Dry Patches on Infant Legs

My son has had the same issues since he was about 5 months and is now 7 months. The nurse told me to use Aquaphor or similar lotion that does not contain alcohol or water. She stated that the water and alcohol dry the skin out more. Most of the baby lotions I found have these ingredients. She also suggested using detergent that is FREE. Like ALL-Free or Tide-Free. If it persists she suggested contacting our dr to get an eczema topical ointment. They also said the lotions that come in tubs are better than ones in pumps. Hope that helps!

My son has pretty sensitive skin and I quickly switched to all Aveeno bath and lotion products when he was an infant. For the really tough dry spots, I use Aquaphor's Eucerin. It looks and feels like vaseline but works like magic. I also use this on any scratch and it heals up overnight. He's three now and we still use it on him. I also use it on my dry cuticles before bed and then sleep with gloves on so I don't get the grease on my sheets.

Love it and it's on sale at Target this week! It's never on sale so stock up. One tube does last a long time but I picked up two yesterday.

It sounds crazy but use crisco at night after her bath. I have two fair skinned red heads and every winter their eczema flairs, It works like a charm.

Best thing for eczema is to moisturize a ton. You don't necessarily need a prescription strength moisturizer. You can try vaseline (makes them a little greasy but works great :) Can also use Eucerin cream, which works well. FYI the eczema could be a sign of allergies - to food, lotions, detergents, soaps, etc - so you may want to try to pinpoint the offending agent and just remove that from the picture. Hope this helps.

I agree that you want to keep baths to a minimum--I'd say two a week at most. Melaleuca's Renew lotion is good, or any of Arbonne's skincare products. The main thing you want to check on labels is that there is no form of mineral oil in anything you're putting on her skin. Mineral oil actually pulls the moisture out of your skin.

I haven't read all your responses, but my son has the same thing. when it is under his knees I try to dry it out because it's too moist, otherwise in other places I try to keep it moist because it's too dry. The best thing that has worked so far is bathing him less (once to twice a week) and using very little soap, and then just leaving it be.

It might be eczema but you don't need a prescription to make it better. I have 7yr old twin boys with eczema. 1st make sure you use fragrance free laundry detergent and fabric softener. Then I reccomend Arbonne ABC hair and body wash, ABC bab lotion and the ABC oil. I have used this for years and they rarely get any patches anymore. The doctor prescibed steroid cream!! And that didn't get rid of it but just treated the dry skin. Arbonne helped eliminate the dry patches all together. If you need a sample I would be more than happy to send you some.
Wrkng mom of 7yr old twins

I really like Eucrine (Cant spell) It comes in a white tub and it is awsome stuff. or possiably try Udder Balm, I know that Lunds carries it.

My daughter used to have eczema as well. We did try all sorts of prescription creams and none of them made it go away. I ended up sticking with eucerin cream. My sister in law used hydrocortisone cream on my nephew's dry skin and that worked for her.

As for my daughter, we learned that she was allergic to dairy products and once we took them away the ezcema went away. That was 5 years ago! I also have a couple other friends with children that had eczema and learned of some type of food allergy. Might be worth looking into.

I am currently doing my Externship at Uptown Dermatology in Minneapolis. They are a great group of providers. Dr Jamie Davis is excellent and is great at giving non- prescription alternatives. She is also a mother, which helps sometimes. Several conditions appear to be eczema, so it would not hurt to be seen by a physician. Have you changes anything recently? Formula, detergent, etc?

This sounds a lot like what my son had a few months ago. He had light pink dry patches near his elbows and back of his arms. They were dime or nickel sized spots. They didn't seem to bother my son. My doctor said to use a hydrocortisone cream you can find at any drug store or walmart. He said that should take care of it, but if it persists or gets worse after a few days, then bring him in for a visit. The cream worked great and we only use it now if it flares up.

HTH,
A.

J.,

Hi, it sounds like it could be eczema or it could just be a bad case of dry skin. My oldest daughter who is now nine suffered from eczema flare ups until just a couple of years ago. The best thing I have found for it was a cream called Vanicream. It is not prescription nor is it a medication. It is free of dyes, perfumes, and parabens. I feel the same as you do about the whole medicine issue. It was recommended to me by my pediatrician and it works wonders. It is over the counter. You can get it at Walgreens in the pharmacy you just have to ask for it. If they do not have any on hand they will order it for you. Super Target also carries it most of the time. It is normally on an end cap of the isle in the pharmacy area with other over the counter items. The advice I was given was to always moisturize after bathing and try to do so within the first three minutes. Good Luck.

