T.N. asks from Lafayette, CA on July 18, 2008
Eczema Help
Hi everyone
I have a 6 month old baby girl and we are fighting eczema. I have tried hydrocortisone by itself, mixing it with lotion, Aquaphor, and other lotions. I am currently trying baths with luke warm water only and using soap only a couple of times a week, but it doesn't seem to be working. I have been applying moisturizer with every diaper change. I have changed her formula to soy. I don't know what else to do. It is so hard to see her scratching and uncomfortable. I am getting desparate. Any info would help. Thanks--kira's mommy
So What Happened?™
Hi everyone
Thanks for all the wonderful advice. We ended up getting some stronger medication for the really bad flare ups which worked wonders the first couple of uses. She stil has patches all the time and I am applying moisturizer with every diaper change which seems to help but we are stil in the battle. We may try some allergy testing because she tends to have really bad break outs here and there. It is hard to see her scratch herself up and wake up in ht middle of the night itching. We are still working on it but Thank you all again for your help!
Featured Answers
J.G. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
Since you are in Lafayette I recommend you go see Dr Robert G. Greenberg Dermatologist (san ramon) ###-###-####....he is a miracle worker!!
He takes a few weeks to get into but WELL worth the wait....
in the mean time go get CERAVE CLEANSER and CERAVE CREAM (NOT lotions!!) use the cleanser everytime you clean/bathe...and use the otc Hydrocortisone 2 times a day and use the CEREVE cream multiple times a day all over...(my son calles it "lubing" kinda funny!)
this plus the Dermatologist will have her under control in no time and she will be a happy itch free rash free baby again!
Good Luck
J
1 mom found this helpful
More Answers
J.G. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
Since you are in Lafayette I recommend you go see Dr Robert G. Greenberg Dermatologist (san ramon) ###-###-####....he is a miracle worker!!
He takes a few weeks to get into but WELL worth the wait....
in the mean time go get CERAVE CLEANSER and CERAVE CREAM (NOT lotions!!) use the cleanser everytime you clean/bathe...and use the otc Hydrocortisone 2 times a day and use the CEREVE cream multiple times a day all over...(my son calles it "lubing" kinda funny!)
this plus the Dermatologist will have her under control in no time and she will be a happy itch free rash free baby again!
Good Luck
J
1 mom found this helpful
A.Z. answers from San Francisco on September 06, 2008
My friend has the same issues with her daughter. I think she has changed all of her shampoos and soaps to natural products, including her laundry detergent. You can find these products easily at Whole Foods and Elephant Pharmacy. Target also sells them. You can try Method, Seventh Generation, California Baby and some others. Hope this helps.
C.S. answers from San Francisco on July 21, 2008
MY daughter has had the same battle since she was born, I swear it was the most difficult, reoccuring issue. Finally I started to use all the Aveeno products on her. We use the Aveeno wash with oat extracts and then follow up with the Aveeno lotion for very dry skin and eczema. When she gets really itchy I use the Aveeno Anti-itch cream - it has a bit of calamine and oats that seems to do the trick. I have also found that changing the brand of diaper we use has worked really well but can be a big pain in the butt also. I recently bought the Costco brand diapers "Kirkland" and she hasnt had any bad breakouts since. I know that their brand has no perfumes or chemicals added in so I think that has been a big help. Best of luck to you!
D.H. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
I would take my daughter to the pediatrician first, and then to someone like Dr. Greenberg (we like him, too). This may be something other than eczema, or you may be exactly right about the diagnosis, but I would see the doctor before trying things myself at home on such a young baby. Good luck!
L.L. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
Hi,
I have had family members with severe infant to adult eczema...here's what seems to work with the babies: virgin coconut oil (unrefined)to use as a "moisturizer"; soap hasn't worked well with eczema for bath time, I found that baking soda seems to calm the skin - try not to use too many manufactured "products" - the more natural, the better. Dietary wise, you may want to try cutting out dairy and meat products as she gets older; that seemed to help to not exacerbate the issue. Hope that helps!
E.M. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
Hi T.,
My 4 year old daughter has had excema since birth and I can tell you what has helped her. NO Aquaphor. It burns when there is broken skin. For her it burnt even when her skin was just red. (She always cried when I applied it but until she could talk...) When pressed the pharmacist said that it would burn when skin was broken. Plain old vaseline worked much better.
The cortisone works really well for us, Aveeda oatmeal baths are great. (My friend swears by Aveeda lotion as well).
For her we found that she had food allergies and environmental allergies. That means a bath every night to get rid of allergens, or at the very least, a wipe down with a wet washcloth. Lafayette has a lot of different pollens that affect her, including grass. (We live in Laf also.)
1/2 a clariton a day has the biggest impact. Of course yours is so young you have to ask the pediatrician.
Throw away the Aquaphor.
Hang in there,
E.
S.C. answers from San Francisco on July 19, 2008
Don't use regular soap. My sons have eczema. Use moisturing soap such as Dove, Caress or Cetaphil. You can also use the Cetaphil lotion. It's a bit expensive, but it works. Also, have you consulted her peditrician?
D.Y. answers from San Francisco on July 21, 2008
Our daughter had eczema problems w/ she was younger as well. Here's what worked for us:
Bathe less often. Switch to Cetaphyl or a non-soap cleanser. Apply Eucerin calming creme when skin is still moist from bath. Cremes work better than lotions. Try vasoline, but don't use it when you are going to be outdoors in a sunny area - the oils will heat up. Stop using fabric softener for clothes and towels. Fabric softener dries out skin. Use a humidifier in her bedroom. Ask your pediatrician for prescription strength hydrocortisone (2.5% or more). If the scratching gets really bad, try benadryl, or ask you pediatrician for a prescription strength medicine so she can get some sleep.
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