Need help- Sensitive skin, eczema, and cradle cap!-long

WannaBAmama

My poor LO has horrible skin!! It is super sensitive. So sensitive that if he is being held by someone wearing a sweater made out of any kind of different material his face breaks out into red blotches for days.  He has  had a huge problem with cradle cap and eczema He has little eczema patches all over his arms and legs. I'm not exactly sure what he has on his head, one of the two, but he is constantly scratching his head. He scratches so bad that the glands behind his ears are super swollen and he has to be on meds for it. His glands are swollen because all of the little cuts on his head get infected. My husband and I did a really good job keeping him from stratching his head while we were on vacation and his head was finally starting to look better but he went back to my moms today and clawed the *** out of his head again. We have been keeping socks on his hands a lot of the time but the poor baby wants to play and grab things and chew on his hands, which he can't do while having socks on.

His face and head looks like he got torn apart by cat claws. I cut and file his nails all.the.time and he still manages to claw his face/head apart   He wakes himself up in the middle of the night, he's that ichy.  Today was really bad, he was at my mom's while I was at work and he didn't sleep all day. He cried for the majority of the day because his head was bothering him so much. I'm at a loss...I don't know what else to do for him. We switched from J&J to Aveno and that didnt seem to help so then we started giving him baths using California Baby-Super Sensitive body wash and washing his hair with Selsun Blue. We cover his head in Olive oil too. I also cover his body with Aquaphore. He doesn't have nice soft baby skin, his skin feels like fine sandpaper.  His pedi keeps saying just continue doing wha we are doing but its not helping! He has an appointment with the pedi tomorrow Im going to tell her there HAS to be SOMETHING else that we can do for him. He is miserable!! He also has a derm appointment at the end of the month. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a baby with any of these problems or know anything else I can try. I feel so bad for him!!

Bonzai!

OMG, that sounds horrible, mama!! I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

I would recommend organic Weleda products (you can find them at Target). Also, have you researched any alternative medicines? Homeopathics are perfectly safe for infants. I'm not sure of your location, but you can find one in your area through this website.

Good luck!!

kellyswofford

My LO has exzema, it's not nearly as bad as you describe but her skin was definitely not soft and her face was horrible. We started using California Baby Calendula Cream.. It works great! I have no idea why it turned blue and underlined. HTH

jenns123

My DD had the same problem, I was doing everything to try to help it and nothing was working.  Then the pedi (a different one then we normally see in the same office) said to try the soy formula and after 2 days it was so much better.  Now a week later there are only tiny little scratches left to be healed.  I do have to say it did make it more difficult for her to poop but I think we solved that problem tonight with Karo syrup in her formula.  If you are FF, I reccommend trying the soy.  You never know.

Jennifer G

I'm sorry to hear that your little guy is suffering so!  I hadve similar problems with my little man but not quite as extreme.  My pedi suggested Nizoral 1% shampoo.  It's $20 OTC medicated shampoo (ouch but worth it) that has tremendously helped the cradle cap with me washing his head 2x per week.  I also use a teeny tiny thin layer of 1% hyrocortisone cream (cortaid) on the red and irritated spots.  That does wonders and clears things up right away.  I was hesitant to use a steroid cream on such a little guy, even after the pedi told me to but he only needs it about once a week and it stops him from scratching immediately.  In between I use tons of cetaphil cream to keep his skin moist and I use baby aquaphor in the tub.  It is a constant battle, lotioning him up as many times a day as I can but other wise he is so uncomfortable and he claws himself to death.  I hope this helps.

sophie888

It sounds like you are telling my little man's story.  He had a secondary infection from scratching as well. 

 Have you taken your LO to see an allergist?  We did and found out that LO is allergic to quite a bit which exacerbates his eczema.  We have two steroids we use to control flare-ups in addition to an oral antihistamine to control the itching.  We also apply a generous coating of aquaphor twice a day.  Switching to soy formula was a help too.