S.

My 3 girls have something called keratosis pilaris www.helpforkp.com/ . It feels like a sandpaper rash that gets worse in the winter. My 5 year old has it on her face and my 17mo. old has it on the back of her legs, esp. knee area. I'd get it checked out 1st just to be sure what you are dealing with. For us, I rub coconut oil on their dry spots (I got a tub of it at a local co-op) and I give them cod live oil in their juice. My pediatrician recommended the cod liver oil and for us it's been the most effective for dryness and it's got great health advantages. The oil is a bit expensive but it lasts forever!!!

Your in laws may be right about it being eczema, but it does not need to be treated with medicine. I have it as do 2 of my 4 kids. We have found Eucerin cream (cream is misleading, because it is actually pretty thick stuff) to be the best treatment. It comes in a white tub and isn't cheap, but is sooo worth it. Put it on her right after her bath, while she is still a little damp. My daughter who had it horribly actually needed a full body coat of a non-scented lotion and then the Eucerin after every bath for awhile, but never anything medicated. I have used medicated creams on the rare occasion it got really severe, but, like I said that was very rarely. If it gets really bad you may want to take her to the dr. and let them prescribe a cream you could have in the house and use at your discretion when it gets really bad, but your daughter's sounds mild, so I would guess the Eucerin would take care of it. I'd also recommend that you keep using it throughout the winter to help prevent it from coming back.

Hi J. - my son had very bad eczema when he was a baby at it started around 3 months old. At first we tried the baby lotion, then we took him to the dr and the dr didn't want to throw a prescription his way so soon. So he suggested Aquafor (found in lotion isle at target or walmart) it is really a greasy like lotion kind of like vasoline). The dr also suggested Vasoline- he even suggested using Crisco - which we tried and did not like. It turned out our sons eczema was more inflammed due to the onset of allergies to dogs and cat which we had 1 of each. We cleaned the carpets and vacuumed almost daily and the dr in the end did prescribe a steroide cream to use very sparenly which took care of it and in the end he mostly outgrew the eczema. He still gets very dry skin, but not as bad as when he was an infant.

I like your idea of not throwning prescriptions right away at him. That isn't good for their little bodies - Your case sounds very mild and I would start with the aquafor first -- one thing i did find though with aquafor there is a lotion one and then there is a vasoline type one - my son screamed when I put the lotion one on him when he was older and he said it burned - i tried on my dry legs and it actually hurt too and I ended up wiping it off with a wet washcloth.

Good luck!

Hi J.
There are just too many dermatitis' to guess.
Take her into a dermatologist - they usually only use topical steroids to start.
Good luck.

ABout me- 48 yo perfusionist, wellness coach and mom to 7 yo twin girls.

B. J

My son had a huge dry/pink spot on one of his thighs when he was little and I was concerned about eczema too. He said lotion just like everyone else has suggested. We used eucerin calming cream. We applied it a few times a day and the spot cleared up within a week. You can find this cream pretty much anywhere (i.e. Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, etc.)

my daughter gets eczema spots when I don't keep up on hydration!! I recently started using baby oil gel.. not as messy but hydrates the spots. I also try other things before medication, if they seem bad you can use what the doctor prescribes to get rid of it and then keep up with baby oil gel or a good lotion/cream... I did that once. Hope this helps

It does sound like eczema. Behind the knees is a very common site. My daughter had it very badly when she was little and I found being very proactive with the lotions to it was the best thing to keep it in check. We used aquaphor on it most times to keep it in check and then in the winter time when it really gets bad we used a prescription lotion that was non steroid ~ we saved that for very bad out breaks. It is very itchy and get so bad that it can crack, bleed and become infected even if left untreated. My daughter had a really bad patch on her face just under her mouth when she was teething from all the extra drooling. That was SO hard to clear up!

