Eczema in Babies, any ideas?

CJhaughey

Our 6mth old boy has eczema on his cheeks , back of the knees and feet, It is worst in these spots and kind of "weepy"
We went to the GP and were prescribed Fucidin "H" which hydrocortisone, This brought the condition under control but we are reluctant to continue use of this kind of cream long term.
Do any of you know good natural remedies for this kind of thing ?
I understand that eczema is very common amongst babies and hopefully he will grow out of it, but it is distressing nonetheless to see him with big red patches on his skin.
any ideas for causes?

jinxycat

you could use silcocks base to bath then in, it's really good and cheaper than always buying prescribed creams, and it's quite a big tub. you can use it as a soap or a cream.

Nevyn

certain allergies can casue it to flare up.
You best bet may be to go have a chat with your local baby/child nurse.
You can usually contact them via your local health clinic.

ether

Both my children suffered with ezcema, my son whos now 4 had it since he was a baby and has finally got the all clear from the dermatologist who was looking after him. The Fucidin only needs to be used as far as i remember for 10 days then u go back to the hydrocortisone. what I found worked great was to bathe him in plain water with 2 tablespoons of emulsifying ointment, this comes in the same tubs as silcocks base. So you run the plain bath water, then u whisk the 2 tablespoons of emulsifying ointment with a little hot water, when its dissolved add it to the bath water. Wash the child as normal with the bath water, let them stay in in for say 15 mins. When they're out pat them dry, put on their creams, allow say 20 mins for them to dry then use another product called parrafin gel to seal in everything and act as a moisturiser on the affected parts.
Its hard work but it'll benefit him in the long term.

causal

This site might be helpful: http://www.eczemaguide.com/
check out this page: http://eczemaguide.com/tf/content.asp?z=681

hth,
causal

foodietwoshoes

I don't know how true this is, but I've heard it said that the sooner eczema appears in children, the earlier they grow out of it. I know it's very hard to see a 6mo baby in such discomfort, but if what I've heard is true then he'll probably grow out of it by two or three.

My own son showed signs of eczema when he was a year old - he grew out of it by five, and now has flare-ups on rare occasions. My friend's son had the same condition and between us, we've done so much research on the subject we could have written a book. Anyway, here are some tips:

1) It may or may not be a food allergy. I denied my son things like common allergens like egg, dairy nuts and chocolate for a few days to see if that helped. I was glad to see it wasn't a food allergy, because he loved the very same foods. What I'm saying is be sure it is a food allergy before you decide to deprive a child of any nutritional foods. HAve you started him on solids yet?

2) I used to bathe him twice a day, to help moisturise his skin. I later realised I was doing him more harm than good. Water itself can dry out the skin. So I gave him only one bath a day.

3) See what products work for you. My friend would swear by paraffin gel, but it only flared my son's eczema. Oil massages made my son's skin worse. We saw a paediatric dermatologist and her prescription worked wonders for my son. It was emulsifying ointment followed by Eucerin lotion. But again, you have to consult your doctor and see how your child responds to what you do.

4) There is a non-steroid cream called Protopic available - it's supposed to be good (my son had already grown out of eczema by the time this came out, so we never tried it), but it isn't for babies and obviously, your doctor will know better. http://www.protopic.com/

5) I've spoken to so many dermatologists(some of them consultants) about my concerns re. the use of steroids for the treatment of eczema and all of them have consistently said the same thing - there's no harm in using steroid creams, provided you follow the instructions. In fact my friend was so worried about using steroid creams that she'd let her son scratch his face than apply the cream. Her doctor warned her that if she didn't use it, his skin could get infected and the problems would then be bigger. A consultant also told me that children need a restful night's sleep to grow. He prescribed a antihistamine with a sedative, so my son's growth wouldn't be affected. And he advised me very strongly not to worry about the steroid creams.

Anyway, sorry to have rambled on for so long, but I couldn't help it. I feel very strongly about eczema in children and wish I could do more to help. Hope this has been of some help to you. If you need to ask anything at all, feel free to PM me. I'll be glad to help. Also, please do not disregard your doctor's advice based on what I've said.

foodietwoshoes

Eczema Support Group:

http://www.talkeczema.com/index.html

maccydoodies

My son had a touch of eczema when he was a few months old and my doctor told me to get some brewers yeast and put it in his bottles and it worked a treat. You only put about the size of a disprin in the bottles. hth

Shabadu

My mother has suffered from eczema for years, she is also part of the Silcocks Base brigade, but the most surprisingly effective thing she did was to take baths with oatflakes. Oatflakes are naturally rich in vitamin e and lots of other lovely enzymes and anti-oxidants. I know it sounds like an old wives tale, but it worked wonders for her. Try leaving a muslin bag of oatflakes soaking in the bath for ten minutes before you put him in. Best of luck!

