Eczema - Saint Paul,MN

I have 3 kids and my youngest of 15mos has eczema (he can thank me for this!). We battled it rough while he was an infant, but once we started using Triamcinalone (prescription,low dose steroid ointment that comes in a tub like aquaphor) along with aquaphor he immediately started to heal and sleep better! We use it minimally and only as neeeded. Ointment based medicines seems to work better for us just b/c they hold in the moisture better than creams.

If she has irritation along the diaper line, first I would make sure you're changing her frequently enough (the wetness could be doing this). Switching diapers and seeing what happens is a good thought-is it possible to do cloth? Maybe they are just too tight or she is sweaty/wet in that area? Not sure if you mean diaper line around tummy or legs. Once you've got control of the eczema, you could lube the area in between diaper changes w/ eucerine or aquaphor-this may provide enough of a buffer.

Instead of dreft, try arm and hammer free and clear-I switched to this from using all free and clear years ago because it is cheaper and the same-no perfumes and dyes. The dreft company really markets towards being a "baby detergent" but not only is Arm and hammer much cheaper, it is exactly the same!

Also, stay away from the aveeno cleanser as it still may irritate her sensitive skin. Cleanse with cetaphyl cleanser for hand washing and bathing her (Walmart has a generic brand that is a third of the cost-the equate cleanser and it is on the beauty aisle). Even just a good rinse is helpful to get the salts rinsed off her body which can irritate her skin. You can accomplish this in the a.m. when she wakes up by using a warm, wet wash cloth and blotting the areas of concern (I had to do this for my baby head to toe until we got control of his eczema). And be sure to lube her up w/ eucerine (walmart also has a generic eucerine) or aquaphor immediately after bath-pat dry then lube, lube, lube everywhere! We even lube our son's head-looks a little greasy right after but it keeps his scalp moist and no dry skin there!

Try oatmeal baths if her skin is really dry-put oats in a blender and then add the powder to her warm bath water (just make it a no hair wash night that night!). This is similar to the aveeno oatmeal bath stuff you can buy.

Also, something else to do that really works for us is make sure she is getting yogurt (we like the yo-baby organic, but they do make organic lowfat too) and/or organic cottage cheese (which has all the good bacteria that yogurt has-regular cottage cheese does not!). Acidophilis, bifidum, and those types of "good" bacteria are very beneficial to the skin. Also, plenty of high quality fruit-dark berries-again organic is best, my kids even enjoy the frozen berries thawed out. All the vit c is good for skin too (and has a natural antihisthamine which helps with itching-when I have serious bougts w/ eczema I up my vit c intake by double or triple and it really helps-you just pee out what your body doesn't need so it is safe).

Speaking of food-have you ruled out food allergy-try eliminating one thing at a time from her diet for 2wks and see if she improves (thought if you use the med I mentioned she will improve). Common triggers are dairy, wheat, eggs-but if she has been fine with them up until now it may not be the cause. Something to think about.

Hope this helps. I sure do understand and feel for you and your daughter-both from the perspective of having it myself and also trying to help my little guy as well. Your daughter may be old enough for benedryl/zyrtec if itchies get real bad but check w/ ped first.

All the best and happy healing. -A.

1 mom found this helpful

I personally wouldn't change the diapers you are using unless you are using something with perfumes. I personally use the generic (cheap) diapers because they don't have perfumes. Our kids both have exzema and our daughter is around the diaper area as well. What we did is we are washing all of her clothes seperately in Purex Free and use a dryer sheet (no fabric softner) and the dryer sheet is the generic and it is free of perfumes and dyes. A couple other suggestions, your doctor can give you a perscription for 2% cortizone which will help clear it up and then we use Eucerine Plus lotion for really dry skin. Also, in the tub make sure to use lukewarm water, the warmer the water the more it will dry out the skin and you can add something call Robathol (not positive of spelling) it is a safe oil that can be ordered by the pharmacy to add to the bath water, it helps the skin absorb the moisture and coates it lightly to hold in the moisture. It is completely safe so if your little one drinks the water in the tub they will be just fine. I hope this helps.

