Any advice on dealing with baby eczema

Savvy_Sue

Sarahjovi wrote: »

Eczema, is an allergic reaction to something. Finding out what that something is, is the trick though. Not easy as doctors don't seem to know much about the cause's of eczema.

I don't think that eczema is always an allergic reaction. Sometimes it is just very dry skin, and it's what you do about it that makes the difference. Adequate moisturising and learning not to scratch can lead to a radical improvement, with no change in environment.

hennagirl

My son used to have the same problem and I used a large tub of cream available from doctors called Ungentum M - it is a very thick cream that I used after bathing. My son did bathe everyday and I used Infacare on him until he was about 6/7 years old. The key is to keep the skin hydrated and so daily creaming was important.

Now I have two munchkins and both get "sheaed"! I use unrefined shea butter (see link) and have found this to be brilliant. Everyone in the family uses this and the only time my ds will get a bit rashy is when we don't shea him for a few days.

In its refined form, it is a base for most of the more expensive cosmetics but for exzema, you must use the unrefined stuff - it is natural as opposed to some manufactured cream. It is expensive but I usually buy in bulk and keep in the fridge as it tends to go rancid in heat. The smell is similar to olive oil but stronger. Even dh uses it on his exzema patches around his knuckles and has seen a definite improvement.

http://www.akamuti.co.uk/products/new/shea-butter-cut-and-wrapped-various-sizes/

Horace

I can remember when my cousin was tiny, she suffered with excema - turned out she was allergic to cows milk - but she can have goats milk. I can still remember her as a little mite sleeping in mittens to stop her from scratching.

conradmum

With ds2 it was wheat. He'd had some eczema from birth, then it got really bad when he started having a wheat-based cereal for breakfast. (Took me a little while to work this out) Stopped the wheat and it cleared up really quickly.

shazrobo

both of my sons have had excema from being four months old, we have tried cutting out varios foods, but its had no effect, the doctor just says they have extremely dry skin, and prescribes different creams and bath oils depending on how severe it is at the time. sons are 12 now, and one of them stopped using oil in the bath and his creams, and he was continuously scatching til his skin bled and got infected, learned his lesson now, and now uses his creams

nearlyrich

My DS (now 22) had really bad excema as a baby and a small child, we used Ungentum M and washed him in Oilatum, he grew out of it at 14 ish but he gets the odd itch. I don't mess around with changing detergents etc as I know it can cause problems for him if I wash his clothes in anything but Ariel.

At 4 months it's unlikely to be a food allergy unless the OP is BF and eating something that is affecting the baby but it could be washing powder, fabric conditioner, an animal or some other environmental cause.

conradmum

nearlyrich wrote: »

At 4 months it's unlikely to be a food allergy unless the OP is BF and eating something that is affecting the baby

This is what was happening with ds2 and me. I had to cut wheat out of my diet too.

pickle

Apply doublebase cream before and after bathing as it provides a waterproof film. Also reduce bathing. When my dtrs excema is bad I bathe her as required,ie. about once every few days. The water makes the excema worse.

Js_Other_Half

I posted this on the parent thread, but when I saw this had been resurrected I thought I'd add it here too.

Lush Dream Cream has got rid of my toddlers eczema in 10 days, used twice a day. To be honest, it had only just started a few weeks ago, so it's not like an on-going long term problem. However, even having said that I think it's brilliant to have it under control so quickly.
I'm now using it on the skin that flared up once day - back of his neck, arms and leg creases.

http://www.lush.co.uk/products/Dream_Cream_1922.aspx

samj_2

Hi
Try cutting your washing powder down to half what you are using and dont use fabric conditioner but three capfuls of clear vinager instead trust me your clothes will not smell of vinager only washing powder and they will be alot softer and better to iron.
When I read the threads regarding vinager I thought no way but my sons eczema has gone and I am saving loads.
Hope this helps.