Infant Seborrheic Eczema

The first thing I would ask is what are you feeding her? Breastfed, formula, soy formula? If you are breastfeeding, it could be something YOU are eating. Try eliminating the usual culprits..milk, eggs, wheat. You need to find the cause of rather than covering it up with steroid cream. Oh my, so young to have that on her pink little skin! It has to be something she is eating. Go to www.ahccenter.com
This group is great with allergies, even on infants.

My son had sever eczema on his face. I was told the same thing...once you get it, you always have it. Especially in the winter months. I tried a couple of eczema creams. I'm not trying to sell you something, but I sell Arbonne and it has a baby cream that healed my son's eczema. Not just got rid of the red area, but the scaly skin, too. I also have a couple of friends that used it and it cleared their sons' rashes, also. Just an fyi.

A. B

Try researching Emu Oil. I found some on the internet. I was looking for something for my dog's skin under her collar and someone recommended it to me. I found out that it's good for many reasons. I wouldn't use a steriod on a baby. I've had 6 kids and most are adults now, the youngest in h-school. I'm not against doctors but there are other things I think you can do. Hope this helps. Don't give up, you'll find an answer. :)

1st...I believe that sterioid cream is not reccomended for infants less than 6months.

2nd it's likely something she is ingesting. If she's formula fed I would suggest switching from a milk based to a soy based. If she's nursing I would suggest you cut out dairy and wheat products for 2-4weeks if there is an improvment you have your answer.

It could also be the type of soap you are using on her clothes or her skin.

Dear M.,

Poor little girl. I went through the same thing with my daughter who is now 3. She had a large spot that pretty much covered her whole right cheek and also had it in her scalp and it would also show up on her legs, back, and tummy. Our family Dr. sent us to a dermatologist and he recognized it right away and prescribed a strong cortizone cream. It cleared up but would reappear if our water softner ran out of salt and also every time she got sick. Actually, that still happens, but it is much easier to control now. I have to comb her hair really good or it shows up on her scalp just like cradle cap. We still deal with it from time to time, but it is by no means as severe as when she was a baby. My Dr. said some kids outgrow it and some don't. He also said in babies it can be a sign of a food allergy. Is she on formula or breastfed? If you are giving her formula maybe you should switch brands and see if it helps. If you are nursing, evaluate your own diet for clues. I know it is hard. And I hope this helps. Just be on top of it with the cream and do what they tell you to get it under control. I know with our girl it took almost a month for it to fully clear up. Good Luck!

J.

We went through this with our son who will now be 1 next week. We tried everything and finally found the culprit. I had to put him on Similac formula without DHA/ARA. We tried soy and protein free hypoallergenic formulas and that didn't work for him, so we were pretty certain is wasn't a milk or protein allergy. Then I read that the DHA in formula is derived from fish oils. So I found a formula without it and he has been perfectly clear. I had trouble finding it, but it is out there. And yes, DHA/ARA is supposed to supply the nutrients to aid in development, yada-yada. It wasn't in formula when we were kids, and in fact was just added a few years ago and we all developed fine without it, so I figured his comfort was worth it. After he had been clear for a few months I did try to go back to formula with DHA, and he broke out again (not instantly, but slowly over a few days). Once he was off it for a few days he was great again. He can't even have the cereal or baby food with added DHA.

Our ped didn't want us to use the rx cream on his face, only on other parts of his body. He had us use the OTC hydrocortisone cream for his face. We used that in conjunction with Aveeno Baby Moisturizing Cream. The combination seemed to work really well for him.

Whatever is causing it for your daughter will likely be hard to determine because it takes so long once the allergen is removed for them to clear up. Hang in there, and if you're thorough and persistant, you'll likely find the root cause.

I am afraid to find out what else our son may be allergic to in the future, but for now he can eat any baby food as long as it doesn't have DHA, so that's a good sign. He is showing some mild symptoms of potential asthma, which also tends to go hand-in-hand with allergies and eczema, so keep an eye on her. Our son had what seemed like a neverending cough, then one night his breathing was labored and he was wheezing so we took him right in. So far he's great and has not had a single eczema flare up since removing the DHA formula.

Best of luck to you. She'll likely be just fine, but it can be a long and frustrating road. Feel free to email me if you would like any more info on what we went through (this is already a novel, LOL). I'd gladly share our experiences if it helps... ____@____.com

Hi M.,

My daughter had a spot of eczema on the side of her head when she was an infant. Our doctor recommended we treat it with hydrocortizone cream. Make sure you rub it in well when you apply it as this helps the eczema clear up. My daughter is now six and doesn't have any signs of eczema or allergies though they do run in our family.