Blinda

I have access to the latest scientific research in this field and seen the results in action.
Dermatology consultants where I am (leading the field) recommend PX initial treatment of the highest allowable dose of hydrocortisone on a decsending %repeat basis for the greatest and quickest effect.
Starting with the commonly PX low dose and continual array of emulusifying creams /ointments and 'cures' on the market, makes the condition linger and harder to erradicate.

benny

My daughter got eczema when she was 2 she is now 18!! nothing works!! it comes and goes and you deal with it the steriod creams are good ,use them, the itch from eczema is unbareable! we have tried EVERYTHING from food to creams to diets.makes no difference,its deffo related to stress though, so as little stress as possible!! yeah right! sorry im not much help. I do hope yer baby grows out of it..If i had a euro for every time i heard that.id be a rich woman.

Orion

While it is normal (my two girls had a touch of it for a few months) it may stay with him. One way we found to soothe it was to make a pot of camomile tea and put it into the bath. It doesn't treat the cause but it does soothe the symptoms.

stiofanD

I've lived with eczema for my entire life (I'm now 32). It came and went during childhood and only really got bad during my twenties, getting progressively worse and worse. I tried changing diets and numerous natural remedies, none of which helped.

When I finally consulted a dermatologist (should have done this first ) she prescribed a strong steroid cream and then a milder one, to clear it up. I have never been able to eradicate it completely, but it is now manageable

The best way I've found to manage the condition is to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. Dry skin is the worst culprit for exacerbating an existing excema condition. I use paraffin gel after a shower as it is the most effective moisturiser I've found. If a moisturiser claims to 'soak in quickly' then it pretty much useless.

Since eczema seems to be hereditary, I've been on the lookout for signs of it breaking out on my new (10 month old) son. I never use anything in his bath except Silcox base or Aqueous cream (I don't think there's any difference between these) and then a touch of paraffin gel after the bath if it looks like he has a dry patch. So far so good.

I think the important thing is to clear the worst of your childs eczema as soon as possible using prescribed creams and then you can start to manage the condition to prevent it from getting bad again.

daddydaycare

I read the thread with much interest, i'll tell you my daughter Sophia's story maybe it will help some and maybe others can help me.
Sophia was born in January this year and within the first month she was diagnosed with infant dermatitis aka seborrheic. We were prescribed Fucidin H and a Hydrocortisone cream and advised to bathe her in Silcocks base cream. The creams are amazing and her skin is great. The only problem is like all babies they scratch and this causes her skin to flare up especially around her knees. Somedays are better than others luckily her face is crystal clear and everyone comments on how clear and sallow her skin is. I am getting nervous now as we use the hydrocortisone daily as without it her face will begin to flare up. Ofcourse this causes me worry, I dont like using strong creams on my baby especially on a daily basis but nothing else seems to control it and the doctor has said twice it is fine even for a baby so young. After thralling the internet and consulting my wives mother in china for any remedies from their we have come up with nothing and am wondering does anyone have any advice?
Recently we were in the hospital for an unrelated allergic reaction to her formula milk aptimel and the doctor called her skin condition eczema which scared me and also said that fucidin H is an antibacterial cream and should not be used for eczema conditions. It is for this reason i am looking for a paediatric dermatologist to help specifically diagnose the condition and maybe provide some answers and hopefully solutions. Like others the words of she'lll grow out of it does not comfort my child now.
With regards causes I feel yes in some part it may be hereditary as I have have dry/sensitive skin but i feel a large contributing factor is our central heating, i feel while heating the house it sucks the moisture from the air. I notice our daughters skin is much better now with the recent glorious weather and we have been able to let her skin breathe in the air which I and my wife has done brilliant for her.

Sorry for the long message but as I said it tells of our experiences and hopefully will help some.

Orion

A simple blood test can confirm or deny eczema afaik. We use Silcocks base as well and it's great on the girls. We haven't had to use anything for a couple of months now but still keeping an eye especially at this time of the year. I don't blame you not wanting to use strong drugs on your child. Cortisone is a very strong steroid and not the type of thing you want to be using for extended periods if it's not needed. Talk to your GP - he should be able to do the blood test for eczema and at least you'll know where you stand then.

sostorm

maccydoodies wrote: »

My son had a touch of eczema when he was a few months old and my doctor told me to get some brewers yeast and put it in his bottles and it worked a treat. You only put about the size of a disprin in the bottles. hth

My 8-month old son has eczema as well, and while it's not too bad, we would of course like to get rid of it altogether. How did the brewers yeast work, and/or how long did it take to get results. I'm interested because I understand that brewers yeast is sometimes used for skin conditions in adults too... But what was your doctor's recommendation based on I wonder?

