Baby Eczema - Scottsdale,AZ

My son's eczema improved dramatically when I eliminated dairy and egg from diet, he is allergic to both.

Hi D.. My 4 year old also started having eczema from the age of 2 and we found out through allergy testing that she is allergic to dairy. The doctor said to cut back on dairy if it gets bad but do not completely take it out of her diet. If no food allergies, it could be environmental. When we cut back it goes away or gets better. I have been using Aveeno shampoo and lotion. I read in the August 2009 American Baby magazine that 70% of children who have eczema will at some point develop asthma. This is scary.

My first thought would be milk, if you consume milk. I agree with Anne Marie on eliminating grains as well, if milk does not do it. If that does not do it for him, it could be other foods that are bothering him. Also, have you considered other allergies, besides foods? If you have any pets, it could be a reaction to them. Also, I know of another mom that had problems with her babies, and they did not clear up until they got all the carpeting out of their house. I hope some of this helps.
J. Powers / Author
The Truly Grain Free Cookbook; Beet and Cane Sugar Free Too!
ISBN #: 1-60563-263-5
www.freewebs.com/trulygrainfree

D.,
Good question, I will be anticipating all your replies!
All my babies have suffered from this. They all have out grown it for the most part, and just get very dry hands and a few spots every once in a while. My current baby, has had a spot on his chin that I just cannot get to heal. I do however have some ideas for the rest of the body.
Before you fill up the Bathtub, you can feel a sock with 1-cup quick oats, pull it over the faucet and then turn the water on. let the water run through the oats to fill. this is great for skin.
Make sure that you let your baby play first then wash and get out. That way he won't be sitting in the soap, which will dry out skin.
For my baby now I use Burt's baby bees soap and butter milk bath soak. I love the soak, a more natural way would be just to add a little dry milk to the bath.
Crisco works really well, if you can tolerate the greasiness. Perhaps you could just put it on at night.
I love Eucerin The really thick cram in a tube. It is not all natural, but it does work well as a preventive. It seams if I can get enough lotion on my babies after baths their skin doesn't react so much.
I also use Hydocortisone, lanolin, aquapher. I rotate every time I change his diaper.
For me, I recently discovered "Goldbond ultimate, healing Concentrated Therapy cream" (what a name!) Anyway it works really really well! again, it is not natural, but at least my hands are not hurting cracking and bleeding anymore.
All of these are fragrance free.
Good luck!
E.

D.,
Eczema is a skin allergy and if you think about it most laundry products have chemicals in them. You bathe your son in the soaps, wrap him in the towel, put him to bed in the sheets and clothe him in what you have washed in chemicals. I am part of a company that doesn't put any harmful or harsh chemicals in their products.

My nephews baby girl had it so bad her face was cracking and bleeding - they switched stores and it is totally gone!

If you are interested in hearing more e-mail me at ____@____.com. Hopefully you can get it all cleared up - I remember how bad it was for my nephews daughter and how she cried.

Hi, there's a cream called "Itchy boo"cream for babies, that we used on our little one, she has bouts of excema, which is linked to her sensitivites to certain things. Wheat, most anything high in citric acid, and her allergy to milk, which is why she was on soy formula and now soy milk. She's severly allergic to tomatoes as well. Once we made sure that she didn't eat it, and when she was nursing, Mom refrained from eating those things. Her skin cleared up. Allergies run in the family. How do you know your little one has NO allergies. Excema is linked to food allergies. Wheat, eggs, as well as fruits and vegies high in citric acid are big culprits. Sensitivities to milk is a big one too. Try the itchy boo cream, it works awesome! We also make sure we don't use any scented baby soaps, creams, lotions. Even the dreft may not be a cause but it can contribute if he's sensitive. We found after many trials, that original Curel, cleared her skin up better than any other cream or lotion for the rash. Good luck.

Everyone has great ideas, I have tried everything, Almost everything did not help that was natural but I did find that when I started giving my daughter a Multi Vitamin with ZINC, it cleared it up. Hope you find something that worked.

I am all too familiar with the excema struggles! My oldest son had excema from the get-go and he still struggles with it occasionally at four and a half years old. We found that he is EXTREMELY allergic to cats. We had a cat and had to give her to a different family. We then cleaned our carpets, furniture, etc. It got drastically better. We would have flare ups from time to time and we realized that it always went hand in hand with a visit to someone's house that had a cat. Just something to think about... even if you don't have a cat, is there someone that you see regularly that does? Getting rid of the cause was the only thing that worked for us. Good luck!

Hi D.! Have you ever used Extra Virgin Coconut oil on his eczema patches? It is seriously the best moisturizer I have used. I buy the Nutiva brand and use it in cooking and for dry skin, sunburn, cuts, stretch marks, etc.
My mom uses it to help with psoriasis.