Something else to consider if you're breastfeeding is the skin contact when nursing. My son had the most beautiful complexion until he was 8 weeks old and the he looked like he had a really bad case of acne. Our doctor recommended I eliminate dairy from my diet for a little while to determine if he was possibly allergic. After a few weeks it cleared up never to return. He's now 4 years old and had a prettier complexion than our daughter.

Good luck and hang in there. Ezcema is an allergic reaction and usually flares up more during the cold winter months. Spring is here!

Hey M., don't worry as long as you keep it from getting irritated she will be fine. My son has the same issue and yes at 15months his allergies are getting worse but my pediatric allergist tested him at 4months which is not normal but I knew that something was not right around six weeks so at 2months I was asking for him to see an allergist and at 4mnths finally we were in that office learning that the eczema could flare up as a result of things like milk, and certain foods, we actually have an appointment this friday to be retested because his eczema flared up so bad...anywho just watch and learn it will be fine.

Has she been tested for a dairy allergy? Since you have already learnd that she will probably have allergies have you thought about converting your home to green products? I have many customers who have seen relief by changing products (including my husband).

L.
http://www.HealthyFamilyHome.com

I have twin girls 13 months old...For the first 12 months they were always sick and had a rash on there body and behind thier ears and there but for months..WE took them to get tested for allergies and sure enough they had several...Their skin seemed to be the most obvious..They also had bad eczema..WE were prescribed several creams, steriods, and claritan for them at 12 months. I jsut couldn't stomache putting them onall that stuff...So I took them to a homeopathic doctor and they have been on a natural remedy from him for 3 weeks now and I cannot tell you how amazing it is working...Their skin looks so good, people are asking me whats going on, why does their skin look so great (because it looked so bad for months)..They are beginnig to sleep through the night where they wer once up 7/8 times a night because they were so miserable...It is so worth it to give it a try...I know when you have health insurance its hard to pay out of pocket but sometimes things are better off treated naturally than medically...Homeopathy treats the problem not the symptoms...My girls are doing better in 3 weeks than they have been inthe first 12 months of their life...I can give you the name and number if interested...

Goodmorning, I've had this problem, home remedy is to rub baby down all through the day with olive oil. With your child being so young, the medicated creams will burn the skin, causing the baby pain.

Hi M.,

Got your email (sorry about the delay, I have a 2 1/2 yr old and 12 month old, who thinks that sleeping is optional at night). I'm sorry about your little one, that's rough. I actually work with a company called Arbonne International (it's from Switerland). They have amazing all natural products, including baby products (which are wonderful, my pediatrician even has a wholesale account from me, in order to offer the products to her patients). The baby line products are wonderful for super sensitive skin. Where do you live, b/c if you would like to try some full-size baby products for a few days, that would be no problem. So many little ones have gotten relief from their eczema from using our products. I would suggest the hair and body wash and body lotion for your little one. If you would like to check out my website and see if it interests you. My website is www.claansoo.myarbonne.com Have a great day! Can you even believe that it's snowing- yikes! *C.

Hi M.,

My neighbors son (under 2 years old at the time) and her other kids all experienced Eczema.

I talked to her about a few possibilities as to what may be triggering it.

One was to be very careful as to what was coming into contact with her baby’s skin.
Clothing, sheets, towels, blankets, cleaner residue in the tub, shampoos soaps.
One she didn’t even think of was her new carpet!
Really Bad stuff in there…
Even some of the creams she was using to help the condition, were aggravating it.

We talked in depth of why these things may cause or aggravate skin problems.
I introduced her to a line of products that many parents are switching to for just this reason.
They even have a lotion that is safe for babies
(With NO steroids!)

She took my suggestions made some simple changes and saw remarkable results! She was one happy mom!

Even her pediatrician was amazed at the difference and asked what she did. He then told her he wants me to get more information to him so he can pass it on to other parents.

Will this work for everyone?
Maybe not, but it is worth a try and safe for your kids!

Feel free to write to me.
I would be happy to talk to you about what I have learned.

Keeping in mind this is just a suggestion.
I am not providing medical advice, diagnosis or treatment

Sincerely,
N.

I hesitated to respond, just because so many people have already. But... no one suggested what I tried.

My little girl had the same thing appear at that same age. My friend told me that it was seborrheic eczema as well. I took her to the doctor and he confirmed it. He told me not to use soap often on those areas of her body where it was worst. I gave her a bath almost every night (for the sake of routine) and every-other-night I just didn't use soap. On her face and back I used Selsun Blue for Seborrheic Dermatitis. Make sure not to get it in her eyes (I put it on a washcloth). It cleared it right up within 2 days!!! I was amazed. She hasn't had many problems since (no "allergies"), and if she does, we just cut back on the soap. We are sure to use lotions that have no scent in them also.

Hope that helps. You just feel so bad for them. They can't do anything to control it. :0( Keep us posted on what happens.