 Things will get better - just keep doing your best!  I hope LO feels better soon!

orleyl

Poor baby. My pedi said to use hydrocordosone ointment for the itching (ask your doc if its ok). and i found california baby calendula cream works pretty well for the eczema, I reapply it a few times a day. Also have u tried put a hat on his head after u lotion him up so that he doesnt sratch it. Good Luck, I hope something works for u soon.

annibes

Do you ff or bf? I would call the pedi and ask about a formula switch or what to cut out of your diet. I gave up eggs and cut way back on dairy and it did wonders. O's skin still breaks out a little but it's so much better than it was.

ALittleBirdy

Hazelwood

 

 

 

g8orell

I'm a pediatric dermatology PA at a children's hospital. I posted this a few weeks ago...sorry, don't feel like writing it again! Also, to add to your situation, if your child has lots of cuts and has swollen lymph nodes (glands), he needs to be on an oral antibiotic. I usually prescribe Cefadroxil. Your pedi can also prescribe an antihistamine (I prescribe Hydroxyzine) that will help with the itching/scratching. You will also need an antibiotic cream to apply to the nose (lots of babies carry the bacteria staph in the nose) and open wounds. I prescribe Mupirocin (brand = Bactroban), but in the meantime, you can use OTC polysporin. Here's my post from a few weeks ago:

Here's my eczema class I give to my patient's parents:

1) NEVER NEVER use Johnson and Johnson's products - they all contain fragrance and alcohol which irritate the skin. For soap, I recommend CeraVe cleanser or Cetaphil cleanser. Unfortunately, they don't have a smell and don't get foamy b/c those "ingredients" irritate the skin. If the eczema is not bad, it's okay to use Aveeno baby wash (I use that on DD  and she has very mild eczema - mainly on the cheeks). You can bathe everyday (I do every other day for DD though), but no more than 3 minutes - water does dry the skin out further.

2) Moisturize the skin head-to-toe at least 3x day. I like CeraVe cream - it's the only OTC with ceramides in it (a product that mimicks the skin barrier); there are Rx creams with it, but now CeraVe is OTC - I use that on DD. Cetaphil is also ok. Always creams, never lotions - lotions are thinner and most contain alcohol which again irritate the skin.

3) Use a gentle laundry detergent for EVERYONE in the house - like Dreft, All Free, Tide Free and Cheer Free. Because when you hold LO, LO comes into contact with your clothes, sheets, towels, etc. No fabric softeners (not even dryer sheets) and no bleach in the laundry. I use Dreft because it's the only one that has somewhat of a smell to it - the others have no smell.

4) If it is bad enough - pink, scaly patches that are itchy or will not go away with creams, you need to use a steroid cream. Try OTC 1% hydrocortisone first, 2x day for 2-3 weeks. If that does not work, then you need a stronger one (only available by Rx).

5) For cradle cap - yellow flalking on scalp, forehead and sometimes behind the ears - use Head and Shoulders shampoo 2-3x week and use olive oil for about 10-15 min, then a brush or finger nails to peel scales/flakes off. You can also use 1% hydrocortisone if that doesn't work.

6) For intertrigo (rashes in neck folds) and diaper rashes - mix 1% hdyrocortisone cream and an antifungal cream (Lotrimin or Lamisil - I like clotrimazole) and apply to areas 2x day. You also need a barrier in these areas to protect the skin - I like Aquaphor. DD is very chunky, so she gets intertrigo in her neck folds all the time. I put aquaphor there every day and if it's bad, I use an Rx called Vusion (which combines the other two things), but the OTC stuff is fine. You want to use an antifungal in the diaper area with a diaper rash because studies show that within 24 hours of a rash there, yeast begins to colonate.

ToyLes0922

My baby has bad eczema on his face. He rubs his forehead repeatedly and also his temples and it's so irritated that it starts peeling his skin at times. I try to keep mittens on him and trim his nails but you know they grow so fast and it just takes a second to get a scratch on them! LO doesn't have it as bad as your kiddo, but the Cetaphil cream has really helped. If you use it constantly it should clear it up for at least a few days, but it does come back. For him it comes back due to being overheated and when he gets mad and his face gets redder. He also has a ton of hair and when he scratches his forehead he brings his hair down and it doesn't help.

I realy hope your pedi helps you guys! Don't take no for an answer! Tell him/her that you've tried what they recommended and now you feel you need a more agressive treatment. I hope this helps and good luck!