I found what worked for our daughter who was prone to eczema was to cut her baths down to once a week, use lotion after each bath (NOT Johnson and Johnson though, Aveeno is okay but try to find an organic brand) and to be honest, what really did it was switching to bar soap (NOT from the store!). We actually get ours from a WAHM mom online. Pure Castile soap is good or sometimes a goat's milk soap or oatmeal soap is good too. Most of the stuff you can buy from the store though has chemicals that tend to be too harsh for babies. Even switching to Dr. Bronner's (a soap you can get from the local co-op) was causing dryness more than likely because my daughter has a sensitivity to citric acid.

I've been able to use the free and clear version of detergents okay but now use Charlie's soap (mainly because we can find it easily here in South Korea and it doesn't cost anymore than the Tide here costs).

Eczema CAN be food related, especially if you are having trouble in the diaper area, that may be something to look into. Otherwise, you may want to look into another brand of diaper (some babies react to different diapers) and make sure to keep at the diaper changes. Frequent diaper changes is a must so that the skin does not get too irritated. I used to allow no more than 2 hours to go between changes (and changed poopy diapers immediately).

Good luck! You may find yourself trying all kinds of things but I know for us, switching to a bar soap that doesn't have a lot of extra ingredients was a big key and now, I'm finally able to bathe my daughter a little more often. I still don't over do it though because she still tends to get a little dry.

Well, at 21 months you could consider starting to potty train, so she can be in undies for most of the day and you could switch to a cloth diaper for bedtime. Or you could just switch to cloth for all day, at 21 months, you chould only go through 5-6 diapers a day, and if you know shen she poops (what time of day - usually babies have a bit of a daily schedule) you could try putting her on the potty for just that nad you could have her poop-trained, so you wouldn't have to deal with poopy cloth diapers.

Also, Dreft does have dyes and perfumes, I would recommend All free and clear for sensitive skin - my daughter is VERY sensitive and all free and clear is the only one we can use, she ever breaks out in hives from other free and clear (Tide) and anything with a scent or color to it.

I Use the Baby Aveeno cream wash and their soothing cream in the dark blue and white containers, as well as these products:
http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/eczema_cream.php
http://www.gentlenaturals.com/products/eczema_wash.php

Of course with all these scent free and natural products, you baby deosn't have that "commercial baby smell" of dreft and johnson and johnson, but it is all worth it for a healthier, happier baby! There are also Huggies natural diapers, and Severth Generation which are free of lots of the bleaches and stuff other brands use. Where you say the patches are, sounds like it may be more irritation of scratchy edges and stuff, rather than just the chemicals int he diapers (or it would be all over her bottom) so that is what I was thinking cloth would be gentler.

Good Luck!

Jessie

My son had that when he was your daughters age also. It was food allergies and when we figured out what he was allergic to, it cleared right up. His triggers were milk, chocolate and peanut butter. Take her to an allergist and have her tested.

you might want to look into her having a milk allergy- my daughter had a milk allergy and it also came out in the form of eczema.

My daughter has psoriasis and that is the same thing the Dr.'s wanted to use on her I think. I didn't like the thought of it because the one cream you could only use once or twice a day because it could burn her. I eventually just switched stores to a health and wellness company online. Her psoriasis has gotten way better, almost no existent. I would love to share this company with you so you could try it. You can email me back at ____@____.com luck!

I work for a company that provides pure safe and beneficial products. I used the baby wash and lotion and took care of my son's eczema. The company is Arbonne International-- they don't use mineral oil which clogs pours and is in all skin care products.
check my site: www.yarinasencion.myarbonne.com-- the products are AMAZING and botanically based. You won't LOVE them! All the best!

Hey S.,

I too use the Melaleuca brand of products. I've been a customer for over three years. My daughter had eczema as well. Completely gone within about two weeks of us switching everything over to these products. Ear infections too..... gone. I was using Aveeno products before and Dreft and found out there were still a lot of harmful chemicals in these products. Formadehyde was one of them. A lot of baby products are so harmful that Congress is trying to step in and make sure these companies are being responsible when they're putting out baby products. Certainly send me a personal message if you want to know how to purchase these products. You'll never regret it I can assure you!!

Good Luck!!!

L.