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My daughters (all three) have or have had some form of eczema. Two of them (the 8 yr. old and 5 yr. old) have completely grown out of it...but do have seasonal allergies (don't know if the they are related to the eczema). My youngest (4 yrs. old) has it the worst. It covers most of her legs and tummy and is very ichy and painful after she irritates it. However, if we use the steroid treatment when we see the first signs, it is totally manageable and hardly noticable. That way you don't have to use the steroid all the time (which are not that great for the skin). Also, invest in the best lotion (I use Eucerine for the body and Aquaphor for the face). It really makes a huge difference.
Good Luck,
S

Since I much prefer natural remedies to drugs that are used today,I was just doing some reading about such...I have not tried this but, as I read that, using aloe vera cream for two weeks will almost make this dissappear.Where to get it...check your health store or do an online search.Your previous responses are right.I am sure your daughter has an allergy to something.

Be careful with steroid cream as it may work while you are using the cream but is almost guaranteed to come back once the cream is stopped. Also be care about creams that supress the eczema or it will turn into allergies. Homeopathy works wonderfully with eczema and allergies. It doesn't suppress. It works with the body to allow the body to heal itself with no side effects or irritation. Diet can also help too. When my daughter had her eczema when she was under 1 year old we used homeopathy and gave her lots of pineapple to eat. She has not had eczema since!!!!

This was the same prognosis my daughter had with her little boy. The Dr. wasn't very helpful, and only gave her Aquafor to put on it all the time. She finally went to her dermatologist, who put him on several things that finally cleared it up. It takes a long time! He's 2 now, and occasionally has little flair ups in the winter especially, but she is vigilant about it, and his skin is beautiful. He will probably always have to monitor it, but it's not a bleak as your Dr. says. See a good dermatologist!

My 10-year old daughter has suffered with eczema since birth. Since the time she could control her hand movesments, she was scratching. And suffer is the correct word for it. She is 10 now and has scarring from the scratching. We have tried EVERYTHING but nothing works well enough to 'control' it. I would not recommend steriod cream for a 7-1/2 week old baby - there are other non-steriod products that can be used (although if hers is sever you may have no choice). If you want to email me directly (____@____.com), I will be happy to share what we have tried, use, retried, etc. over the years. It gets worse during certain times of the year. She has allergies and asthma (most kids with asthma and/or allergies suffer from eczema as well). I am trying a new treatment for her involving folic acid vitamins, but I think that would not be recommended for an infant. Best advice is to keep fingernails as short as possible, and use an antibotic cream/ointment (perscription bactroban) on open sores or scratches (to help keep them from getting infected). There are a lots of recommendations I could give, but this would be way too long. If you want to discuss, feel free to email me.

M., have you tried Arbonne's ABC Baby Products and their Rejuvenating Cream? (The U of M Trauma Center recommends this product for highly stressed skin.) All of Arbonne's products come with a $$$ back guarantee. I have many clients with eczema and have seen these products help many infants too. If you want more information or samples, you can respond to this email or call me at ###-###-####. Good luck. Barb

My middle son had this problem the whole first year. It was so bad on his face that it would ooze. I would push the pediatrician to identify the cause and not just treat the symptoms. All my pediatrician did was give me prescription cream which helped very little. I finally insisted on seeing an infant dermotologist who diagnosed it with allergies. He ran his fingernail across my son's belly and it immediately showed raised red rashes. He prescribed Zyrtec and lo and behold, the rash on his face cleared up. He still had it on the back of his legs and elbows but not nearly as bad.

Becareful with that steroid cream... It may irritate it more too! My SIL has exezema really bad too. She even breaks out around her mouth if she uses the wrong kind of tooth paste. Change your laundry detergent, watch what you use on her skin too. Visit your local health food store for ideas or contact me as I work for a wellness company that addresses issues like yours and many others. Good luck!

M.,
I had this and two of my kids have it. I have an allergy to milk. And so do my two kids that have it. I cut that out and it is gone!! It could be an allergy to something else too. I had both those kids on Soy and I was too and we are all fine. I do have so asthma but not bad. My nephew also had it pretty bad. When I had him I would put him in plain warm water and then put his cream on him. I really did not like using it but it did soothe him and it got better. Hang in there! I am sure she is a beautiful baby!! M.

I have a 3 month old boy and at about 4 weeks he had the same thing. It was on his face and neck, even a little on shoulders. Our doctor told us to use hydrocortezone cream. It cleared it up within a few days. I do see spots occasionally but it is much better. Good luck.

every one has something different that works great for them. i will tell you what i use on my son. i bought eucerin cream (not lotion), you can buy the generic brand too. anyways scoop some out and mix it in your hand with hydrocortizone cream and slather it on. works for my son.
hope that helps

We went through the same thing at about that age. My daughter has sensitive skin she even got a rash in the hospital from their laundry detergent. We were told to use Cetphil moisturizer and cleanser on her and it worked wonders (we still use it and she is over a years old). We also began washing all the laundry in the house in dye and perfume free laundry detergent, she would get a contact rash when ever she layed on anyone else so we tried to keep a blanket or burp cloth between their cothes and her face. She still has sensitive skin, but not anywhere near as bad.

