Infant Ecema

Updated on March 06, 2007
K.C. asks from Lapeer, MI
49 answers

Hi! My son is 7 months old and has infant ecema. His dr. gave him cortisone cream and told me to only use a small amt. on a small area each day. I've heard that it is a steroid and is very bad for babies. Does anyone know an all natural way of healing his dry skin? Any suggestions would really help!

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H.C.

answers from Detroit on

Sounds like he needs Omega 3 in his diet. If he is eating baby food, put some flax seed oil in his food. You can also rub flax seed oil on his skin.
I did that for my son and it took care of all his skin issues.
Good luck!

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C.L.

answers from Jackson on

You can make a cream using 2-3 drops of blue chamomile mixed into 2 oz of aqueous cream. Also, you may want to rule out whether or not he has an allergy to something causing the eczema. Common allergies include: animal dander, dust mites, pollens, spores from molds, household chemicals, plants, environmental pollutants, creams/ointments, wool, sunlight, insect venoms, cows milk products and beef, goat's and sheep milk products, wheat, food additives, pesticides, shellfish, eggs, oranges, strawberries, chocolate, tomatoes, pork and sugar.

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

I use olive oil. I rub it into my daughters skin and on her scalp every so often. It works like magic!!

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R.H.

answers from Detroit on

Hello K.,

I'm a Daisy Blue Naturals consultant and we carry many products that have had positive feedback with eczema sufferers: Calendula-n-Honey Baby Lotion & Baby Oil, Shea Butter Healing Balm, Vitamin E Oil, Purely Lotion, and our Lavender products (Essential Oil, and Simply Lavender Lotion & Oil).

Please take a look at my website at http://www.3751.daisybluenaturals.com and contact me via email or send a private message. I would love to talk with you about your little guy's skin and see what we can do.

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A.H.

answers from Jackson on

K.-
My child has excema really bad. He was only about 4 months when he first got it.
He was also on hydrocrtisone cream, but the allergist gave us a website to order some moisturizing cream from- it is the national allergy website and the lotion is called Vanicream.
Apparently this is a cream ( moiturizer) that most allergist use themselves. We have been using it for about 4 months now and we have not had to use the prescription cream since we started using it.
We just give our child a 5-10 minute bath every night, pat him dry, and cover his body with the Vanicream. It works great!!!!
Here is the link to the website
http://www.natlallergy.com/prod/1259/vanicream-skin-care-...
Let me know if you decide to get this and it helps

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A.V.

answers from Detroit on

My 5 month old has VERY dry skin and I us Baby Aquaphor by Eucerin, very expensive but I put a lot on her at night time and it helps A LOT!!! It is an Ointment so it stays on until bath but trust me it WORKS!!! I have Flex spending thru my Husbands work and I had Her DR write a script stating it is medicaly needed so I can use my flex spending to buy it. A big Tub is 16.99 but I have been using the same container for over a month now. Try it and let me know.

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A.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

K.,
My son also had eczema as a baby, so bad that he would scratch till he bled. Luckily my kids only got bad in the winter and both outgrew it by 2 yrs.
Try using Oil of Olay shower lotion, we use that in the bath with him now and it works great. If scented things bother him Aquaphor Baby by Eucerin is also great it's a little on the expensive side but it goes a long way. You should apply either of these lotions while they are in the water it seems to seal the moisture into their skin.
If the cortisone is working, I say go with whatever works (the ointment is better than the cream) it didnt hurt either of my kids,
We ended up using the bath lotion in combo with Protopic a prescription ointment from the dermatologist. Hope this helps you and he outgrows it soon :)

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A.K.

answers from Detroit on

Yes, I have a younger sibling with eczema as well as my oldest son. The steroid cream is okay, but we have had better luck avoiding dairy and wheat. That is when it really begans to clear up. Hope this was helpful.

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D.T.

answers from Detroit on

All of the advices that you recieved were wonderful. Another thing you can use that has no steroids in it is to take some vasiline and desitine diaper rash ointment and mix it together until it is creamy. Give your baby a warm bath and when you are finished and the babie's skin is still warm from the water, put the lotion all over the body, put pajamas on and put the baby to bed. During the night the lotion will soak in the skin and leave it soft! A nurse told me to do that with my daughter because she was born with it and I was too parinoid to use steriods. Try that a couple of times and let me know if it worked for you.

