Suggestions for baby eczema

Help, my 12 week old has had eczema all over her face and neck from 4 weeks old. We have tried dermaid and it cleared it up but can only be used for 2 days. Her skin then started peeling, so we have tried gaia skin soothing lotion, cetaphil, sorbolene, but nothing keeps it away. It cleared up for maybe a week after the dermaid, but I don't want to use that all the time. What have others used that have worked.

Note - she is on formula and spills lots of milk so her neck is constantly wiped and cleaned which I know is not helping. She is bathed with just water or Mustela products. I am moisturising at least 3 times a day now, but no change. She also has cradle cap and eczema is in the family.

Thanks

With my DD i use the QV range of bath oil, bath wash and moisturiser and have found that quite helpful, have only ever had to use a steroid cream once.
She used to use normal dummies but i found this irritated around her mouth, i now use the Tommee Tippee ones with 2 massive holes on either side to let the air in.

Now she is older i just got a shampoo/body wash from a friend who is a naturopath, she can finally smell like a pretty little girl and it's not irritating her skin.

I'm sure there are lots of people on here with some great ideas on how to help... it's quite common.

Dont bathe her as often, water is not good for eczema.
Obviously iis she is dirty etc you need to wash her, but theres generally no need to bath babies daily either.
We tried everything natural and lots of pharmacy products before our paed prescribed elocon ointment for DS1s eczema at 16 weeks, and it was fabulous.
It cleared up within 3 days and has never, ever come back the way it was the first time. He rarely gets any at all now.

ETA: QV bath oil!

I have heard that Moo Goo Eczema cream is really good, and its all natural. Google the Moo Goo website for a look.

This is such a hard one because what works for one eczema bub will not work at all for another!

I've spent an absolute fortune on various lotions and potions for DS. I really wanted to go down the "all natural" route but for him, none of that worked for him and often made it worse (Gaia was the prime one here). I've butted heads with a couple of people here on the forums who are very passionately anti-petrochemicals etc etc and say they aggravate eczema but for us the pharmacy products were by far the most effective.

So FWIW - here's what we did:

Aveeno bath oil in the bath. Laid him flat in the big bath, which he looooved, and let him soak in the nice oily water (it does leave residue on the tub surface though, which is a PITA)

Aveeno fragrance free body wash - used on body and hair because he had hardly any hair and had eczema on his scalp

NB: you can now get baby Aveeno stuff but this was the adult stuff from the pharmacy

Moisturised him with Hydraderm sorbolene lotion which is a high grade sorbolene, every day (don't use the cheap stuff)

When his eczema was really bad we used something called Dermeze which comes in a big white tub and has a texture very much like Vaseline. Made him all shiny and greasy but it doesn't stain clothes and worked a treat. If the chemist doesn't have it they can order it in. Once it was under control we went back to the Hydraderm.

This regime worked in 2 weeks. I eventually changed to Cetaphil and Hamilton products because I was sick of the greasy residue in the bathtub and his eczema was under control, and these products were fine. He is now 3.5 years and still needs to be moisturised after his bath to keep it under control.

The other thing - check your laundry detergent. This is a big trigger for DS' eczema and once again the ecologically, environmentally friendly powders didn't work for him at all! We eventually settled on Bio-Zet but now with all the 2x concentrate powders on the market the formulation has changed and we are having trouble with his skin again so I'm still experimenting to find one that is DS-friendly.

Good luck!

DS has been getting eczema & the doctor did say cooler baths (say around 35-36 degrees), keep them short & no need to bath every day. we use the QV oil & have also used a dermaveen oil, both seemed good.

the doctor also said you can't moisturise too much with eczema so i moisturise at every nappy change.

we have some prescribed cream as well. elocon couldn't be used on his face & when an over-the-counter steroid cream didn't work the doctor prescribed a diff cream - i think it's elicin (or a very similar name to elocon), but we had to try the other first & it was a ring up for authority thing. it's worked fantastically.