I'd recommend seeing a dermatologist. They know more about the meds than your regular doc. We had to try quite a few meds for my son before we found one that worked! We tried everything too. Cloth diapers, dreft, all cotton clothing. We just finally found something that completely cleared it up! Good luck to you!

I agree with the mom who suggested it could be food related. Eczema in young children is more often than not from a food allergy. I found with my daughter that when I am being lazy, or we are super busy, I fall back on wheat/ gluten based foods and snacks. After a few days, she has some dry spots that someone might suspect as eczema. Find a naturopath in your area that knows the NAET method, it can be a bit spendy, but well worth knowing if your child is allergic to anything. Heartland Healing in Hastings has treated some friends with success. I think her website is heartland_healing.com

I have at at home business with Arbonne International. We have excellent Baby products. Both my sons HAD Eczema. I started using the Baby Care from Arbonne, within 1 week, it is gone!!! Please contact me for more information.
M. Wilson
712-229-2499/____@____.com

I've been using Melaleuca products for 6 years and they are amazing at helping get rid of eczema as well as asthma/allergies related to household products ingredients like formaldahyde, ammonia, bleach...I've seen so many people get rid of eczema symptoms by getting the toxins out of their household and personal care products. Unfortunately, Dreft actually isn't much better than regular brands. Melaleuca's Renew Lotion helps specifically for eczema. There was a double blind study comparing Renew with Eucerin and Renew came out head and shoulder over Eucerin on every measure, especially for moisture retention which is critical for helping eczema. It also works great for diaper rash. Melaleuca is a home based business. So if you want to learn more about how to get their products, give me a call at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com luck!

I have eczema. All four of my kids have had it to some extent, 2 of them pretty severely. For my DD, who had it the worst, we would lotion her up every night after bath, while the skin was still somewhat damp with a fragrance free lotion. (We used Target's version of Aveeno.) Then, she would get a layer of Eucerin original CREAM (in a large white tub.) The Eucerin was really the key. It worked beautifully. There is also a product called Robathol. It is an oil you put in the bath water. You get it behind the counter at a pharmacy. This also helped, but it does make the bathtub slippery, so be very careful with it and watch her closely if you use it. Though this wasn't the case with any of mine, eczema can be linked to food allergies, particularly dairy. Have you looked into that at all?

Both my girls have eczema and the dr was telling me the same thing (vanicream and hydrocortizone)....what I've found that works the best is called "Corona"...it's special medicated balm. I've only been able to find it at Fleet Farm (as I think it's original use was for horses). Works like a charm--my two year old actually requests it. Good luck to you!

Jenn J

If you do some research, you will be alarmed at how many chemicals and toxins are in store products, from baby shampoo, to lotions, cleaning and laundry products. Hydrocortisone is not good for the skin, many long term effects. I shop at a wellness company online, check out my website and let me know if you want more information.
www.AHealthyLifeForAll.com

Hi,
My son had some issues with this too and we used Eucriene Calming (sp?) lotion, its expensive but it works. I was also told to apply this twice a day and especially right after a bath. My girlfriend read about putting bleach in the bath water, not much, 1/4 cup. She tried this with her daughter and it worked great. My son doesn't have too much trouble with this lately, so I haven't tried that. Depending on how bad it gets, you may want to look into allergy testing. It usually is linked to food allergies. I had eczema really bad in middle/high school, but its been much better for years... Good luck!

My 2 1/2 year daughter has eczema since she was born, around legs, arms, neck, belly, almost every where. She used to itch a lot, therefore interrupted her sleep. She has quite a few food allergy, we did some test to find out. We don't give her food that she's very allergic too but still give her ones that's very mild. We have been giving her bath every day. Our dr. had told us to limit her bath, we tried that but found out the bath gives her skin more moisture. We use Arbonne baby body soap. Right after bath, put 2% hydrocortison (prescribed by dr.) on trouble spots, body oil (Arbonne) and thick coat of Aquaphor. We mainly only put cotton clothing on her, especially her jammies, it's more breatheable. Our allergy dr. also started her with Zyrtec, 1 tsp everyday to reduce itchiness. We have been doing this for over a year and her skin has improved and the itch is definitely gone. Once they itch and scratch, it will spread. Hope this helps!