KazDub

There was a recent article about the mis-use of Silcox base in eczema. Apparently it contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which thins the skin. This is not what you want to do when you have eczema! I'm sorry that I can't find the article to link to it, but it also mentioned that most GPs were unaware of the adverse effects of the cream and continued to recommend it.

Mr Bloat

All of my three have eczema which we usually can keep under control but flares up badly every so often. We started using Aveeno moisturisers and bath lotion on them and it's the best thing we've ever used, after previously trying most of the recommendations that have been made already (Aqueous creams, paraffin, etc). Daily use of Aveeno keeps it at bay. It's oatmeal based, which seems to be the key and it's available over the counter at any pharmacist.

http://www.aveeno.com/skincare/products/eczema

They have a baby range as well which we haven't used because it seems to be the exact same product as the adult one, only repackaged and slightly more expensive.

stovelid

Our son had it when he was younger and we also found keeping his skin moist with daily use of Aveeno to be more effective than Silcocks Base.

We only ever used the hydrocortisone occasionally sparingly - for big/raised patches.

sostorm

We have used Aveeno as well, but we're now on Elave which seems to work well. It's free of a lot of potent ingredients like alcohols and stearetes, etc. We do keep having to use hydrocortisone to avoid flare-ups though, and because I'd really like to stop doing that I think it's now time to look at possible dietary options... I want to avoid anything too special though as I'd like to keep our son's diet as normal as possible, but if brewers yeast could help that would be wonderful, might give it a try...

Dipsy

CJhaughey wrote: »

Our 6mth old boy has eczema on his cheeks , back of the knees and feet, It is worst in these spots and kind of "weepy"
We went to the GP and were prescribed Fucidin "H" which hydrocortisone, This brought the condition under control but we are reluctant to continue use of this kind of cream long term.
Do any of you know good natural remedies for this kind of thing ?

Stay away from any steroids especially silcocks base!!! Try natural Vitamin E capsules or flaxseed oil on the skin.

CJhaughey wrote: »

I understand that eczema is very common amongst babies and hopefully he will grow out of it, but it is distressing nonetheless to see him with big red patches on his skin.
any ideas for causes?

There has been alot of research done on the relationship between immunisations and childhood eczema and the link between the two. I am not sure if you vaccinate your child or not but all you have to do is google vaccines and eczema to see pages and pages of sites relating to this.

Best of luck

Stheno

I've had eczema all my adult life (I'm now 37). I am allergic to most skin treatments including anything that has aloe vera, and Silcocks base.

Emulsifying ointment has worked for me, as has Aveeno.

However when I get massive breakouts on my eyes, I use steroids nothing else works.

I have found that aromatherapy works, I use a combination of rose, grapefruit and another oil *can't remember it will post it tomorrow* and that keeps any breakouts at bay.

Constant moisturisation is the key for me, if I don't I break out hugely with dry scaly patches that are itchy and terribly sore.

When I was much younger (eightish) I had an allergic reaction to penicillin and ended up in Cherry Orchard where I had daily baths in Olive oil to prevent me losing skin (allergy complication) It also meant I didn't have exzema

My advice:

1. Bath in a bath with at least a cup of olive oil.
2. Moisturise liberally with a non abrasive moisturiser (E45, Aveeno, Lush porridge products)
3. Make up an aromatherapy solution in oil and use that when needed.

Best of luck.

Jenneke87

I´ve been having eczema for the past 23 years and have tried every cure in the book. Firsty, you have to determine the type of eczema your child has as there are serval and some respond better to steriods then others.

What I found to help massively is to use oil to hydrate the skin instead of creams.

To drink plenty of water to hydrate the skin from the inside.

Not eating meat had solved 70% of the problem (although this may not work for everybody)

When my eczema gets really bad, an anti allergy pill to get rid of the itching and using steriod cream to get rid of the spots( i understand that anti allergy pills are not an option right now but maybe when you child is older it could work to kill any internal reactions causing the eczema)

Don´t shower of bath longer then 5 minutes because it dries out the skin(also make sure not to use very hot water)

Less stress, the better!