Keep the luke warm baths to a minimum, and slather her with a heavy duty lotion (aquaphor, eucerin) as often as she will allow it especially when it is cold and dry outside. Eczema is often a part of the eczema, allergies and asthma triad so keep an eye out for those too. You might want to delay exposure to high allergy foods until way later so she doesn't develop those as well. ( My daughter with eczema did develop environmental allergies as well as asthma too, they just all seem to go hand in hand) Good luck!

J.,

It sounds really mild. I like Baby Aveeno lotion. It is expensive, but it works so much better than Johnson and Johnson, which just gets baby's skin moist for a few hours. Burt's Bees also has good products for baby's skin.

If it does seem to be getting worse or if it is clearly bothering her, you may want to mention it at her 6 month well check to her Pediatrician.

Good luck,
S.

I'm a mom of 4, and one of my children have eczema. Clears up for the most part in spring and summer, but flares back up when it gets cold. I use Baby Naturals, you can find it at Wal-mart or Target in the baby isle. Very thick cream/lotion and works great. When it gets really bad I do have a rx. from dr. to use, but very spareingly as it has a steroid and can cause the skin to thin. I also have used the Aquaphor and that works good too. My son is now 6 and he's had it since he was an infant. Good luck!

My mother used to get dry patches in the winter and she claimed from her research it was lack of vitamin D. She would get it in the winter because of the lack of sun exposure and the sun has a lot of vitamin D for you skin.

Hi! If it is eczema, you don't necessarily HAVE to have medication for it. Whether it is dry skin or eczema, I have LOTS of people, babies and adults, who have had really good results using Arbonne's baby care oil and lotion. It is botanically based and works extremely well for sensetive skin. My neighbor's little boy was on steroid creams and his eczema would keep him up at night, scratching until it would bleed! Arbonne's products were the first things that cleared it up (except 2 patches on his feet that were REALLY severe - they got better but haven't disappeared yet). It also didn't burn so he would help her put it on and even ask for it!

I would be more than happy to send you a sample if you would like! Email me at ____@____.com and let me know where to send it. Talk to you soon, J.! ~ H.

You've gotten some great advice so far! I would caution using anything with lanolin such as lanisoh because it can aggravate eczema.

The only thing OTC that works for my daughter's eczema is Aveeno hydrocortisone cream. They have it at Walgreen's.

Eczema is not at all comfortable for the child. It will itch and then when they itch it, it becomes raw. You should get this cream and see if it helps her...it won't hurt.

I see that you have gotten a lot of responses, but I just wanted to let you know what I use for my son's eczema. It is Aquaphylic, you can get it at Wal-Mart. My whole family uses it and it clears it up quickly.

The best way to help eczema if she has it is to prevent it. When she gets out of the bath and is still damp try putting aquaphor on her. It's really greasy almost the consistency of vaseline but it works absolutely great. Use soaps that do not have any dyes or perfumes.

Hi J. :)
I was just at the doctor for my 1 years old 12 month check up and she had dry spots on her legs too. He checked them out and said they were just dry spots and to put lotion on them. No medicine required. I'm not one to throw medicine around either, so I was happy to hear this. Plus with the winter months coming putting lotion on your (and mine) baby will be more important to keep the dry skin away.

Hope this helps!
J.

My daughter is now 2 1/2 and has always has super dry patches - knees, elbows, bend of ankles, etc which turned out to be eczema. I have tried just about every OTC lotion out there and was able to manage it until this summer when it flared up horribly and we did end up getting an Rx that cleared it up in 3 days. However, since your daughter doesn't sound too bad yet, I'd try standard (1%) hydrocortisone on the dry patches 1x/day and regular cream everywhere else 2x/day. (make sure it's 'cream' or 'ointment' and not lotion - lotion contains alcohol which dries skin further. We like Cetaphil or it's store brand equivalent in a tub.) As mentioned by others Aquaphor is great too for the bad patches, and CeraVe also for everywehre else. Best of luck!

A lot of skin problems that are not easily diagnosed are called eczema. My children and I all have skin issues, and I hate using prescriptions also. My doctor gave us some Aquaphor, and we love it. It is more expensive than baby lotion...which I find more drying in most cases than nothing at all. When we use the Aquaphor, it usually clears up the problem spots in a day or two. I would say that if you do try other products, that if you do not see improvement within a day or two, then I would have a doctor look at it just to make sure that you are moving in the right direction.