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J.S.

answers from Kalamazoo on

K.,
My nephew and daughter have the same issue with their skin. I think the best solution is the original lotion Keri. It worked wonders.

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L.M.

answers from Detroit on

Hello K.!

Have you ever heard of Melaleuca The Wellness Company? They have exceptional products without harsh ingredients. If you would like more information we could talk more.

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C.H.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Dear K., My 3 year old has eczema also. She has had it since she was 3 mos old. I didn't like the creams the doctor gave me either so I asked around and found the most simple things can help. Everyday rub Johnsons baby lotion with aloe on him and if he gets really bad patches i have found that using Petroleum jelly just a light layer helps moisturize and comfort them. Hope this helps.

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M.S.

answers from Detroit on

My son had ecema at a very young age as well and my dr prescribed him elidel. I was not comfprtable putting it on my own skin let alone my babys due to all of the side effects, so I tried alot of lotions and creams and the one that worked the best for me was called Cetaphil. It is an over the counter lotion for sensitive dry skin and it worked fantastic for us!

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D.L.

answers from Detroit on

Aveno is really good. You could also ask your doctor to perscribe him something else, so you can use it more often. My cousins, and cousin's-in-law have really bad ecema. One of them has it so bad, that she can't keep her hair. She scratches it so much, that it falls out. But I know aveno unscented is good. I will try and find out what other stuff she has used and it worked. I hope you find something soon. Take care!!

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M.

answers from Saginaw on

Dear K.,
two of my kids had exzema as babies they were both allergic to milk as soon as I switched them to soy they were fine in the mean time Aveeno has some really good products make sure you goop her up after her bath. And smother her with the exzema lotion often. Aveeno has one for kids with exzema. Thanks M.

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C.K.

answers from Detroit on

My daughter is just over a year old. We have been dealing with eczema since she was 2 months old. The only thing that has made any difference is, Eucerin cream and Aquaphor ointment. We use the cream during the day, the ointment is greasy looking. We use the ointment at night. Both can be kinda pricey, but if you can find a store brand they work just as good. We used the cortisone creams for a while, but they started to bleach our daughters' skin. I hope that you can get some help from this. we just wish that there were some kind of cure for this.

Good luck!
-C.

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D.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.,

I thought I responded to this but maybe it sent it to you as an email. Not sure.

Anyway, I would not use anything with Mineral Oil in it. That includes Eucerin, and especially Vaseline. It's a petroleum product. Mineral oil is derived as a byproduct of refining petroleum (gasoline). I call it "gas poop"! Mineral oil provides a barrier to the skin. If you need a barrier, as in the case of broken skin on the baby's bottom, and the urine burning it, then you want to provide a barrier so it won't burn. Otherwise, the skin cannot breathe or absorb moisture. Titanium dioxide is what you need for a rash.

Arbonne's Baby Care products are the best. No mineral oil, just the pure, safe, beneficial ingredients to make the skin as healthy as possible. Everything you put on your skin is absorbed into the body. Avoid petroleum products; they're toxic to your system. Adults with sensitive skin, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis benefit greatly from Arbonne's ABC baby products, too. Contact me and I'll send you a sample of the baby products and see for yourself.

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A.R.

answers from Grand Rapids on

We had to use the same thing on our son when he was even younger and it worked fine and he seems fine. We still occasionally use it if he has some very dry skin we can't get rid of. If you want to, try using some Eucerin CREAM, not the lotion. This also works very well. Make sure you're not bathing him every day. We used to bathe our son every 2 or 3 days depending on how dirty he was. Also try using Dove fragrant free soap rather than any baby soaps and shampoos. When you do his laundry, make sure you're using Dreft or a fragrance free laundry soap. These are all things our pediatrician advised us to do that has worked for our son. He had eczema and still has sensitive skin although he seems to be outgrowing it, or maybe we just know how to work with it. Good luck!