Agree with Curly,

What works for one baby may not work for others. From my experience (DD has severe eczema), this is what i do (note that i have tried 1000s of products)

* bath DD in QV Bath oil once every 2 days.
* Change her linen once a week (dust mite is a huge contributor)
* Changed all the carpet to floor boards and remove anything that attracts alot of dust
* Dont give her any soft toys (or wash them regularly)
* Use ecostore washing detergent for her clothes and yours (as she will come into contact with your clothes when she lays on you)
* I moisturise DD with QV cream (and not the lotion)

P.S it will get better with age.

HTH, best of luck oxoxo

Hi stillhoping,

Sorry to hear your little bub has eczema, its awful isn't it. My 2nd and 3rd boys both have it, probably not severe cases but DS2 constantly has it all over his torso.

This is what has helped me to keep his under control. I would bath him using QV bath oil, and would was him with QV wash. And then everynight I would lay him on the towel and rub a product called Dermeze all over him. This is basically a clear paraffin (sp) type lotion, it is greasy, hence the towel. It did help keep him moisurised though.

A girlfriends little boy has just strted breaking out and she has found the Dermaveen range has helped him.

As Curly said unfortunately it can be all trial and error.

I would be interested to hear on any good washing powders as I also think this is one of the major causes, and I also can't use enviro ones.

Good luck and I hope you manage to get it under control.

Thanks so much everyone. We only bathe her every second night, but as it is on her face and neck only at this stage, they are washed a lot more regularly, sometimes 3 times a day due to the milk and spew going everywhere. I also tried natural products with my first and it didn't work for him, so am open to more suggestions with the second. Might try the oil bath wash and greasier lotion first, and see how we go with that. You could spend all day in the chemist looking over all the lotions and potions and spend so much money trying them all. I totally agree that what works for one, wont for the next which is the hard part.

We use purity sensitive washing liquid on the kids clothes and earth choice liquid on ours. Hopefully they are ok.

I'm starting to wonder if she is overheating and that is why it is on her face. So hard to tell on these cold nights how much to dress them in.

Thanks again, will post when I find what works

I recommend the Moo Goo eczema cream. I find it works really well. We used Qv Oil in the bath then later switched to Olivara. I also use a probiotic powder (Floracare) on my DS food or in his milk and I notice the difference if he goes without it for a few days. But I don't know if your LO is too young for this..?

I got told to use Dermeze...works for my Eczema, and for Palmer's.

I bought Dermaveen eczema ointment on Friday night - meant to get Dermeze but got confused, anyway I have been using it religiously since then but no change. Shouldn't it be at least getting a little better?

Give it another couple of days and if not, ditch it and try something else. Sorry!

It never worked for my DS. I think it helped the itch but didn't actually get rid of it.

I still recommend trying Dermeze...you might find you need to hit it hard with the Dermeze and then you'll be able to use up the Dermaveen when you have it under control.

You will eventually work out your own multi-pronged approach, I promise. ;)

ETA: If you get desperate, use the Dermaid to get it under control (which will also ease her discomfort) then maintain with some other products (that all seem to start with "Derm" LOL).

Just to give you more options on what works, I have VERY bad dermatitis/eczema and DD has inherited it also. She has had it from a newborn and she is now almost 20 months.

I do not use any type of soap on DD, she uses "organic care" kids shampoo & conditioner in one which is an organic range now available at Woolworths and very very economical. The kids product is a pink bottle and is a 2 in 1 product which is also a body wash and i even put a little in her bath as a bubble bath. As a bonus is smells wonderful.

As a moisturiser I use QV Repair Cream and I lather it on when her skin is dry and always after her bath. While her skin is bad I'd go to bathing every 2nd day and just give her a sponge bath the alternate day if she needs it as the water will dry her skin out as funny as that seems. Eczema will flare whenever you have dry skin. I've seen two dermatologists plus two allergy specialists about mine due to the severity so I've tried all the tricks. Best approach is just to keep the skin very moisturised.

Moisturise bubs at each nappy change, especially in the places she gets the eczema. If she is dribbling or spilling a lot of milk then make sure you use a bib which you can change very regularly and even a cloth nappy under her chin while she feeds will soak it up.