It probably is eczema. But you are in luck. I use Melaleuca Renew lotion that works wonderfully on my daughter who also had a small bit of it when she was about 3 months old. It works! I am like you, I don't want to use medicine for everything. This is your answer. Email me at ____@____.com, I can tell you about other products you may be interested in...safer, healthier!

I see that you have gotten some really good advice. One thing I didn't see listed in any of the responses was Aveeno. There is one specific Aveeno lotion (found in the baby aisle) that has a dark blue lid and is specifically for eczema. It works very well. Aquaphor by Eucerin is also VERY good. My daughters both have eczema, especially in the cold, dry winters. Try running a humidifier to help moisten the air a little inside your house.

Rub her down with olive oil twice a day if possible. My best friend's son had the same problem and that cleared it right up. Olive oil is amazing. I have read stories of babies that were unable to nurse or bottle feed being kept alive with olive oil massages alone!

Hi J.,

My two daughters have the same 'irriation' my doctor said to just use lotions with NO scents or perfumes. He said basically all "baby" lotions that smell good are not good for them. This way you don' thave to use medication...just some good lotion. Aveno is great. I have also used Eucerin, which is also good. He also added that the only place you should really use soap on babies is their bottom and neck/face area. This will help keep the dry skin to a minimum. I have also found right after bath time if you use an oil and then put their pajamas on the next morning their skin is really great! I use Arbonne baby line for their oil. It will last a long time too (it is kind of expensive). Hope this helps!!

My youngest had the same problem. I use 2 baby aveeno products. They have a body wash and lotion that specifically are for eczema. I think they work wonders.

My youngest has eczema. I thought it was super dry skin, too, until the dr. saw it and made a correct diagnosis. It gets a lot worse in the winter or when he is in the pool a lot and his skin gets dry, and is the worst behind his knees and on his thumb. It never really bothered him until this year, and now he tells me he is itchy. We treat the flair-ups with prescription strength hydro-cortizone. It's not a big deal, but can get pretty icky looking if you don't do anything for it, and the skin on his thumbs start cracking when it's the worst.

Have you ever heard of Melaleuca, the Wellness Company? It's a wholesale catalog shopping system that focuses on preventative health. They have a lotion called Renew that is phenomenal at relieving dry skin and eczema. I love it! Oftentimes, eczmea symptoms can be aggravated by the harsh chemicals in personal care and cleaning products. Melaleuca's products help detoxify your home as well...which is really important with small kids around :) Feel free to contact me for more info on how to get the products, since you need a referral to shop with them.

I have a daughter who had the same thing- and this cream works and it is TOTALLY natural and safe. go to www.organicselections.com and get the

Four Elements Look, No X-E-Ma! Organic Eczema Healing Cream

it is about $14 and so thick and creamy, with no perfumes or anything!

Hi J.,
My daughter, who is now 10 months old, had this when she was little too. If you are breastfeeding you may want to eliminate or reduce dairy from your diet. This totally cleared up my daughters eczema which is what it sounds like your daughter has. If you are giving her formula look for a soy or goatsmilk formula. Dairy sensitivity is one of the main causes of eczema. Their little digestive system just can't handle the kind of protien found in cow's milk and the body indicates this through skin issues. There are many other possible causes too. Hopefully some other moms will be able to chime in. I am an advocate for finding the cause and eliminating or treating it instead of treating with medicine. Medicine has its place but not as a first resort in my book. Good luck!

It's really hard to say at this point. If it continues to get worse for sure take her into the doctor. I would skip hydrocortisone until the doctor recommends it.

First, make sure you are not giving her too many baths. Every other day at the most. Use nonsoap type products on her. Aveeno products are an option. Califonia baby is another (they have them at Target). You could also use Cetaphil (it's in the adult section...dermatologist recommended it for me as a gentle, non-irritating cleansser.) Then before she's completely dry, slather on a good lotion all over her. Once again, Aveeno, California Baby, Cetaphil, Lubriderm, Eucerin, Curel. We use a wonderful lotion from Melaleuca, but you need to be a member to buy these products. You could put Aquaphor on the trouble spots, but I find it too goopy for all over.