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M.D.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I have to children who have eczema and have had since a very young age...cortizone cream bought in the store is not a steroid but my son has had a perscription steriod and we use it on and off. We were told not to use it for longer than 2 weeks at a time. At first we used it for abput a week twice a day now we use it maybe once a month it helped a lot. My kids are 7 and 4 and I still use baby laundry detergent for them and they also have special soaps and shampoos

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D.H.

answers from Saginaw on

I have a friend whose children both had it as infants and she used Eucerin cream. It seemed to work well for the both of them.

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S.N.

answers from Saginaw on

My son had this problem....still does sometimes. They recommended Eucerin creme for him, rather than hydrocortisone. They also recommended batheing less than daily, and putting the lotion on him while he was still a bit damp. Also, they said we should use bath water that is as cold as the baby will tolerate. We did all of this. But, we found that the only thing that took away the rash was to use hydrocortisone about once a week, applied lightly.

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N.G.

answers from Kalamazoo on

my kids all have it too...especially this time of year...i use the cortisone cream twice a day and EVERY diaper change i use a baby eczema cream called baby naturals...Walgreens carries it. a little goes a LONG way...but it works great...i also use Aveeno lotion several times a day...keeping their skin well lotioned helps soooo much! good luck!

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C.V.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hi K.,
I use Aveeno baby lotion on both of my boys and it works great. Make sure you put it on right after a bath. Good luck.
Chris

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A.M.

answers from Grand Rapids on

i dont know if someone said this already but oatmeal naturally soothes dry skin. find soap and lotion with oatmeal on it, also you can make actual oatmeal into a paste and put it on his skin. my daughter had the same thing and i found what worked best (actually made it better in a matter of days) was this organic lotion called natures gate organic fruit blend. i think you can get it at meijer but if not try harvest health. my doctor also recommended something called brownwens cream so you could try that as well. good luck!

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P.B.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.

My son also has the problem on his cheeks and when he would have a bad flare up, we used a dab of cortisone mixed with Aveeno Baby and it usually cleared up really quickly. However, if you don't want to use that, try Aquaphor. This works great on his face and for a bad diaper rash. It doesn't really rub in really well it has the consistency of vaseline, so we usually only use that at bed time.
He is now 1 1/2 and doesn't have too much trouble with it anymore, but we apply the Aveeno baby lotion when he wakes up in the morning and at most diaper changes, so we are constantly applying lotion to his face. He is so used to it now, he helps us by applying it and rubbing it in.

Good luck!

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K.C.

answers from Detroit on

Mu 2 year old also has excema. She was getting it pretty badly at times so I took her to a dermatologist and did a lot of research. A good way to prevent excema is to give him a bath everyday. And I mean EVERYDAY! There is a lotion called Cetyphil that you put on after the bath and again before bed (or when he wakes up if bathtime is at night). If you do these two things, it should help a lot! You can also dab the lotion on after washing his face and hands.

Use soaps for washing him and his clothes that do not contain any dyes or perfumes. Use minimal clothes softener.

Cetyphil, btw does not contain any perfumes or products that can harm an infant. It's probably the best stuff I've bought since my daughter was born.

Good luck and keep in mind that he'll most likely grow out of it!

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S.W.

answers from Saginaw on

I had a child with the same thing. I bought him what is called "Butt Cream" they sell it at the health food stores. It is a white container with blue and pink writing on it. It contains aloe and vasiline a few other things but it is all natural. By the time my son was about a year his dry skin was gone.

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B.M.

answers from Jackson on

Hello, my name is B. and my now 11 year old son started getting ecema at 2. We found that elidel which is a non steroid cream and using eucerin lotion works pretty well. We also cut the amount of baths to every other day instead of every day because soap drys their skin out. My son doesn't get ecema anymore and hasn't since he was 7. It only took so long to find the right combinations to get rid of it. The doctors prescribed my son several steroid creams that didn't work until we came across elidel. Good luck to you I'm afraid that's all the info I have.

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S.S.

answers from Denver on

My older son had this problem his first year of life. I found using Aveeno for eczema worked the best. Try it out and see. HTH

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M.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Try Neutrogena bath or dove bar soap. We have tried almost everything that was recommended and the neutrogena really has done the trick.