One of my friends has a toddler with exzema and she said that keeping the humidity in her house high this winter has made a huge difference.

Also, the Dreft detergent is less gentle than people realize. I recommend a brand like BioKleen, Ecos, or Seventh Generation. You can use vinegar in the wash to make your clothes softer. I am looking into a detergent that one mom on this site recommended. It's called Rockin' Green Soap. I am totally intrigued! I love natural products!

If you are breastfeeding I would try taking grains out of your diet.

I hope you find something that helps soon! I know it's frustrating to see our kids in pain. Good luck to you!

I am sorry he is so uncomfortable. My only suggestion is to stay away from Dreft. As a cloth diapering mom, I know that dreft leaves residue on your clothing and that can really irritate the skin. I know it's suppose to be made for babies, but it doesn't rinse totally clean as most laundry detergents don't. Check the ingredients, if there are any 'optical brightner' or other ingredient to repel stains, brighten colors etc. it is an ingredient made to stay in the clothing to reflect light, stains etc.

Try some sort of Eco Nut, homemade laundry soap, or Country Save is a great on that rinses clean. Country Save can be bought through Amazon or you can find it at some Sprouts.

I know this probably isn't the whole cause, but will probably help.

S.

I also know of a mom whose child had bad, bleeding excema. And the only thing that worked was getting all the carpt out of the house. Carpets outgas bad chemicals for years. I know that is a big deal to do though.

I'd also find a natural doctor to find out what the problem is. Dr. Ber (the elder one) in Scottsdale is very good and I bet he could track down the cause.

We were in your shoes until a few months ago. Our 15-month old was a Fall baby, so the eczema on his cheeks that came and went appeared to our pediatrician to be "wind burn" and we spent the Winter months bathing him in semi-warm water and natural soaps only weekly and lathering him with Eucerin and Aquaphor directly after bath times and also throughout the day. Finally, last summer, we saw another doctor in the office, showed her the rash that had developed again and she sent us for allergy testing, from which we discovered that he is milk allergic. The new Dr, who has children with allergies instantly suggested a mixture of Hydrocortizone cream (0.5%) and Vanicream lotion to lessen the stinging that he might feel from the Hydrocrtizone cream. Vanicream is lotion that is dermatologist recommended for people who suffer from eczema b/c it is all-natural. You'll have to ask for the both at the Pharmacy, or order the Vanicream online. It was around $9 for a huge tube of Vanicream and less than $3 for the Hydrocortizone cream at our local Target just a few months ago. We mix the two creams together in a 1:1 ratio and apply it as needed, and it does wonders! Check with your pediatrician before applying the Hydrocortizone cream (I don't know how old your child is, so I can't speak to it's safety with him), but I would absolutely try out the Vanicream. The pharmacy gave us a small container to mix the two into with a screw-on lid, once I explained what I was needing the creams for. We even apply the Vanicream after bathtimes now.
Have you tried washing his clothes in another Free and Clear product, like All, or an all-natural detergent like the Seventh Generation products (found at Whole Foods Markets). I would suggest washing all family clothing and bedding in these products to see if he can find some relief.

My son developed eczema while I was breastfeeding. We used Aveeno baby wash and moisturizer. I used the moisturizer daily and the wash when I bathed him, and it helped soothe the itch. However, you need to find out what's causing the eczema... otherwise it'll keep coming back. Just wanted to mention that right around the early monhts is usually when babies start developing an allergy to the protein found in milk or soy (not an allergy to milk, it's an allergy to the protein) and the first sign is eczema. My son has this allergy, so this is from experience :)

After the eczema arrived, he started getting other "odd" symptoms. Once I told my doctor (who used to specialize in pediatric gastrointenstinal medicine) about his symptoms, she checked him for a milk and soy protein allergy. This allergy is very common in babies actually, but not talked about a lot. If you're breastfeeding and eating any form of dairy or soy (even breads/pasta made with milk or whey or soy) your baby will react if he has it. By the way, oftentimes soy proteins react the same way as milk proteins to babies with the allergy.

It's a very simple test that your doctor can perform. And it's very easy to fix once diagnosed :) If you've got questions about this, contact me. I'd be happy to tell you my son's symptoms, etc.

Not sure if this is what your son has, but it may be worth talking to your pediatrician about. Good luck!

My baby has eczema too. I usually put hydracortizone on him and then curel lotion with no smell. It has worked for us.

