My 9 month old has had eczema for several months. It is only on his cheeks, but sometimes looks like little white or blackheads. He is breastfed, so at his last doc appt the pediatrician suggesting that I stop drinking milk to see if he is reacting to that....I haven't done it yet but I don't think that is it, as I have drank milk all along and it periodically clears up. He also seems to react to my dogs saliva, as when the dog licks his face (I do not allow this, it just sometimes happens!) it gets all red/splotchy for a while. I try to use Eucerin and hydrocortisone cream on his cheeks daily....but it sometimes still looks lousy...any advice on products (I prefer all natural things) or other advice! Thanks!
Hi J.
My friends son has eczema and has had great results with a nutritional supplement. no drugs or creams.
J. H
Hi J.! My son has sensitive skin and also has what is called Kerotosis Pilaris...little chicken skin look on his arms etc...and sometimes on his cheeks. Does your son have it anywhere else? His thighs? Or ribs? If so it could be KP. Not a harmful thing to have...I have it! Dry skin with bumps that can look like a pimple. Also, did your Dr ever look into Melesculum? (Sp?) Same looking as KP. Anyways, I know you are interested in "Natural Products" ... I will advise you to look into an organic product rather than something that claims to be natural. Organic products have less fragrance etc in them...and still have drying agents in them (so you will use more of their product) called Laurel Sodium Sulfate. This will aggravate any skin disorder.... just read your labels! If you need more information please do not hesitate to reach out to me...
T. Puccio
Have you tried the Aveeno Baby Eczema cream? I love it for MY hands when I get an eczema flare up. It's not "all natural" but neither are hydrocortisone cream and Eucerin....
Both my daughters had eczema, it was mostly on their cheeks and behind their knees. My doctor also recommended switching to soy milk. I was also a little skeptical at first b/c it only seemed to flare up sometimes, some triggers for us were the weather (that was a major one), certain foods (acidic), other times it just baffeled us as to what triggered it. I tried the soy milk and that helped greatly. I also bought a humidifier for her room and turn it on at night. This winter her skin has been much better, I can only think of maybe one flare-up so far. We have had her drinking soy milk for over a year now. good luck!! My other daughter seemed to grow out of it, around 2-3yrs it was not a problem.
My son had this too not only on his face, but behind his knees.
I found that applying "Aveeno Baby" lotion helped, along with Aveeno Hydrocortizone cream. I would slather the Aveeno Baby on all day...I'd say at least once an hour. Then at night I would use the hydro cream.
They're not miracle creams, but I noticed they did help. Also, I'd say to keep his face washed and clean as much as possible...wipe it (with a sensitive skin wipey or face cloth) after he eats and drinks. Dry food/milk can aggravate his skin even more.
Good luck.
Eczema is a sure sign of a food or environmental sensitivity. The most likely culprit is dairy, also wheat and sugar. Start with the dairy. You should take it out completely to see results. Also, evening primrose(both topically for him and internally for you) is excellent for eczema and also an
important omega oil to take postpartum. Also look at you detergents,cleaning products and food additives for chemicals that could be causing a reaction. Hope that helps!
My answer is pretty much the same as Kori's below but I thought you might want to know of more people with similar solutions. Both my girls had severe eczema as babies. They were tested for food allergies about the same age as yours and had multiple. I gave up all the foods they were allergic to while nursing and did the nightly bath and Hydrolatum (other ointments didn't work wellf or us. You can get Hydrolatum at CVS or other pharmacy but you have to ask for it. It is not usually out on the shelves) several times a day and it helped alot. For both you and Kori if you have scratchers I highly recommend the sleepwear by a company called Kumfy Kids in New Zealand. I have no connection with this company but their covered hand sleep suits and separates were a blessing to us! www.kumfykids.co.nz It is next to impossible to find covered hand shirts past 12 months anywhere else. My girls used the shirts all day when their skin was at it's worst and were able to pick up things and play just fine. There was no delay in either of their hand motor skills. We also got our Ped to give a referal to the Atopic Dermatitis Center at Children's Hospital where we've been very happy with the doctors & other caregivers. Best of luck
Hi there,
My daughter has excema--diagnosed at 3 mos--and it is definitely exacerbated by foods. She was tested and does have food allergies, and with avoidance we have managed her excema very well. First thing we eliminated was dairy as your pedi suggested.
Between allergist and dermatologist, the recommendations have been similar and effective for my daughter (now 2.5). She gets a bath every night and then we use vaseline (or hydrolatum) to trap in the moisture. Layer it on really thick. The other products often have other ingredients in them that may irritate the outbreak (lanolin, etc.) especially if he does have allergies. A humidifier is a must-have too!
It's tough, especially if he is itchy! If he is scratching at it, try to cover his hands with socks or something at night so that doesn't irritate it further.
Good luck! I know how challenging it can be!