Good luck!

Sounds like dry skin to me. My son has eczema.... REAL eczema... broken crusty bleeding skin that looks like boils.

What you are describing sounds like dry skin patches, not eczema. Get some good lotion, what we use is Equate Dry SKin Cream (in a white tub with a twist off lid at Wal Mart), and make sure her skin stays hydrated. Also watch the soap you use on her skin, baby soap even contains sulfates that breaks down skin and can make it weak. Also AVOID HYDROCORTIZONE! It has bene linked to cataracts in teh eyes, and you know how kids alaways have thier hands in their faces. Also it weakens the skin, making it more susceptable to breaking out. Get a good homemade soap (we use www.realsimplesoap.com she is phenomenal and her soaps are awesome). Homemade soap like that will keep her skin hydrated in the tub, and won't strip anything awya from it.

Bath her every night in warm water, then slather on the cream before her skin is fully dry (pat her dry, then put the cream on), and do it again in the morning before getting her dressed.

my first son also had mild eczema, and the most effective (if a little messy) solution I found for those dry patches is Lansinoh - the medical grade lanoline to help with sore nipples when breastfeeding. It's available in the baby aisle of target or any grocery store. Works great on chapped lips and cradle cap, too. It does get a little messy, but comes out fine in the wash. It also breathes much better than petroleum products. After you get control of the dry patches, then it is all about prevention, as many others have said. Good luck!

Hi J.,
The kids and I all have mild eczema too. I've had a prescription for any of us. We use mild soaps with the kids (Johnson's baby wash...and my oldest is 7!) during the summer and then if you notice a problem we use the Aveno liquid soaps. For lotions we slather on Eucerin (esp. around the back of knees). I've had some troublesome spots and will use Neutragena Hand lotion. It's an ointment and not really a lotion. You can also try mixing Eucerin (the kind in the tub) with Aquafor ointment. I worked in a pharmacy during college and the pharmacist would mix this up for some clients. I bet the Lansinoh would work great too like the other poster mentioned. I use Lansinoh to heal cuts on my hands all the time! Good luck.

Our daughter had the same type of issue around her knees, elbows and even behind her ears. We would put Aquaphor on the area after every bath. When it got to the point where it was itchy/flaky and bothersome, the pediatrician recommended a little hydrocortisone cream you can get over the counter. In her case it never did spread, it would just flare up occasionally, especially in warmer weather.

Hi J.,
Same thing happened with my daughter, it was eczema. Only serious cases need to be treated medically. We treated our baby's with Baby Aveeno Calming/Soothing Relief Lotion (with Oatmeal). We tried several others like Eucerin and creams but the Aveeno was the best and it is not greasy like the others. Apply lotion twice a day and only bath her like twice a week. Get the lotion on as soon as she gets out of the bath. Put a humidifier in her room. Trouble spots- apply hydrocortisone cream for a couple of days at the most. The key is to moisturize all the time and don't worry- she will probably outgrow it when she gets older. Good luck!!

try unscented and free of dyes laundry soap/dryer sheets and Mary Kay cosmetics has a great moisturizer called extra emollient night cream. It is a miracle worker. I can help you out with that if you do not have a consultant. 100% guaranteed as well. Hope this helps
K.

I have a dry spot on my right elbow that, no matter what I use, I can't seem to get rid of (prescription RXs, Cetaphil, Eucerin, etc.). Then I read somewhere where a mom said to try pure oil; I bought some almond oil, and lo and behold! This is the first time it's ever actually disappeared! I've been using almond oil as an all over moisturizer now after I shower. It does wonders for the skin! With winter here, I plan on using almond oil all season.

My son gets eczema quite often in the same spots you're describing. It first started happening when he was 4 years old (5 years ago), and I took him to the pediatrician to rule out other things--and she confirmed it was just eczema. We got some prescription cream and she also told us to use Hydrocortisone cream. Neither did any good at all, so now I just use over the counter creams. The best one I have found is "Aquaphor Healing Ointment" which comes in a white jar with a blue lid. I buy it at SuperTarget. The consistency of the ointment is like Vaseline petroleum jelly. I also now only use natural soaps in my son's bath, especially oatmeal and honey type organic bars of soap. And I also use special laundry detergent. I just try to avoid a lot of scents and extra additives in anything we use which would come against his skin. Usually we can get rid of the eczema for awhile, and then sometimes it comes back a little bit. But don't worry too much. Madelyn's eczema sounds exactly like my son's. Our doctor told us that eczema patches can last for a few months even, and they're not a big deal. Good luck!!

