Baby Eczema

happy35

I use Eucerin in the bath and also use their shampoo, I find it keeps any dryness at bay and quickly gets rid of any red patches

M&S do a fragrance free non bio washing liquid that I use if my skin flares up, I usually use Lidl non bio but M&S is definitely more gentle on irritated skin

GlasweJen

You can ask the doctor to prescribe an antihistamine to give the wee one at night to stop the itching.

Never use soap and get the doctor to give advice on the best moisturise, you can wash with dermol and they have a range of different products for eczema in addition to the pump pack of cream.

Oilatum do a shampoo and various creams as well, you can get on prescription (or in pharmacies but it's really expensive) if you'd rather wash your wee one with something less clinical.

pupsicola

There are all kinds of things you need to bare in mind when you start weaning too. Introduce one thing at a time so if he has a reaction and his skin flares up you will know which food caused it. Dont roast meats and then puree them down. If you give him any meat with meals casserole it. I know this must sound crazy but the way food is cooked effects the heat it passes through the body when it is being digested. My eldest saw a herbalist and accupuncturist and she advised me all this. I was sceptical at first but what she said worked and within 15 months she had turned my son from a kid covered in eczema to one clear of it.

Please pm me if I can help at any time.

WolfSong2000

I had eczema as a baby and as an adult have occasional flare ups, usually on my hands...not sure why. Anyhow, for me, E45 actually made things worse - apparently it has a lot of additives? Anyhow, Aveeno is fantastic and have also just been to pharmacy and bought Doublebase Gel, which is a bit of a hassle as it leaves a greasy residue, but works wonders - I've seen really impressive results in 48 hours. Hands have gone from cracked and bleeding to just sligtly dry .

I think it'll just be a case of trial and error to see what works for your little one .

Counting_Pennies_2

I would suggest using the Boots own 'baby expert cream' it states suitable for use on eczema and it worked wonders.

milliebear00001

dreambirdie wrote: »

Wondering if anyone here has a child with eczema and what their routine is everyay.

My 16 wk old son seems to be developing eczema. he has red patches of dry skin all over him and his head is so dry its like sandpaper i brought him to the doctors and was prescribed hydrocortisone.

i have reduced bathing my baby to twice per week and the only thing i put in the bath is oilatum. everyday and night i put hydrocortisone on his red patches and e45 everywhere else. but this doesnt seem to be easing it at all. is there anything else i can do?

It's trial and error with eczema. Oilatum is good, but the E45 is not really recommended anymore for eczema. We use diprobase and find it good, but in winter, when the central heating is on, we have to use it three times a day to make the difference. We top up with steroids as and when needed.

newmoneysaver_2

I agree with milliebear - it is very much trial and error - there are so many different creams out there, some will help some won't. We actually use epaderm - a cream and and a 3 in one which can be used as a soap substitue. We have tried a couple of bath additives, but as yet, we haven't found one that suits.

I think an antihistamine can only be used on over 1's.

barbiedoll

Baby eczema is horrible. I had it very badly as a kid, my face, body and limbs were really scabby and my mum can remember someone peering into my pram and saying to her "Oh my god, what has happened to your baby?" :mad:
On a positive note, I grew out of it by around 7 yrs old and the only time that I've had a flare-up since is when I was pregnant.

Is your baby on formula milk? Some milks can be worse than others for eczema but don't change to a soya formula unless your GP says so, many children are allergic to soya milk as well as cows milk. Keep his nails as short as you can to help stop him scratching and avoid bathing him, babies don't get too dirty anyway, topping and tailing is enough at this age.

For general moisturising, emulsifying ointment is good for general use but you can get all of the other creams on prescription, all of the ones mentioned are very good for babies. Midwives and Health Visitors have been recommending olive oil to use on a baby's dry skin for years but I was told recently (by a paediatrician) that a dermatologist has just done a study and found that it may cause flare-ups in children who have eczema. I don't know if this research has been validated though, so don't quote me yet!

If you have central heating, try to place either lots of leafy houseplants or bowls of water around the place, it replaces some of the moisture in the air and can help to stop the skin drying out so much. If he has eczema, he may be more prone to other allergies and also asthma, if he gets a cold and you think that he is wheezing or you are worried about his breathing at all, contact a doctor or the hospital immediately.
And don't fret too much, lots of us have lived with itchy, cracked skin and the hassle of creams and lotions at bedtime, but it didn't stop me enjoying my childhood. I've still got the scars on my legs and arms but who cares? It's treatable and most kids do grow out of the worst of it.

**curlywurly**

Washing powder - unless absolutely essential don't use any. Most clothes will wash clean in a hot(ish) wash. Otherwise just use a few granules/drops of nonbio. I also recommend Surcare

Dress in 100% cotton and use cotton bedding etc - I absolutely agree with this. Check every label. Some things which look cotton are not.

Dont wash regularly - I absolutely agree. When essential to bathe, use Oilatum (on prescription) followed by a moisturiser like Diprobase. AS others have said, E45 is not recommended for eczema - not sure why. But you can get Diprobase/similar in a big pump dispenser on prescription.

Keep the bedroom cool, and when essential dab on hydrocortisone but use it very sparingly.

Both myself and my daughter were milk intolerant (neither of us are now). As a baby, she got some sort of special baby formula on prescription. Sorry can't remember the name of it, but it definitely helped reduce the eczema. Then when she was older I moved her onto soya milk.

If your baby still has eczema once weaned, you will need to look carefully at diet.

And contact the Eczema Society, they have a lot of useful info and support available.

Try not to get stressed by it, I know that is easier said than done, and it is very stressful to see a baby scratching and in discomfort, but hopefully some or all of the advice on here will help you a bit. Good luck

Greenlight77

Our 2 DSs had really bad eczema as babies. Their eczema was always worse after a bath despite slapping on loads of moisturers afterwards- we tried lots of different ones but found epaderm was the best. As we live in a hard water area we were recommended a water softener which helped a lot. They've largely outgrown their eczema now but it flared up recently -we couldn't work out why but then realised that the water softener had stopped working.