Eczema

Colada584

For the Mommas who are treating their LO's eczema I'm wondering what your routine is? My DD is 3 months and we have been dealing with eczema for the last month and a half. It will go away for about a day then flares right back up. This time it's looking worse and spreading down her neck and chest a little (it was just on her face before). I've already been to the dermatologist twice and the pediatrician and they basically tell me to keep doing what I'm doing (which is aveeno eczema cream multiple times a day, oatmeal baths and aquaphor when it's really bad). My pediatrician said we could use 1% hydrocortisone cream but the dermatologist said she doesn't recommend it for LOs (she was 1.5 months when she said this). Does anyone use the hydrocortisone cream? I don't want to if I don't need to but the eczema has been really bothering my LO the last 2 days.

JaysonandKristin

Try anything and everything to avoid the Rx-strength creams.

We've been battling eczema for 2 years with DS2.  The only thing we've found to work is Shea Moister Baby Eczema Butter applied 3 times per day.

Colada584

Thanks! I had my DH pick some of that up on his way home from work!! Hopefully it helps my LO. I feel so bad when she's itchy!

Kmansmomma

I just took my 5 month old to the doctor and he reccomended Aveeno 1% hydrocortisone cream on the really inflamed patches with a layer of Vaseline over top twice a day. During the day and on spots not as inflamed he suggested a baby lotion with Vaseline over top to seal in moisture. Just started treatment a couple days ago and it is showing improvement. Good luck!

halfofvamh

Would you be willing to post a picture? I'm troubleshooting something very similar and would be interested in comparing rashes. Poor kiddos!

Colada584

This is what it looks like today. On Sunday it was way worse and weepy on her forehead and only a little on the rest of her face. Today it seems to have spread all over her face and around part of her head.

halfofvamh

Gosh, poor babe. It's so incredibly frustrating to isolate and treat isn't it? I'm going to call for a referral to a dermatologist tomorrow. But your post leads me to have no expectations from that

This is my guy today, worst flare up yet. Sorry if it's huge, I've never posted a pic here.

halfofvamh

His is just on his one cheek, always has been - starting back probably two months ago if I look at pictures. I thought it was just a flushed cheek or baby thing for so long but then it became obviously 'something'. Ped quickly looked at it and said it wasn't bacterial or viral and sent us on our way with lotion/aquaphor recommendation. That has been on/off successful.

We have used 1% hydrocortisone cream off and on and it does seem to make a significant difference but I am concerned about longer term use of a steroid cream.

I just feel so bad for him and I worry about scarring too.

Colada584

Yup, we're definitely dealing with the same thing here. Poor babies. This is the worst for her too. Going to a dermatologist is definitely worth a shot. They gave me some sample creams and ointments and me eliminate certain things from my diet. If DDs continues to get worse I will go back. I've already been there twice though and don't want to pay $40 again for them to tell me nothing different. I've tried three different creams and so far the Aveeno eczema seemed to work best. I'm trying the Shea moisture eczema butter that pp recommended now is I will update if that works! Good luck to your LO. Hopefully his rash will clear up soon!

halfofvamh

Thanks! Same to you! Post back if you find a miracle regimen or cream!

Silverlining2011

Ours isn't as bad but we've used CeraVe and it seems to be working well

JaysonandKristin

Girls with flare ups like the photos you're posting I would talk to the doc about an rx for mupirocin. Antibiotic ointment. When the skin is open like that you need something to fight bacteria. Definitely talk to the pedi about getting some.
Ds2 had the open cheeks like PPs photo and I had him bandaged to help. It all came to light when we had blood test for allergies. Turns out he has dog and cat dander allergies. We had to make some changes to LOs environment and add desonide and triamcinolone and oral cetirizine. Talk to pedis about referrals to dermatology AND allergy.

JaysonandKristin

You guys already using free and clear laundry detergents and no fabric softeners?

Colada584

We are using free and clear and no fabric softners. At what age did they do the allergy testing? Because I was told it's too early to do that right now...

JaysonandKristin

No younger than 6 months.  If the symptoms are bad enough, you can push your medical professionals for the testing if they seem resistant.  We had to.  I couldn't keep fighting an uphill battle like that.  It started on his cheeks, worked its way down to his hands and his feet and the backs of his knees.  

They say that most accurate results are found after age 2.  

We started with an elimination diet -- top 10 allergens eliminated from my diet as we were BF'ing.  After 3 months and NO CHANGE, we got the blood testing we had hoped for.

royal15

Are you breastfeeding?  BM cleared my daughter's terrible outbreak up in no time. It was on both cheeks and down along her neck. 