My daughter has this since she was a baby. She is now 2 and a half, but if I don't keep up with it, it will flare up. I use Eucerin Lotion on her body instead of the baby lotions. You need to use lotions that don"t have any type of perfumes. Do not use Downy or dryer sheets for his clothes. We still wash her clothes with Dreft, her doctor told us that this will go away by the time she is 4 or 5, if not she will have it for the rest of her life. As a baby she had it in her cheeks and it made her itch like crazy. The doctor also prescribed her hydro-cortizone 2% for when it's really bad. Also what I was told by her pediatrician was not to use perfume, or downy on my clothes since I was holding her and she would lay on my shoulder and on me. I also use the Johnson's and Johnson's baby Wash, the yellow one. Her doctor has told me that once her body gets used to a certain product not to change it. I tried the Aveeno for Eczema, but it did not work on her. I hope this helps, and he will be okay. Just talk to his doctor. Good luck and congrats on the baby!

D.- I would stop using Dreft immediately. My doc only recommend All Free and Clear. Don't use any Johnson and Johnson products either. I also use California Baby products as my son deals with a little eczema. It is natural and helpful at moisturing. I did get some Rx ointment which has helped clear his patches. Eczema is so terribly itchy so don't hold back with getting a Rx. Being natural is good but natural may not relieve the intense itching and doscomfort of your child. See the doc and ask about options.

Every time someone asks about eczema the answers are many and quite varied. You'll have to find what works for your situation. The two suggestions I consistently give to good results are trying Unpetroleum Jelly and to take high vitamin, quality Cod Liver Oil. Unfortunately, there are no stores that carry what I can recommend. Most of the CLO in stores has artificial vitamins in it or poor production processes. What I CAN recommend is Green Pastures Fermented CLO. It's pricey, but worth it on many health fronts. Good luck.

Do you consume cow dairy? Have you considered consuming only goat dairy? Also try goat milk soap for EVERYBODYS skin and clothes. There is also goat milk lotions (unscented of course). Also do you eat organic only? Amazing amounts of toxic pesticides and fertilizers are passed into your milk through conventionally grown produce, meat, eggs, and dairy. Fish, while very good for you, can be victims of water pollution. Know where your food comes from. Your son could be having a reaction to something that you may never find, hiding in the very food that you consume. Do you seasonaly have your air conditioner/furnace cleaned/serviced and fitted with Hepa filters? Also, do you wear make up or scented ANYTHING, shampoo, soap, anti-perspirant, tampons/pads, lotions, parfume, or air freshners? Lots of disposable diapers have perfume, cloth diapers might help(cheaper, better for the environment and not really that hard). Look online for fancy new ones that are as easy as disposable. Try to consume pleanty of healthy oils and fats, olive oil, canola oil, and vit E. Coco butter or pure coconut oil on his skin could prove very soothing. Also try WAY over cooking LOTS of unflavored oatmeal and using the 'slime' off of the top for bath time. You can make a huge batch and save the rest in icecube trays then seal them and keep frozen. Grab one out when needed. I hope he feels better.:(

I don't know how old your son is, but it sounds like the mysterious eczema our little boy had. He constantly had the rash behind one of his knees and on one cheek (from 4-5 months of age). In the end we decided it was linked to teething, after eliminating certain foods from his diet with no effect. I don't know if it was, but it has finally gone now that he has all the teeth he is supposed to have at 18months (including canines and molars). It would flair up when some were coming up. He stopped getting it behind his knee before he stopped getting it on his cheek.

We used the "Aveeno Active Naturals' 1% hydrocortisone creme. I don't know if that meets your standards for a natural option. We put it on at every diaper change and it would clear the rash within a day or two.

Our daughter, born in England, developed eczema after 1st round of vaccines. After several months, we found a great product online called Eczemate. All natural, bees wax, EFA's expensive but it stopped the itching in it's tracks as it is applied after being warmed by micro or hair dryer.

We moved to Tucson when she was 9m, and started seeing a homeopathic pediatrician. Our daughter does have food allergies, but her eczema was completely gone by age 6. She has a topical dairy/raw egg allergy so that if we have it on our hands, and touch her, she would come up with a patch of hives in the area. We learned that early on, like at 4 or 5 months.

If you can't find or afford the Eczemate, I bet a plain block of bees wax would work well too as it's super at healing and sealing in the moisture. Take about a teaspoonful, heat until almost liquid. Let cool until it's comfortable for you to touch it and apply to damp skin, after a bath is great.

Also try not to wash the skin with soap products. We still follow that rule. The only parts that get soap are the "Top and the Tail" areas. Everything else is rinsed with warm water unless soiled of course.

