Eczema and allergies

june2012mom · January 2013

Hi all!! I'm wondering if anyone can help me out? My almost 8 month old son has just been diagnosed with eczema, mainly on his face. It is very pimply and isn't very noticeable until he is in light (but there is a lot there)...I was wondering if anyone noticed that their lo's eczema was a result of a food allergy? Also, if so what was the food? He's currently on enfamil and is eating pur?ed solids.

b55c · January 2013

My dd had horrendous eczema on her face and legs. When we removed dairy, it got a bit better. Then we removed wheat and it improved tremendously. Once nuts were gone from my diet she was still bf, it was virtually gone. Now she just gets a bit dry behind her knees. Some research says eczema and food allergies aren't closely related but that was not the case for us at all.

Everyusernameistaken · January 2013

Hi there!

My baby also has eczema and our dr. told us way back when he was a wee thing that solid foods might be tricky for us. I am very careful to follow the 4 day wait rule for new foods to see what LO reacts to and I keep a food diary. So far, he's reacted to rice cereal (of all things), peas, and avocados. When he reacts, his facial eczema flairs up REALLy bad and he gets little pinpricks on his neck and chest.

He's fine with oatmeal, green beans, and yams. My dr told us to avoid citrus fruits and berries, no peanut butter to 18 months, and no eggs until 11 months ( so that we can try them in time to see if he reacts before the egg-based 12 month vax).

Good luck, I'm interested to hear what others say

shotzie · January 2013

DD2's eczema cleared up after I cut nuts out of my diet. I was already dairy and soy free because she's MSPI, so I knew it wasn't caused by dairy or soy.

I would keep a food diary for LO and see if he has flares related to certain foods.

Like pp said, some people say eczema is not related to allergies, but our pedi says eczema, allergies, and asthma all often go together. I do think it's worth paying attention to LO's diet and trying to see if you can find if there's a trigger(s).

klyann · January 2013

DD had terrible eczema on her face starting at 6 months. Found out at 9 months that she was allergic to rice (along with Dairy) which I'm pretty sure is what caused it. She also had patches on her legs and arms. Once we cut rice out of her diet (including puffs) she hasn't had any eczema flare ups. Dairy was a hives reaction.

june2012mom · January 2013

@klyann what did the eczema on her face look like? How did you find out she was allergic to dairy?

klyann · January 2013

june2012mom:
@klyann what did the eczema on her face look like? How did you find out she was allergic to dairy?

The eczema was red and patchy, sometime little bumps. It would sometimes looked dried out no matter how much aquaphor I would put on it.

I BF DD but didn't find out about a dairy allergy until she was almost 9 months and I gave her greek yogurt for the first time. She had hives all over her face where the yogurt touched her skin.

Both were confirmed/found when we went to the Pedi Allergist and they did a skin prick test. (totally no big deal)

buttaflai · February 2013

Hi ladies... for those of you who went to a pediatric allergist, is there a "too young" to get tested age?

Our pediatrician told me that DS (4 months) was too young to really get tested. I am desperate - he's rubbing his arms and back on whatever he can find and I cannot get him to stop scratching.

klyann · February 2013

buttaflai:
Hi ladies... for those of you who went to a pediatric allergist, is there a "too young" to get tested age?

Our pediatrician told me that DS (4 months) was too young to really get tested. I am desperate - he's rubbing his arms and back on whatever he can find and I cannot get him to stop scratching.

We did skin testing at 9 1/2 months. Some wont do it until 1 year. I don't know if there is a too young age. As for the eczema, make sure that you slather DS with lotion right out of the bath before drying off. We like Aveeno Eczema Therapy lotion. Vaseline is also good for particularly rough spots. Make sure you are using a "Free" laundry detergent and don't put him in clothing/PJ's that have been treated with flame retardent. And if you have pets, try to keep them out of DS' room and vacuum regularly. It may be environmental/pet allergy.

june2012mom · February 2013

@kylann... What's in the flame retardant clothing that causes eczema? I'm wondering if that has something to do with it bc since I put lo in 12 month clothing all the pjs are pretty much flame retardant

lrn327 · February 2013

june2012mom:
@kylann... What's in the flame retardant clothing that causes eczema? I'm wondering if that has something to do with it bc since I put lo in 12 month clothing all the pjs are pretty much flame retardant

Most (all) of this type of clothing is synthetic and doesn't allow air to the skin as well. When they sweat at all, the eczema can flare. DS wears only cotton pjs, particularly when he has a flare. For us, yes, food allergies are one cause of his.

klyann · February 2013

lrn327:
june2012mom:
@kylann... What's in the flame retardant clothing that causes eczema? I'm wondering if that has something to do with it bc since I put lo in 12 month clothing all the pjs are pretty much flame retardant
Most (all) of this type of clothing is synthetic and doesn't allow air to the skin as well. When they sweat at all, the eczema can flare. DS wears only cotton pjs, particularly when he has a flare. For us, yes, food allergies are one cause of his.