Hope you find something that works as it's a frustrating skin conditions.. :)

DS has epaderm cream twice a day, Oilatum Junior bath emoliant in his baths, and takes a spoonful of chlorphenamine maleate before bed (usually in the form of piriton allergy relief for children).

DS also gets epaderm before and after going swimming.

He bathes mostly with just water and emoliant, but we do have some very gentle, natural and organic shampoo for when he's been rubbing dirt in his hair.

DS has severe eczema and aveeno had no effect on him. Epaderm is what all the doctors we have seen have recommended as the best, and it is... but many people are suprised we're using it and DS still has signs of eczema. Without it, his limbs are raw and bloody from scratching.

One final tip: socks on hands at bedtime. DS now prefers this as he finds he won't wake himself itching until he bleeds in his sleep any more.

I've read that wheatgrass cream can be very effective too

Hi,

couldn't see if anyone else had asked, what sort of formula do you use?

If it's cow milk based, would it be worth discussing soy alternatives with your doc/health nurse? I think cows milk can exacerbate excema, and given the wmount you are saying your bub splls or spits out, maybe it doesn't agree with her either??

plus if you have a health care card, and your doc prescribes a specific formula for you you can get a huge discount by buying at the chemist. My sister had one for her first born and was getting karicare soy for about $5 a tin!

I used Becoderm on my son when he was a baby. AMAZING stuff!!! Having said that, It would only work on his face. It actually made the eczema behind his knees worse....go figure! I had to use paw paw ointment behind his knees and it worked a treat. On his body I'd use QV lotion and in the bath I used Alpha Keri oil. Make sure the bath water isn't too hot either. That makes a massive difference. I have also just recently heard that Pure Organic Coconut Oil is AMAZING for eczema. I haven't tried it on his skin tho as of yet because he isn't getting any at the moment. Once it starts to get a little cooler I will be trying it on his skin. I'm using it on my face atm as a moisturiser and it is glorious!! Try ECOstore washing powder in your washing. It's great. Hope you can use some of this info, also like someone else said, with eczema it's trial and error and what works for others won't necessarily work for your bub. Hope you find something soon. Eczema is nasty!

Alot of these products still have chemicals in them. Even the Lucas Paw Paw cream and sorboloene is petrochemical and thats just the tip of the iceberg. You really need to read the labels when you buy products because some wont help or make it worse. Its easy to tell, if you can't pronounce the name or need a science degree to know what it is, then it's probably a chemical. You have to know what you are looking for to avoid products with preservative and additives, even some which say natural or organic are not so.

Calendula is great for healing, aloe is soothing... but again you need to find products that aren't commercial cook-ups and the real thing. I never use body wash, soaps or anything on the kids unless they are filthy - you only need water to wash any body, little or big. If I use handsoap my hands go feral, red and raw. They actually started cracking and bleeding for the first time in ages after moving house.

Eczema is merely a symptom of 'sign' of an internal imbalance, and as such needs to be treated at its core to eradicate it entirely. Its important to understand that the eczema is not the problem - it is the side effect of the problem, therefore if you continue to only address the side effect with topical creams etc - the problem will keep returning. Cheifly this imbalance begins in the digestive tract and is often due to exposure to drugs such as antibiotics, which kill off friendly and probiotic bacteria - which are essential for assimilation and absorption of nutrients, defence against pathogens and basic immunity. Without adequate probiotic stores (generally passed on through breastmilk) your bub may find it difficult to digest foods such as dairy, and eczema is a common side effect of that.

Here's what you need to do - go to a health shop and request an infant probiotic powder - such as Biocueticals BabyBiotic 0+ years. Start adding it to her formula day and night. Deficiencies in EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3,6 & 9) are also common in eczema sufferers. If your child is not yet on solids this can be a bit trickier to supplement with, but as soon as you are able - expose your child to foods rich in these healthy fats - ie, avocado, flaxseed (linseed) oil and extra virgin olive oil. Various types of nuts (almond spread is good) and fish are also rich sources of EFAs but you wont be introducing them until later.
You can also apply flaxseed oil topically to inflamed skin, but make sure its organic.