EmR22

Our allergist recommended soaker baths. Put a towel on the bottom of the bath and fill it with lukewarm water. Put LO in and cover their entire body with wet towels. Especially the face. We do it so the only thing sticking out is his nose and his mouth (with his nuk in). We let LO stay in 20-30 minutes. This helps rehydrated their skin. We try to do it when he's ready for nap and that tiredness plus the warm water he typically falls asleep. When we get him out we immediately slather him with lotion ( our allergist recommends Vanicream) 

We try to just use Vanicream but as the OP said when you have open/crusty/bloody sores you do need something stronger so you don't get infections. It is scary thinking of the long term possible effects of some of the steroid creams but I feel the key is to only use them when truly necessary and only use a small amount in a specific area. My DD2 was so bad that her entire face was open sores and we ended up having to do the soaker baths, them put steroid cream, then wrap her in gauze for an hour for it soak in. 

With my DD2 who had severe eczema they did allergy testing at 3 months and then repeated at one year. They were fine with doing it that early.  Maybe it's just my health care but they would never send me to a dermatologist for this it is always an allergist. 

Hope some of that helps. It's a long battle. My DD2 is now 6 and still gets flare ups once in awhile but not often. The key to her is to keep her cool. When she gets too warm she gets an outbreak. 

PB102012

Aveeno Eczema cream works well for us, as well as unscented bath wash, etc. It sounds like my LO is on the lighter side of things though, we haven't had to see a dermatologist.

Colada584

For those of you seeing allergists (@JaysonandKristin, @EmR22, @EmAzeen) do your LOs have eczema all over?? Because I ended up going to the pediatrician today since I couldn't get in anywhere else until next week and was told that it's not likely an allergy because it's only on her face. The pedi said if it was an allergy to something I'm eating it would show up other places on her body and didn't recommend seeing an allergist right now. I can make an appointment with an allergist anyway, I don't need a referral for insurance, but I don't want to go if they are going to tell me the same thing. This was the 4th dr I've seen about this and they all tell me the same thing, with only one saying if I wanted I could try eliminating the top triggers but it prob wouldn't do much because it's just the time of year for bad eczema. The only thing different I was told today was to try a 1% hydrocortisone ointment for a few days on the bad parts and keep trying moisturizers until I find one that works. I got the hydrocortisone and am hoping to see some improvement, I'm just not sure what else to do from here if it doesn't get better. I can handle minor flare ups but this one makes me feel so bad for DD.

EmR22

Our eczema started just on his face and eventually he has it on his torso, behind his knees and on the creases on his legs. In my opinion I would see an allergist--they specialize more in this area then a pediatrician. Your LO doesn't have to have allergies to see one. Allergist see eczema on a daily basis and are knowledgable on the treatment/medicine front.

That being said there is a high correlation between having eczema and having food allergies. If you don't have to pay some huge out of pocket expense to see one I would do it. I think it can't hurt and you will always be wondering if you are eating something that is causing this. When my DD2 was referred to an allergist they gave us such a wealth of knowledge and it really helped us. They also did allergy testing at that time and we found out she had food allergies. She was a FF baby so it didn't have an immediate impact but it certainly was helpful for when she started eating foods. 

On a side note my pediatrician tried to tell me the rash on DS face was still cradle cap and it was actually eczema. I love me pedi and she does a great job, but she doesn't know everything. And had I not had severe eczema with a previous child I would have believed her. If you have the opportunity I guess I always prefer to go with the specialist for these type of things. 

Edit to add....i went back and looked at the pic you had. It really looks like she has some on her shoulders/arms too not just the face like your doc said. I could be wrong though.....

ewiwoo

Hello, When I looked at your pictures it is exactly what My son has it on his cheeks only. Dr. prescribed Desonide Cream 0.05% and told us to use it only for a fresh red bumps, when they just come out. He told me to use Cetaphil cleanser and pat the cheeks dry never rub. To moisturize he told us to use Aquaphor. Also we use a humidifier and don't crank up the heat too high. It has worked well for us. I don't even need to use the RX too much. Hope I helped a little. My LO is 4 months, and I breastfeed and supplement with Similac

halfofvamh

Just an update - we did hydrocortisone (1%) twice a day for 3 days and he's 100%. We have kept it moisturized since and no flare-ups yet! We make sure he does tummy time on "safe" material, not the rug or scratchy couch. No sweaters for anyone that holds him. It's been working so far!

Colada584

Us too. Hydrocortisone cleared it up after 2 applications!

KellyScott04

I just posted about this and wasn't smart enough to scroll down and see THIS thread about eczema! lol - It's one of THOSE days! Our little guy just had an outbreak all over his chest/belly and a tiny bit on his face. We've tried Aveeno eczema lotion and it actually made it worse. After reading all the recommendations above, I'm going to pick up the hydrocortisone cream and a non soap cleanser for his baths. I need to find a good lotion to use and I'll see that in with the aquaphor. That stuff is like a miracle in a tube! Hopefully we can relieve our poor little guy =(

Colada584

Not sure if you know this already @KellyScott04 but with the hydrocortisone cream, my pedi said not to use it for more than a week and only twice a day. I only used it on the really bad spots that were open and weepy. We were using the Aveeno eczema too but it only helped a little. We also tried Aveeno triple soothing cream and that worked a little better. Right now we are using coconut oil during the day and ointment at night (I'm still searching for an ointment I like). That seems to be keeping it under control. For now. Good luck!!