This. Also the chemicals used can irritate already sensitive skin. I LOVE HALO onesies. We used them as sun protection without worrying about overheating. I used to see them often on babysteals. FYI: The sizing runs really big.

https://www.amazon.com/Halo-Technical-Comfort-System-Bodysuit/dp/B0029F1KR6/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1359750732&sr=1-2&keywords=halo+onesie

june2012mom · February 2013

Update: So I went to ped today bc when LO woke up from his nap his face was COVERED in hives!! The ped said she thinks its a milk allergy bc the rash on his face (that was there before) and now the hives is smooth, unlike an eczema rash. She told me to try soy and see if it helps. Although Im super worried about trying soy bc of the hormones in it.

tnd81 · February 2013

Everyusernameistaken:
Hi there!nbsp; My baby also has eczema and our dr. told us way back when he was a wee thing that solid foods might be tricky for us.nbsp; I am very careful to follow the 4 day wait rule for new foods to see what LO reacts to and I keep a food diary.nbsp; So far, he's reacted to rice cereal of all things, peas, and avocados.nbsp; When he reacts, his facial eczema flairs up REALLy bad and he gets little pinpricks on his neck and chest.He's fine with oatmeal, green beans, and yams.nbsp; My dr told us to avoid citrus fruits and berries, no peanut butter to 18 months, and no eggs until 11 months so that we can try them in time to see if he reacts before the eggbased 12 month vax.Good luck, I'm interested to hear what others say :

FYI, egg allergic children can get the MMR flu vaccines. The traces of egg protein is so minimal, the reactions are very rare. Our allergist confirmed it and my egg allergic DD had no problems with it.

tnd81 · February 2013

buttaflai:
Hi ladies... for those of you who went to a pediatric allergist, is there a "too young" to get tested age?Our pediatrician told me that DS 4 months was too young to really get tested. I am desperate he's rubbing his arms and back on whatever he can find and I cannot get him to stop scratching.nbsp;

I think 4 mos will give inaccurate results. That's why they say its too young. They skin tested my DD around 9 to 10 mos I believe.

For the itching try cortisone cream and apply Cerave cream 2 to 3 times a day. It's sold at drug stores and is amazing. It's cleared my DDs eczema and her skin is amazing. The most horrible thing is watching them itch. With eczema they itch from the inside. Also with eczema, scratching causes the rash NOT rash causing the scratch. So it's really important to get the itching under control. Give Benadryl to help him be more comfortable. For really bad flare ups a doc can RX a mild steroid cream. GL

Rachel*Neocate · February 2013

Half of all babies who have problems with dairy proteins also cannot handle soy proteins because they are very similar. You could still try soy and see how your LO does, or since you're worried about soy you could talk to your doctor about trying something like Nutramigen or Alimentum formulas, they are milk based but broken down into partial protein chains, making them easier to digest.

Most MSPI (milk soy protein intolerance) babies do well on this type of formula because it's broken down just enough, however, there are more sensitive babies who cannot digest ANY milk protein chains, where you may need to use an elemental formula like Neocate... elemental formulas are broken down 100% into free amino acids, no proteins to break down.

FWIW my LO had eczema as a result of of his food intolerances. The rash on his face was really red and rough, and looked like pimples. The body rash was more spread out and flat. And a friend of ours had a LO with an egg allergy that also caused eczema.

MrsMSG · February 2013

Yup. James was being treated for eczema but I pushed for allergy testing and we came back positive for peanut, dairy, and wheat. He is still EBF.

buttaflai · February 2013

Thank you.

We've been giving him what I like to call "spa treatments" constantly to help manage the dry skin - everything you mentioned.

He had his 4 month checkup today and the Doctor said this was one of the worst cases of Eczema he's seen. The poor guy was wiggling on the table the entire time... absolutely miserable. (See video here.) All of the lotions, creams, and ointments aren't helping. We're seeing an allergist tomorrow, so hopefully, I get more answers. I really feel for all these poor itchy babies.

Wendy1210 · February 2013

That was the main sign of his food allergies, the ezcema and acid reflux. At that point we went to a dermatologist and allergist and found out he was allergic to milk & soy.My son was 4 mos old when diagnosed.

It doesn't hurt to ask your dr for a referral.

Eczema and allergies

Re: Eczema and allergies

Choose Another Board

Search Boards