Vaseline is what I have been using on my now 8 month old and it really is working better than most other expensive creams I have tried. It is worse during the colder months but will get better as it gets warmer most likely. My daughter, now almost 3, also had it and it is gone now. This was her first winter not battling it.

Hi M.,

My son also had infant eczema. He also had it on his face, neck and ears. He got it at 4 months and was also prescribed steroid cream. His eczema has since cleared up. My son is now 5 1/2. In the winter, he will get one or two dry patches on his foot or leg. I just put Eucerin lotion on it now and it clears most of it away. By the time summer comes, he's cleared up. I think this has something to do with the it being so dry in the winter. Also, cut baths down to quick baths because that also dries the skin. I was told that allergies and eczema usually go together. My son did develop allergies to dogs and cats around age 3. I noticed a reaction to when he pet the neighbor's dog and then touched his face - his face turned red. Up until then, he was fine around pets. So, just be sure to pay attention to little things like that when your daughter gets older. Best of luck to you and your daughter.

M. - My son had the same thing when he was a newborn. Like most kids, his allergic trigger is anything scented. In case your daughter's is the same, here's what we did. We switched to unscented everything (Aveno shampoo and soap, Era Free laundry soap) and eliminated dryer sheets - those little pink rubber things they sell at Target in the baby section work pretty well. Also, I make sure that all new clothing that entered our house is washed before wearing. It made a huge difference. He's now 19 months old and he doesn't really have any problems unless he's around someone who is wearing a lot of perfume. He does have a pretty strong allergy to peanuts - so watch for that as your little one grows. His allergist said that eczema and peanut allery go hand in hand.
Good luck and don't fret. You'll figure out the eczema trigger before you know it. She's your baby, you know her best and you'll see the reaction before anyone else does.

M.,
My Infant son had the same thing. We determined he had a milk protein allergy. I was exclusively breastfeeding at the time and had to cut out all dairy products from my diet. Unfortunatley, he allergy is so severe that even a trace amount of dairy caused him to have a reaction - eczema all over his head, neck and chest. We have since put him on a hypoallergenic formula and he is 100% better - no eczema at all. Eczema is almost always the result of a current allergy and in an infant, it is usually a milk protein allergy. I would recommend cutting out all dairy if you are breastfeeding, or switching to Nutramigen or Allimentum formula. It really helped us. We never had to use any steroid creams - the eczema completely cleared up once he was on the formula.
Good luck!
Jen

My daughter, now 3, had the same thing when she was about that age. A little of the cream goes a long way and worked wonders for her. In fact, she occasionally gets a small patch of it here and there, but it has almost completely gone away. She has asthma but thus far has not tested positive for any allergies. It really isn't that big of a deal for most kids - don't panic!

This may sound crazy, but I believe my cousin's daughter had the same problem recently. They resolved the problem by putting a small amount of breast milk on the rash and it cleared right up. If it doesn't work for you, at least you know it won't be harmful for daughter. Good luck!

I would try eliminating dairy from your diet if you are nursing. These skin conditions are also often related to yeast. I would highly recommend using a strong probiotic like Garden of Life. They make all kinds of products, but the Primal Defense is amazing. They have a new name for it, but it will likely be very helpful. Did you have antibiotics in the year before you had her? Did you have them at the hospital during labor? These are things that could potentially sterilize her gut, and therefore need to put back the good bacteria. It will also help prevent allergies. If you are not nursing, I would get to a lactation consultant quickly and get her on there. It's not too late with some help. It will really boost her immune system and help with these issues! Good Luck!

My 17 year old boys have that problem. What helps keeping it in check is (as others have said) mellow or unscented items, not wearing hats too much, keeping skin and hair dry as much as possible, and clean. Being careful in the sun or outside when it's really cold. To stay away from extremes we have used baby powders, Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing lotion, even Preparation H. We use P-H on a lot of things that rash up, itch or swell. Seems to work better than Benadryl. Not a big fan of the strong steriods docs seem to always suggest.

My son was diagnosed with having eczema when he was an infant and the doctor put him on elidel which was a non steroid cream and it worked well. Then my insurance changed and it was no longer covered so the doctor recommended Eucerin cream that came in a small tub and it worked well and was over the counter. Anyways my son grew out of it- he is 4 now and still has dry skin issues especially in winter months, but doesn't get the red rashes anymore. Just make sure you keep lotion on them so there skin doesn't get too itchy and uncomfortable.