You will also want to eliminate exposure to any chemicals in cleaning or personal care products to reduce inflamation. Check out the MiEssence range - its certified organic so you can be assured of its safety. If a product is labelled as organic but does not have certification from a registered certified authorative body such as the ACO or NASAA its pretty much meaningless. We call this 'greenwashing' - and there is no regulation of this in Australia. Ie - any brand can claim 'organic' and legally its fine - except they cannot claim to be certified organic unless they receive authorative certification, which is strictly regulated.

Hope this helps!!

XX

I agree with both BellyBelly and JellyBean. The problem is internal. High five for bringing that up!!! Totally slipped my mind. Sometimes you need to get on top of the problem ie creams and things to stop the immediate suffering and then you can address the internal problem. The Paw Paw ointment I used didn't have petrochemicals. It's called Pure Nutraceuticals. It has calendular in it. Google it. It's fantastic, smells gorgeous too. Pure Organic Coconut oil you can apply topically and also you can take in internally. Use it for cooking (it's the only oil that isn't altered by heat), as butter or in smoothies, the list goes on. Google that as well, you will be amazed at the testimonies.

well I'm gonna bypass the whole internal/petrochemical debate.

Firstly - I'm wondering why you got told to only use the dermaid for 2 days? I know from advice we were given that leaving the skin untreated can be just as damaging (if not more so than the damage done to the skin by over-treating with a medicated cream). Also, gp/paediatrican said most parents err on the side of being too sparing and the eczema drags on. If you're going to use the cream, use it properly and fix it.

I agree with what others said about trial & error & yes, moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. We also used dermeze, and on a trip away decided to make do with dermaveen. Within days his skin was flaking massively and he was being moisturised TWICE per "up" in a day (my DS was 4m.o. at the time).

Some other advice I got from the RCH allergy dept - was actually to bath MORE! Once you've bathed, moisturise straight away while the skin is warm/moist feeling (not actually wet tho), it will actually help trap the moisture in the skin. They actually told us to bath him daily and to my surprise it didn't make him heaps worse - again, trial & error with this tho. We only used QV oil in the bath (have now graduated to QV wash). Dermeze was great for for afterwards. So given the chin/neck area gets cleaned frequently, but probably not moisturized as frequently, I'd try to moisturise everytime the skin has been cleaned. I also tried moo goo and we used elocon & other medicated creams. I did a "trial" of the moo goo (one side of the body got it) and the other side got medicated cream + moisturiser. I found the moo goo worked, but took longer. In the end I went back to the medicated (partly due to cost and also due to speed of results). If you've got a few different creams, trial them to see what works better for your bub (I just had to stick a note up above the change table to remind me which was for the right and which for the left!!).

And sending you good vibes that you sort out what works for you and bub grows out of it. I remember days of moisturising 4-8 times a day. Now I don't even have to do it every day (he's 18 m.o.) and his skin is fab. GL!!!

wow, thanks for all the responses. To tell you the truth I am a bit overwhelmed by all the info. I went back to the chemist after no change with Dermaveen and the pharmacist came out to look at her and said I needed to use stigmacort to get it under control as no amount of moisturising will work until it is under control. He also said 2 days on and 2 days off of using it like Dermaid. What I didn't know when using Dermaid was that I was meant to moisturise over the top of it. So now we put Dermaveen over the top and the poor little thing is like an oil slick! Anyway her face is a little better, but not her neck. I moisturise before every sleep so about 4 times a day. She is only bathed every second day still and we now add Dermaveen oil to the water (Pharmacist said all oils are much the same) and this one has the oatmeal in it. I think I am keeping the local chemist in business:)

I have thought about the formula being the problem, but have also been told not to change formulas often as her gut has to get used to another one. Think I might ask about this though.

Think I mentioned before that I tried natural products with my son and it made it worse. I was trying Gaia with DD but no improvement. Luckily it isn't bothering her and she doesn't itch (not sure she would know how to at 3 months;) )

Like you have all said - trial and error and lots of $$$$ I think to find what works. I have it on my hands all the time due to being in water most of the day.

Thanks everyone and I do agree it needs to be treated from within so will look into those powders.

:pray: something works for her.