Stormytucker

halfofvamh said:

Gosh, poor babe. It's so incredibly frustrating to isolate and treat isn't it? I'm going to call for a referral to a dermatologist tomorrow. But your post leads me to have no expectations from that

This is my guy today, worst flare up yet. Sorry if it's huge, I've never posted a pic here.

This is exactly what my LO has on side of his face (5 months) doc said use hydrocortisone 1% a very thin layer, I have literally tried everything else and I did put the smallest amount possible this morning and I am shocked that the angry red look is much improved he did say not to use for longer than 5 days at a time

KellyScott04

Colada584 - Ped told us the same thing - To only use the hydrocortisone on the REALLY bad parts and not to use it all if it's just a mild outbreak. So last night I used an eczema cream all over his belly then dabbed a little aquaphor on top and it was SO much better this morning. Hopefully if we just keep a handle on it we can control it before it gets too bad.

juliad2010

My lo has eczema on his back and cradle cap on the front of his scalp. We use all of the following :
- at night on back aveeno diaper rash cream
- organic coconut oil
- cold mist humidifier running almost 24/7 since our house is so dry in winter
- reduce # of baths

So far there has been big improvements.

Doctor prescribed a cortisone cream, but seemed too harsh since he doesn't have severe eczema.

larrie269

It took us 13 months, but we finally found what works for us:

1. bath every night
   
2. after bath, Vanicream all over with a drop of Tea Tree Oil mixed in
   
3. in the mornings, Vanicream all over
   

For the first time, my LO's skin is cleared up and we don't have to use the steroid from the doc anymore.

KMasker

Hi! My 5 month has had this since he was 1 month. We use the  hydrocortisone cream only when it gets bad but my MIL recommended Utter cream and let me tell you this baby has smooth skin now! My Ped said whatever works go with it! We have found that the Aveeno did not work. He also said that eczema and allergies go hand in hand. My little dude has started solids and the Ped told me if I notice a flare up with a food to stop.

beantara

we use free and clear laundry detergents and no fabric softeners. we also use jojoba oil and cocoa butter on our LO, it seems to help.

THUNTER7502

My sweetie had eczema and a crazy case of cradle cap. Through trips to dermatologist and just plain ole trial, error and research, I used a combination of coconut oil, eucerin paste and shea butter vaseline. For his cradle crap, I would use the coconut oil everyday and then gently scrape up the scales. I had been doing this with baby oil and then olive oil which did not work. His head started oozing. That freaked me out. So, I researched and started using 100% virgin, cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil. Within a week, the scales in his head had lessened and a couple days after that..disappeared. I was floored. I was using the eucerin lotion for his eczema. I thought I needed something thicker. I bought the paste in the jar and mixed it with shea butter vaseline and applied it twice a day and the coconut oil once a day....worked beautifully. His skin was so hard and then it softened with this regime within a couple of weeks. Now, i do it twice a day, morning and night. The coconut oil is awesome because if he gets it on his hands and put them in his mouth, it won't hurt him! Poor kid smells like a coconut rather than a baby! Except for now...he just pooped..ick!!

brittney6

My baby has been having eczema really bad for the last 2 month. We used all kinds of treatments but hydrocortisone cream 1% works the best!!!

sjduell

Hello there.  I decided to post because we dealt with eczema with my daughter as well and it was terrible!  We tried everything and this is finally what helped.  The allergist.  In the beginning we started with our ped's recommendation -- Aquaphor bath wash and ointment, Eucerin lotion, 1% hydrocortisone when bad, and steroid cream when really bad.  All those things only took care of the symptoms and not the issue.  The hydrocortisone worked sometimes, but often we needed the steroid ointment and then it cleared right up, but it would come back and we'd have to repeat.  The ped didn't think it was allergies because she only had it on elbow, knee, and ankle folds.  When we started her on solid foods -- what do you know but yogurt resulted in a hive wherever it touched her face!  I immediately cut dairy from my diet (I BF until 1yr+) and the eczema started getting better immediately.  It was not a 100% cure, but it made a big difference.  Slowly the steroid cream became unnecessary, then the hydrocortisone, now she is completely eczema free and we just stick with Aquaphor bathwash and ointment when needed, and Vanicream lotion after bath (recommendation by allergist).  Our allergist knew much more about eczema than our ped.  And even though only ~30% of eczema is food allergy related, it is still worth looking into if you continue to struggle.  I wish I knew about the dairy issue sooner, I would have cut it out of my diet right away.  If your babe is too young to see the allergist, I'd consider elimnation diets to see if it is a food allergy.  You should start to see results in ~1 week.  It is worth the effort.  After this happened I learned about many other moms that had to cut dairy early on.  I wish I knew that sooner! Other common food allergens: egg, fish, wheat, soy (many with dairy allergy also have soy), peanut.  I'd start with dairy.  Good luck!