S., this is a tough one . My oldest child and my youngest have both had horrible problems with eczema. I started using Target brand diapers when our oldest was a few months old because he broke out so badly from other more expensive brands and never used another brand after that. We see a pediatric dermatologist at the University of Iowa clinics because our youngest daughter just cannot get over the constant rashes even when we use dreft and the like. We do use scent free and dye free detergants and no scented lotions or soaps. the dermatologist prescribed a cream to be used sparingly called Triamcinolone and it works wonderfully. In between boughts of rashes we use Aquaphor or Eucerine to keep her skin nice and creamy/hydrated.

Good Luck
J.

Eucerin lotion(in a bottle--we get it at Costco) is the only thing that has worked for my son. Also, when he was younger, food allergies were definitely part of the problem.

When his skin gets really bad, I coat it with A & D ointment (he hates this) which is very soothing and protective.

My daughter also gets a little Eczema, we used Eucerin calming creme and also found that fish oils seemed to help. We like Nordic Naturals, they have very high purity ratings. You can get them in different flavors like strawberry to make it more kid, and adult friendly. My girls don't complain at all about taking them and they have lots of benefits besides helping with the eczema. Hope that helps.

my son had it bad also . My doctor priscribed the best oitment it's called triamcinolone acetonide 0.5%
THEE BEST !!! goes away over night. All the other store bought stuff did not work. along with it ..he gave me a oral liquid for my 2 year old to take. to make him sleepy so he won;t itch. Never use it though.

Hi S.,
My niece suffered from eczema since her childhood. She just turned 17 this month and she no longer has any signs of eczema. I gave her a bottle of Renew Intensive Skin Therapy Lotion. Not only did it clear up her eczema years ago, but her son's eczema also. I don't sell Renew but I am a customer of the company who manufactures Renew. If you'd like to purchase it for the same low cost as I do and have it delivered to your door, let me know and I'll show you how. In the meantime, here's a youtube link for more info about this amazing lotion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqMLyf1K594

Regards,
M.
###-###-####
____@____.com

My youngest had this bad. We did a few good things and a fe great things. First a bath everyother day. On the non bath day we used waterless cleaner, Cetiphil, works great! Next the laundry soap free and clear. Next the hardest all cotton clothes. And NO dryer sheets!
Never use these if your skin is sensitive. Aveeno oatmeal baths when she had a breakout too. this taks time but can be better also try to potty train so she is out of the hot diapers. Oh and I almost forgot pat her skin dry don't rub. Lotion always after bath when skin is damp is best! Good luck.

My pediatrician gave me a 4 page hand out giving details ALL about eczema.
If you want it, I will make a copy and mail or fax it to you tomorrow.
There are sooo many facts, that's why I am offering to send you the list.

Aveeno bath wash is great. Cetaphil is one of the most gentle cleansers.

Use AQUAPHOR on patches, use EUCERIN CREAM all over...several times a day during break outs.

If your baby is irritable due to being itchy....check with doctor and BENADRYL will help with the itchiness.

Remember....lotion up with Aquaphor or Eucerin several times a day.

If that's not enough, use a LOW, LOW .5% cortisone cream. Ask your pharmacist. Don't use regular strength, too strong for babies.

Do NOT bathe too often. 2-3 times a week and SHORT bathes. LUKEWARM water.
The hotter the water, the more you dry out the skin.

Do not use BOUNCE sheets in the dryer.
I never used DREFT nor organic diapers and dealt with my daughter's eczema fine BUT all kids are different. Try everything.

Hi S.! None of those things worked for my kids when they had eczema. What DID work are three things. Fragrance-free soap. ALL Free and Clear, Tide Free and Clear etc. We also used by direction of our Dr. - Ivory Soap - the bar soap which contains NO dyes or fragrances. For cream, we used something called "Gentle Naturals" that you can find at Target. Its a very greasy based cream. They also have a bath wash and other items. My kids are VERY sensitive. These were the ONLY things that worked, even after seeing a dermatologist and trying all those tricortisone prescriptions etc. Good luck!

I have eczema on my hands sometimes and I just tried Aveeno Baby for eczema and it is really good! Dove soap or Aveeno baby wash.