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H.L.

answers from Charleston on

My 2yr old daughter has it also. I use and love Aquaphor from Eucerin. It works great and you can buy it at drug stores or Wal-mart and places like that. My daughter loves the stuff because her back isn't itchy anymore. Good luck!

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D.B.

answers from Lansing on

My daughter had infant eczema as well. It was horrible. Her cheeks were so red and dry, and sometimes they'd crack. I went with my family doctor's advice to just use water on them when cleaning. After too long of a period of time, I took her to a dermatologist. He gave her a hydrocortizone cream (vaseline based ... not like a lotion) and it cleared up within a matter of days. We also used baby phisoderm when we bathed her. Right after her baths, we slathered her in cetaphil cream (not the lotion). She's 8 now and occasionally has flare ups, especially in the winter months or when she's been swimming in chlorine. We make it a habit of having her lotion after showering/bathing with the Cetaphil cream and it always takes care of the problem. We only resort to the hydrocortizone cream when it's really bad.

Good luck!

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M.C.

answers from Jackson on

My son had that problem too, but the doctor informed me to use Baby Aveeno products, which it did help with time.

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M.M.

answers from Lansing on

Hey there my son has the same thing and he is the same age..well he will be 8 months the end of this month...but anyhow...our doctore recommended that we bath him every other day instead of every day and also suggested Eucerin and we did both for our son and it has worked really well...I have also always used like tide free detergent and fabric softner...good luck...

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B.Y.

answers from Saginaw on

My son also had Infant Ecsema, and he did fine with the steroid, but everytime he gets it, cause it is still with him I use Eucerin lotion and it works very well, instead of going to the Dr all the time just to get a prescription!!

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S.S.

answers from Detroit on

My son had eczema as an infant. We used two things, which one we used depended on which one was available at the time at our local stores. We used Burt's Bees Baby Bee Cream and a calendula cream. Both worked great!

What we did find out was that his eczema was due to food allergies. We found this out when he developed asthma at three years old. We discovered that the main causes of eczema are wheat and dairy allergies. I would try cutting those out of his diet and see if that helps at all. Just remember that anything with regular flour has wheat.

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B.L.

answers from Detroit on

My son who is almost 15 now had eczema as an infant and it was severe. It had become infectious regularly. I did use a product that really seemed to helped. Domemboro. I would wet a cloth with the solution and set it on the bad areas. It's actually an astringent and would help pull out the infection. Your child will most likely outgrow it. However, my son did have food and environmental allergies and when the eczema went away he developed asthma. And evidently this is common. Since your son does have the eczema, I would be careful to introduce known food allergens such as peanut butter until he is about two or more. They don't like to test for allergens with children until they are over three. Try to keep things dust free and if you have pets, especially a cat or a bird, try to keep the animals away from your son and his room. It can be very trying and I know how you feel. Good Luck.

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L.S.

answers from Jackson on

one of my children has eczema very badly. I did a lot of research and found that Hemp lotion is a great alternative to the steroids cream. I lather him up a few times a day and his outbreaks are basically gone. I have been using it for almost a year now and I don't even have to use the steroid cream anymore.

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S.H.

answers from Tampa on

K., I had the same problem with my first baby. I found that I was just giving too many baths. Babies are pretty clean and I know they smell so good when you do bathe them, but don't feel bad for backing off on bathing. A fresh cloth works well in stead of the bath. I cut back to one bath every four days or so and the dry skin went away. Good Luck!
Samantha

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S.J.

answers from Detroit on

Hi K.. Hands down, the best solution and safest for your baby is a line by Arbonne. I know several moms, including myself, that have used it for their little ones and love it. My son has excema and nothing else worked. I am not an Arbonne rep, but I can give you a number if you are interested.

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T.R.

answers from Saginaw on

Bag Balm. Sounds like a treatment for cows (and that was it's original purpose...) but it's used for so much more now. My son had been prescribed some steroid ointment as well, but it didn't clear up the rash he had. I couldn't find the ointment one day, and just put on some Bag Balm. The spot was gone after 2 applications! It's safe enough to put on your lips, so it's safe enough for babies! It's found in a little square green can...probably near the vaseline, but it wouldn't be in the baby department... look near band-aids and such.

