczema and the Dr also prescribed the cream - but she kept reminding me to only use for 1 week, she mentioned it can cause some kidney problems. Please speak with your ped. or ask for a second opinion. I have also started taking him a bath with Dove and started using Eucerin cream - I can say it cleared up a bit in 4 days. We are now in day 7 and it is almost gone. Good Luck to you!

Hi M.,
I've seen amazing results with the Arbonne Baby Care line, specifically the Hair and body wash, Lotion and Body oil. Pediatricians who had previously prescribed steroids have switched to this and are seeing relief after just a few days. The products are botanically based. If you'd like a free sample let me know.
Good luck

A. Mancilla-K.###-###-####

My doctor told me that prolonged use can thin the skin which causes problems later in life.

Hydrocortisone creams will then the skin and should not be used for a long period of time. My son has this condition and it has turned into psoriasis, an immune thing. Try getting him on some antioxidants, natural ones, food if you can. I give my son a liqiud organic antioxidant that I get from we-us.mychoices.biz. They are called Twist Tubes. He also takes the vitamins. For moisture I use my own face stuff that I get there too. Artistry. Try it. Get him some sun time on those areas. Keep his stress levels as low as you can. The immune system gets overactive and makes cells that cause the skin yuckies (medical term). Good luck, my son has good times and bad times.

Dear M.:

I have the same experience as Ami and Michelle. My son was suffering with eczema. It was thick, crusted-over, itchy red skin on his neck, elbows, inside his arms, pits, knees and it was driving him nuts. Yes, we tried the cream at first but it didn't work. After my son ended up in the hospital, unable to breathe and limp as a rag, he was finally seen by an allergist.

It turned out that he had a severe allergy to different foods. His allergy to peanuts caused his hospitalization. His allergy to eggs, wheat, gluten, etc. caused his eczema. Once we eliminated all these foods, he was 100% fine. To this day, if he uses a soap or a lotion with any red dye in it, he gets irritable and scratchy with the beginnings of eczema. Also, if he eats CANDY with red dye. (He's now eleven.)

If I were you, I'd find the problem instead of dealing with the symptoms (eczema). The problem MIGHT be food allergies.

Best wishes,

M.

Check out some natural supplements. I know topical mangosteen has helped with eczema. Check out www.fyimangosteen.com and see some stories about this condition. Sorry that your little one is going through that.

I do know that topical cortisone does thin the skin, so you need to use as little as possible. aveeno is also good. apply that 2 times a day. Your son will grow out of it, yet what I noticed is that it changes locations. For instance, I had it on my elbows when I was in grade school, my face in my early 20's, and now on my hands in my late 30's. My son had it on his face when he was little, now at 7 it's on his feet.
When I had it on my face, I took zinc and fish or flax oil and it got better.

We were given the same 2.5% for our son when he was about the same age. While my ped didn't give us any warnings either, my father (general physician) and step-mother (pediatric ICU nurse) expressed great concern over prolonged use. We tried to find other remedies and only used the cream sparingly and in extreme cases - we ended up throwing away 3/4 of the tube.

Hi, my son is 2years 4 months old we have been dealing with eczema since he was 8 months old, and yes we have used hydrocortisone cream. He has it from head to toes including the private area.
I just started using "glycerin soap" and let me tell you I can not believe my mother in law who uses it everyday for years didn't suggest it before. From the very first day I noticed his skin getting better, he does not feel like sandpaper. He takes a shower every morning, and during the day when he has accidents (potty training) we wash with the glycerin soap. Since we started using the glycerin soap we have not used the hydrcortisone cream. We are on day 7 with the soap and what a difference, the private area is 100% better, his overall body is so much better. We started potty training at about 18 months due to the eczema, we had to get him out of the diapers. We had used Cetaphil exclusively since he was 8 months old, and yes it did help but still lots of break outs.

My mother in law has been giving us glycerin soap for yrs, but we just never used it.I have looked it up on line and have found lots of sights that have pure glycerin soap. I hope you can use this info, I know how frustrating it can be, days when you want to pull your hair out and lots of sleepless nights.

Good Luck...
Ang

my youngest son had eczema and after reseach on western medicine methods of handling it i went with homeopathy. don't know where you are, here is the name of the homeopath i used:
Mary Grace, DHM, CCH, RS Hom
###-###-####
if she is far away from you, e-mail her for closer to your house recomendations:____@____.com
not only his eczema is gone - he is a calmer and happier child after the treatment!
Good luck to you and your little one!
V.

My son had the same problem and still occasionally does. We use the cream and he is fine. You need to find the root of the problem. Get your child tested for food allergies. We did and were shocked at how many foods were making him itch. He has outgrown most allergies but still has foods we avoid. Good Luck.We started the testing at eight months. He is three and doing much better.

My mom used hydrocortizone cream on me on a daily bases since I was a baby, due to terrible excema. I had it everywhere. My face, legs, arms, etc. I would say I was a severe case. I still to this day use it when I have flare ups. I never had any problems with my growth. I would be more conserened about using an injested steroid, such as prednisolone, which sometimes Doctors prescribe for bad casses of excema and flare ups. My daughter who is now 1 has excema also and I use the hydrocotizone cream and don't think twice about it. Although my Dr. prescriped Triamcinolone 0.025% cream. This is also a steroid but it says 0.025% so maybe it has less steroid. Good luck.

I noticed you asked if it will affect your son's growth. I'm 32 and have had eczema my whole life. I'm 5'8" and used topical steroids for prolonged periods while I was a kid. I was also on other medications as well, so I don't think it affects growth. I also had really bad allergies...mostly environmental and some food. (Environmental are the hardest to deal with because those can be out of your control based on where you live). What did happen to me was I developed a sort of immunity to the medication that was suppposed to be helping me. I went off of all of it and let my body recover. Now, I keep a tube of cortisone on hand for flare ups and only use it for about 2 days at a time. Using it everyday is definitely too much (it does thin the skin). Many people had great ideas for you to try to manage your son's eczema. I know that is such a difficult thing to do, but please try some alternatives and save the cortisone for the worst flare-ups. Best of luck to you.