Best of luck!

shrapnel222

Dipsy wrote: »

Stay away from any steroids especially silcocks base!!!

get your facts straight before saying stuff like that. it's just an aqueous base (about as neutral as it gets)!!! i use it as a soap substitute every day and use it on my son also.

i'm like stiofanD, and have lived with eczema my whole life (to the point that for a number of years eczema dictated my life and what i could and couldn't do), and i agree with him 100%. The most important thing to do is moisturise, moisturise, moisturise, andf if there's a heavy flare up, then use cortizone cream. another important thing is that different moisturisers work better for different people. The one that works for me doesn't work for my son and vice versa.

another thing that might help is to make him wear 100% cotton only, and same for his bedsheets. nylon acrylic, wool on contact, can irritate the skin.

also, when drying him, make sure you dab rather than wipe, and once the surface is completely dry, then add the moisturiser.

pinkyponk2

My daughter had it and i cannot recommend silcocks base enough.

If your baby's eczema is flared up at the moment get the ointment from your GP to bring it under control. Then use silcocks base day and night!

Everytime you dress your son or even change his nappy, use silcocks base on the effected areas.

When you are bathing him do not put anything but water into the bath. Wash his skin and hair with the silcocks base and smoother him in it when he gets out (i used to let my little ones skin dry naturally after a bath, dont rub dry with a towel).

And a good tip is that you really need to massage in into his skin. I started by just rubbing it in a bit thinking it left to sink in over time would be better but later found the best thing to do it to massage it in as good as you can.

And keep it up all the time even if you think his skin is fine because it can come back very quickly if you dont keep him well mositurised.

mohawk

Silcocks base and aqueous creams have been shown to work in less then 50% of cases. So there is no one solution to it.

My advice try every moisturiser you can find until you find one that works for you. My GP had 2 daughters that had eczema and she was great in recommending creams. In my sons case emulsifying ointment worked really well to get rid of the patches and then we used Aveeno for maintenance. When he gets an flare up we then switch back to emulsifying ointment. If its really bad I have a tube of Fucindin but as you know you have to be careful of that on the face.

I cut bathes down to twice a week. I started bathing him every day but it made it worse. We used bath emollient not bubble bath. I used moisturiser at least twice a day on his body and as required on his face.

He got it from a month old and is now 16 months and we have it under control. He only needs to be moisturised once a day now .


Good luck OP

Dipsy

shrapnel222 wrote: »

get your facts straight before saying stuff like that. it's just an aqueous base (about as neutral as it gets)!!! i use it as a soap substitute every day and use it on my son also.

Sorry, it should have read 'steroids AND silcocks base'

The active ingredients in silcocks base are:
Emulsifying wax and white petroleum jelly/soft parrafin

All ingredients: EMULSIFYING WAX , CETOSTEARYL ALCOHOL , SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE , PURIFIED WATER (PH. EUR.), WHITE SOFT PARAFFIN

No offence intended but you should research these things before putting the on your childs body and get your facts straight before saying stuff like that.

shrapnel222

Dipsy wrote: »

Sorry, it should have read 'steroids AND silcocks base'

The active ingredients in silcocks base are:
Emulsifying wax and white petroleum jelly/soft parrafin

All ingredients: EMULSIFYING WAX , CETOSTEARYL ALCOHOL , SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE , PURIFIED WATER (PH. EUR.), WHITE SOFT PARAFFIN

No offence intended but you should research these things before putting the on your childs body and get your facts straight before saying stuff like that.

i have got my facts straight. liquid parrafin is used in over 95% of creams sold on the market, so why you would bold that bit, i just don't know.

as to SLS, it's one of the reasons i mentioned that everyone is different and should try lots of different creams, as some creams work for certain people, others don't. As an example, if i use E45, the itching and redness increases ten fold within a day. i just can't stand that cream.

Chuchoter

You've probably already tried it but sudocream. Very few things can't be solved with sudocream :P

Kent Brockman

My son had a bit of Eczema on his face and arms. We were recommended EPADERM by a friend who is a nurse. Seemingly this is what they use in a Dublin Paediatric Hospital. Its hard to find in the pharmacies so we got it on-line. Worked fairly quick for us but thankfully he didnt have a bad case of eczema. Its definitely worth a try.

http://www.skincareworld.co.uk/pharmacy/our_products/epaderm/epaderm.htm

sostorm

We've used EpaDerm as well (both the ointment and cream), and our local pharmacy ordered it for us no hassle. We could pick it up the next day... However, it's grand for moisturising, but our son's eczema still prevails. I think the heating/dry air in the last couple of weeks has made it slightly worse. As a cream/oitment I prefer it to Silcock's base or Emulsifying... but I ahve to say, we seem to be sticking mostly to Aveeno or Elave...

As someone mentioned earlier, every case seems different and one product will work for someone, but not for someone else, so in the list of things to give a go, I'd recommend EpaDerm too...