is LO allergic to my breastmilk?

goldenB · May 2014

Hi ladies, I have been dealing with my son's eczema/dermatitis for 2 months now and I feel at my wits end. He is now just shy of being 4months old.

I've cut out dairy, gluten, processed foods, all sugars (except pears), all acidic foods including tomatoes, soy, eggs and nuts (i still eat coconut) and most meats (except chicken). Unfortunately he is still getting flare ups ranging from mild to severe (rough skin covering his whole forehead and little red raised bumps on his cheeks and chin). He has allergenic shiners under his eyes and is scratching himself even when his face is seemingly clear.
We tried hundreds of dollars worth of lotions and creams (from drugstore to organic and everything in between). The best reaction we had was from Egyptian magic but I am afraid with the warmer weather it is too heavy for him and it's clogging up his pores.

He is so uncomfortable; he is constantly trying to scratch his face and wakes up crying from his naps trying to rub his face on anything. His body responded well to aveeno eczema care but his face just can't seem to get a break.

That all being said, I don't know what else to do. Is it possible that I should stop breastfeeding and try him on formula? Could my breast milk be the problem (lactose or milk proteins)?

TIA

Justabean3 · May 2014

My LO was allergic to my breastmilk no matter what I eliminated so could be but it could also be a pet or lots of other things.

Like body wash, perfume you wear, detergent... Anything

goldenB · May 2014

@Justabean3 and @DC2London

we have always used detergent for babies.
I do have a yorkshire terrier (which I believe is considered a hypoallergenic breed since they don't shed) but it could very well be the reason behind DS' s outbreaks.
We live in an old house but have an industrial air purifier from switzerland.

His forehead is very dry and almost scaly, whereas his cheeks are red with raised bumps (almost looks like baby acne or clogged pores).

Justabean3 · May 2014

No such thing as a hypo allergic dog. It isn't about shedding but pet dander

It was one of the very first things the allergist mentioned to be and I have an Italian greyhound.

goldenB · May 2014

@Justabean3 maybe I should give my pet to my parents for a month to see if that will make a difference? On the topic of dustmites, can you recommend a good mattress protector?

Justabean3 · May 2014

If you can then I would or at least restrict what the dog lays on that you lay baby one.

And we have this.. It works pretty well. I really suggest a good air purifier

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FB5S6VE/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1400840024&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40

shotzie · May 2014

When you say "baby detergent," what kind do you mean? Stuff like Dreft has fragrance in it, and that can be irritating to skin. I'd switch to a Free & Clear detergent. I'd avoid fabric softener, and use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets.

I would take your LO to an allergist at some point for testing for both food allergies and environmental allergies. Some won't test until age 1 though. Results tend to be less accurate in younger babies.

We use Earth Mama Angel Baby products on our girls. DD2 had eczema as a baby, but it cleared up when I stopped eating nuts. You might keep playing with your diet, but your LO could be reacting to something in the environment, like pp's have suggested.

As far as your diet goes, it can take 4-5 weeks for dairy and soy proteins to clear your and LO's systems. So you want to give it time, and make sure you're reading labels on all food, drinks, and vitamins.

I hope you get some answers soon. I know how hard it is seeing your LO so miserable.

goldenB · May 2014

shotzie said:

When you say "baby detergent," what kind do you mean? Stuff like Dreft has fragrance in it, and that can be irritating to skin. I'd switch to a Free & Clear detergent. I'd avoid fabric softener, and use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I would take your LO to an allergist at some point for testing for both food allergies and environmental allergies. Some won't test until age 1 though. Results tend to be less accurate in younger babies. We use Earth Mama Angel Baby products on our girls. DD2 had eczema as a baby, but it cleared up when I stopped eating nuts. You might keep playing with your diet, but your LO could be reacting to something in the environment, like pp's have suggested. As far as your diet goes, it can take 4-5 weeks for dairy and soy proteins to clear your and LO's systems. So you want to give it time, and make sure you're reading labels on all food, drinks, and vitamins. I hope you get some answers soon. I know how hard it is seeing your LO so miserable.

Thanks @shotzie for your feedback. We are currently using a free and clear detergent, and Earth Mama did not work well on LO (first lotion we had but was too scented).
This week we stopped using Egyptian magic and used 'Cetaphil - barrier cream' and his face cleared up so much! He's still scratching, but the rash is almost gone on his face.

I also stopped eating coconut, so that could of very well been the culprit as well.

We are going to see a dermatologist on Friday, so fingers crossed we get some answers too.

Thank you all for your feedback.

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