Hey, J.! I've suffered from exzema for many years. It can be really bad at times. If your daughter has it, you may start noticing as she gets older that she'll scratch the areas, often until they begin to bleed. It can be very painful at times. I don't recommend a prescription for it. A prescription will help clear up any breakouts, but it won't prevent them. The one and only thing I've found that prevents breakouts...I put Lubriderm Nourishing lotion with Oat Extract on every morning. For your daughter, I would skip the baby lotions, which are mostly water and won't help lock any moisture into her skin. If you use the Lubriderm lotion (has to be the oat extract version-the green lubriderm bottle), I would start by putting it on in the morning and evening until her dry patches clear up. After that, you should be able go down to just once a day. I've recommended this to several other people with young children and they've had the same results as I have. I haven't had any breakouts of exzema since I started using the lotion consistently, unless I've tried switching to a different lotion. Good luck with it!

Hi J.,

We have this problem with our twins when the weather gets cold and winter sets in. I wouldn't jump to eczema but try putting the pricy-but-effective Aquaphor or Eucerin lotion on the legs 1-2 times/day. Within 3 days the problem resolved itself for us, but we have to keep it up or it will come back. If the Aquaphor or Eucerin doesn't work, THEN it's a sign of eczema.

Good luck!

Hi J.! I recommend you try Burt's Bees Evening Primrose Creme. YOu can find it almost anywhere and it's about 13 dollars for a jar that lasts forever! Avoid anything with petroleum products because in the long run they do not work!
I would not use any hydrocortisone creams without a Dr.'s diagnosis and even then I would be hard pressed to use them!
If it were eczema then baby lotion wouldn't have helped it even a little bit. My guess is that it is dry skin. Have a Dr. look at it before going with medicinal OTC creams.
The Evening Primrose cream is amazing! I use it on diaper rash, dry skin and my mom used it to take away her psoriasis when all prescription creams failed!
Good luck!

Both of my young ones have dry skin. My doctor suggested using cortizone cream on it. It works great. If it doesn't work for you talk to your doctor about a perscription. I use a pediatrician in Wyoming MN and they have their own formula for a cream that they suggest that works awesome! I have never used anything that works so fast.

Hi J.,
All I think of is Renew from Melaleuca. After trying prescription for over 40 years, it's the only thing that has worked for me. Feel free to contact me for more info.
Blessings,
S.

Hi J.,

I would was Melaleuca's Renew Lotion it is the best out there. One applcation is the same a 4 applcation of other lotions. If you would like some more info. you can email me at ____@____.com or visit my website www.mommieathomewithkidos.com and I would love to help you out.

J.

HI J.,
It sounds like you have a lot of good information! One thing I would add is to consider a fish oil supplement. Fish oil is great for skin integrity and boosts brain function as a bonus! 2 of my 3 kids have ecxzema and taking fish oil has significantly reduced it in my oldest child and eliminated it in my toddler. Good luck!
W.

Sounds like it may be a touch of eczema...my youngest daughter has it (17 mo.) We use Vanicream (available at most drugstores or Target). I apply it after baths for sure and in between if I think of it. It seems to do the trick to get rid of the patches of dryness.

After 2 years of specialists we've discovered that eczema can look like a variety of things. I highly recommend Cetaphil cream for dry skin as well as Palmers Baby Butter and Burts Bees lotion. Every skin type is different so you may need to try a few things. My 2 1/2 year old still needs her clothes washed in Dreft (I buy the cheap Target brand) to keep her outbreaks at bay. Good luck!

Dont know if it will help, but you could try baby massage using grape seed oil. My son had wonderful soft skin with it :) as it is natual should not do any harm :)

www.a-little-wish.co.uk

Our son had eczema on his chest and the doctor told me to use 1% hydrocortisone cream for one week. The eczema disappeared!