I have used/am using the Arbonne kids' products on my 5 year old son's eczema. They have been miraculous for him. He had a wide strip that went down the side of his leg, hip to knee, and lots of really rough alligator skin on the rest of his upper legs. Now his skin is soft and smooth and healthy. I don't use the products every day anymore, though still pretty frequently since it's winter.
The products aren't all natural, but they are a lot less toxic than most other things out there.
Hope that helps!
It does sound like an allergic reaction. While dairy is the most common, it could be a reaction to soy, gluten, corn, or food additives (gluten and corn are common pet food additives, so I might tend toward that direction). Until you figure out what the stressor is, I would recommend taking a multi B vitamin supplement. It's a water soluble vitamin, so you can't take too much. Anything not used by the body will be quickly flushed out in your urine. I had a case of eczema last year (exacerbated by a dairy intolerance that appeared suddenly), and B's are how I finally beat it into submission. Adding probiotics for a bit may also help.
You can work with this the hard way, by eliminating all kinds of things, one at a time, until you make yourself crazy. OR, you can address it by adding nutrients your child is missing, either thru any foods you are giving him or stuff you are missing through breast milk. I've helped a lot of people with this - email me if you want more info. The key is balanced nutrition, which even the AMA says you can't get thru diet anymore. Our soils are depleted, our food processed or picked too early to be nutrient-rich. I have zillions of friends with little ones who have solved this problem safely and simply. Happy to give you info.
Oftentimes, eczema is a response to an allergen. Your child could definitely be allergic to dogs, even though babies may not show the same symptoms as adults (whenever I am licked by a dog, I break out in hives within 5 minutes; it's been this way since I was a child). You can do an elimination diet to see if certain foods are affecting your son, although with a dairy allergy, usually spitting up and loose stools is common. Or you can get him allergy tests, in which case I would include certain animals when you have him tested for food allergies.
Although if the rash is only on his face, consider what you are wearing-- if you are breastfeeding, his cheeks are resting against you and he is absorbing any lotions, perfumes or fabric softeners you have on. Only use baby-safe or hypoallergenic skin and clothing products and see if that helps. Curel in the blue bottle with red writing is WONDERUL for eczema and safe for children.
eczema is almost always the result of an allergic stimulant. Wonderful that you are breastfeeding, but you need to stop with the dairy. Within a few weeks you'll know if that's it. If there is no difference - then give up soy, then nuts, eggs, gluten, etc.... Your child might just have a sensitivity and the transfer in breastmilk is enough to affect him. If you omit the problem - over time, hopefully he will grow out of it. There is an elimination diet that might be easier - where you literally eat like 7 foods and add one item in at a time to see if his symptoms are exacerbated. Although, since eczema is already present that might be more difficult to determine.
Listen, this is your kid. This is a short time in your life to yet again sacrifice for your childs well being. A sensitivity can turn into a full blown allergy if the proper precautions aren't taken. The good news is that if the symptoms are recent - it may have taken time for the "damage" to build up, so it's likely that omitting the culprit can reverse the problem.
If you think living without cheese and milk for a short time is a struggle - imagine your child spending the rest of their life living without it, or developing severe GI issues as an older teen or adult - that which could have been avoided if mom could have just put soy creamer in her coffee for a few months....
Not trying to be harsh. I've been in this place. It's a minor adjustment and hopefully temporary. Dairy is the most common problem (it was ours) (and my son still can't drink cows milk, but can eat some cheese and yogurt at 21 months), but it's not always the problem. A good friend was told to start with dairy and later discovered and had confirmed with allergy tests that it was their family cats, eggs, and peanuts. You just never know, but taking precaution and doing what ever you can is the right thing to do.
Good luck. I really hope it all resolves itself easily for you guys.
Check out Dr. Sears website for free information that you might find valuable and info on the elimination diet.
My son 1.5 year old son has eczema too. WE have been using a cream called hydrolatum. At our pharmacy they keep it behind teh prescription counter but it does not need a prescription to be sold. It has worked really well. I have also just recently heard that goats milk can heal the eczema fast too, although I have not tried this yet. When speaking to my pedi he said that eczema is rarely caused by a food allergy and that it is a common misconception. BUt eczema has been linked strongly to asthma so we are keeping an eye on that.
good luck.
Have you tried Aquaphor on his cheeks? My daughter had that and the aquaphor cleared it up. Supposedly Eucerin is a good lotion. My son had eczema and when it was really bad I used a pprescription called nucort (1/2 hydrocortisone 1/2 aloe). When it finally mostly cleared up and would only flare up a little every once in a while then we started using Curel itch relief lotion. It works. I had tried Aveeno, Dr Smith, Aquaphor, and California Baby and none worked. Unfortunately, you have to go through several different lotions before you find the one that works on YOUR baby. My son is also only bathed with non scented Aveeno oatmeal wash and clothes are washed in All Free and Clear laundry detergent and free and clear dryer sheets. When I run out and use scented until I can get more, his eczema always comes back. When switching products it does take a few weeks before it clears....not overnight unfortunately! Good luck...it is so frustrating.