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J.F.

answers from Detroit on

Hi name is J.. My little girl has ecema. She has had it since she was 9 months old. I was told Never to us any kind of steroid i mean any thing that has a steroid in it.The things that i use that work really well. One is bag Balm. It is very grase. but it dose work. If your not in to the grase try Aveeno skin Relief of extra dry and itchy skin. I do like that the best its not as messy. I hope that helps.

take care J.

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H.L.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I use Eucerin on all three of my kids and you can get it over the counter at Wal-mart and Meijer. It has taken care of it on each of them. Aquafor has also been recommended by my dr. but since the Eucerin has worked I didn't try it.

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J.G.

answers from Detroit on

hi,
my oldest had it wen he was an infant and what i did was gave him bath's using high moisteriser soaps like dove, i pad dried him (damp skin absorbs the lotion better and put EUCERIN OR MOISTEREL ( lol it may not be spell right but i hope you what lotions im talking about) they are fregrance free and hypoalergic. i have a 3 month old also with ecema and im doing the same thing.

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K.D.

answers from Detroit on

My oldest daughter has ecema - it is better now than when she was an infant. I used Aveeno products (bath products and lotion) on her and it helped quite a bit. I also didn't give her as many baths, especially in winter when her ecema got worse. Each morning and night I would rub her down with Aveeno lotion (They have it available for babies) When it was really bad I also was prescrbed cortisone. It didn't harm her, but I only used it when nothing else worked. Good luck!

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E.A.

answers from Detroit on

Hi, K.. I myself have very sensitive skin and have had bad eczema for many years. Unfortunately, my daughter, who is 20 months old, has inherited my sensitive skin. In the past I have used ShiKai lotion (with borage), which is available at health food stores (Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Zerbo's in Redford/Plymouth) and licorice root tea. I also SWEAR by Cetaphil soap and moisturizer. Since I am sensitive to wool, I can't use products with lanolin (a wool-derivative in many lotions and creams, like Eucerin) and Cetaphil works great. I have also been using Aveeno sensitive skin baby wash in the bath (on me and my daughter!) and have found that it really helps. Dermatologists in the past have always told me that it's important not to bathe in water that's too hot too often, to pat the skin dry and to apply lotion/cream within the first THREE minutes after getting out of the bath or shower.

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A.B.

answers from Detroit on

I USE AQUAPHOR LOTION FOUND IN THE BABY AISLE. IT IS ALMOST LIKE VASELINE, BUT IT WORKS REALLY WELL FOR MY SON. GOOD LUCK!

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A.M.

answers from Jackson on

Hi was just reading your post and hope that I possibly can offer some help. My son has and had eczema very bead growing up and is starting to grow out of it. I only used cortisone cream on bad spots now and then but what helped more than anything was...washing all clothing and bedding in any laundry soap that was free and clear of all fragrance and such, bathing him in soap that was also free and clear of the same but had moisturizing properties which im sure theres baby wash like that, also I used lotion that was free and clear of fragrance and the such and used morning and night..more often if skin was dry like in the cold weather and it would clear up very well. When we did not do this his skin would get bad again. I know its kind of a pain but this worked out well for my son. Anything with fragranc would aggravate it and make it worse. Im not real sure about the cortisone cream but I used it for my son now and then if his eczemza was real bad it certain spots only.

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C.Y.

answers from Detroit on

Hello K.,
Sorry to hear your little one has eczema. Was this a diagnosis from your general pediatrician? We have been dealing with my daughters eczema since she was almost 1 and she will be 4 this March. For my daughter we use avenno hydrocortisone cream when it is mild. We use steriod cream when it is bad. We also do long soaks in the tub and then put on the cream and then aquaphor cream over it right after patting dry with a towel. We have a wonderful specialist, he has offices in Canton, Novi and Ann Arbor, his name is Harvey Leo. I am not sure where you are located? If you need any more info or help let me know. This can be very trying at times because you feel so bad for the little guys. We didn't sleep for almost 2 years when it was bad and we were going to every specialist in the area. Once we found Dr. Leo things have been so much better of course a flare up here and there

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