Another thing we used was a bath water filter ball that we'd found at whole foods market. Basically a carbon filter inside of a ball shape with the "top cut off", on a string. Hung from the tub faucet, city water went into the top and filtered water came out the bottom. Now that she's older and prefers showers, we use an inline filter that screws onto the pipe before the shower head is attached. I belive we get that at Home Depot.

I wish you all days of no scratching!!

~L.

Hi D.,

It's been proven that today's health issues, that we didn't have so much of 20 years ago are being linked to the chemicals and toxins in our every day products. There are a lot of people who say they use chemical free products but don't know that the labeling laws protect the manufacturers and not the consumers. These so called "green or natural" products might have a natural color or natural ingredients in them but are not safe for our health, home or environment. I know, I've done ALL the research and would be happy to send you some of it.

I set up accounts for a company that guarantees they will NEVER put any harmful chemicals or ingredients in ANY of their products. Their products have actually changed my famillies lives and have saved us lots of money. My son had sever eczema as well and now his skin is beautiful. He and I both have asthma but within a month of converting our homes we both were able to get off of all our meds. We are totally asthma symptom free. Let me know if you need more info. I'd be happy to help you with all your health issues and save money while doing it.

My baby has a ton of food sensitivities. We had her tested as a baby, and everything came up negative. However, now she is 16 months old, and without a doubt certain foods cause major problems. Her latest problem is eczema, and I found it directly related to Soy milk. But all her other problems she started when I was nursing. She has struggles with gluten, milk, soy, and corn. It definitely could be something you're eating. It's so hard. You can try the formula Similac Alimentum Ready to feed- no soy, corn, or milk (actually the milk is broken down). That stuff was SO great for my baby, although I was pretty heartbroken to give up nursing. I just could not eliminate everything that was bothering her. My milk was drying up. ANYWAY, my nephew gets eczema from strawberries. And you might want to try Lansinoh (you can get it at Target in the baby aisle.) You put it on sore nipples after nursing, and it is safe to ingest- you don't have to wipe it off before a feeding, so it might be soothing for him, and safe to put near his mouth. Good luck!

D.,
Arbonne ABC Baby products healed my granddaughter and grandson right up and it is GONE. I would be happy to send you a sample. Please respond in a private message and I will get that send right away. You will love it. The products are made with only natural herbs and botanicals. I used to suffer with it myself until I discovered Arbonne.
Kay

To add my 2 cents, I also recommend stopping the use of Dreft. Us a laundry detergent that is dye- and fragrance-free. Also, you don't need to use a lot per load. A tablespoon of detergent is enough for a full load. A second rinse cycle would also help.

As for moisturizers, I tried EVERYTHING (Rx and OTC) for my son when he had eczema as a baby. The only thing that finally worked was Vanicream Cream (available at Walgreens). I apply it to his face and body after every bath. It cleared up his eczema, and I continue to use it for the whole family. (I dilute it with another body lotion for myself.) I have recommended to many of my friends and family who also had skin issues, and they all love it.

Hope that helps!

Aquaphor,it is the best

My son had this and still does if I don't stay on top of it. We use and LOVE "Burt's Baby Bee" stuff. It's not quite a lotion or cream- it's quite thick. We found it at a health food store. It comes in a smaller glass jar- a bit bigger than a baby food jar. We tried everything and nothing worked until that.
I apply it everyday in the colder months and only as needed in the warmer months.
Good Luck. Hope it works.
R.

My daughter struggles with eczema, so I feel your pain, not as bad as our children do, but it's so hard seeing them like this! My daughter's has cleared up substantially, after I thought I had tried EVERYTHING. From allergist, to naturopath, to NAET (very helpful btw, private message me and I'll give you Lisa's contact info). I didn't want to do the cream from the Dr'.s so I was on a mission as it was getting worse, I almost gave in. We used Calendula salve from Desert Sage herbs. We use soap that is mostly coconut oil, we use pure shea butters and calendula balms for babies (Dancing Dingo). And saw a drastic improvement once we got a humidifier. We also had detox herbs from the naturopath to get the dairy and wheat (gluten) out of her system which we now know she is allergic to. Most of what I have heard holistically is that 9 times out of 10 it is from a wheat and/or dairy allergy. We also use seventh gen laundry det. and cleaning supplies. Anyway, I'm convinced that a combination of above has cleared her from it, and it is completely gone with some occasional scratching, remedied with calendula salve. Oh, and if you can tolerate the drying, the naturopath suggested calamine lotion, which I felt was counterproductive yet my daughter asked for it to relieve the itch. I think the naturopath will have a good suggestion for what is safe on his face, but if you go to desert sage herbs they will tell you if their salves will be okay on his face. Good luck, hang in there. We'll have to see how swimming season goes this year - that will be the true test if she's cleared.