Little Bubba just diagnosed with Eczema

[Benandrewsmum]

Hi All

My little bubba (4 1/2 months old) has just been diagnosed with Eczema by our local GP.

He had a terrible red raised rash behind his knees that progressively got worse and even started to crack.

So here is what we have done so far:

1. Stopped using all skin products that we were using ie Johnsons lotions etc.
2. Started using QV Oil in the bath
3. Started using QV bath wash in the bath
4. Try to smother his little skin with Sorbolene at every given opportunity (boy is he getting cranky with me doing that!)
5. Doctor prescribed Sigmacort to be used 'sparingly' on the flare up bits on his little body

Since we have started using the Sigmacort his knees seem to have gotten better, but if I stop using it for a day then they start to get worse again....expecially when he gets hot.

It also seems to be coming up all over his body in tiny little patches..... I asked the doctor if we should go to a dermatologist and she told me that his skin really wasn't bad enough and that all they would do is prescribe Sigmacort anyway??

So my question to you wise people is what now?? Do I just sit and wait for it to get worse and worse so that we can then go to a specialist?? Should I try a naturopath??

Some people have said that it is best to find the cause...how do I do that....is there a test that can be done???

I am feeling so sad that we have to deal with this....

All tips appreciated

Cheers :(

[Refresh]

Hi,

Your poor bubba...I cant offer too much advice, but my hubby gets excema and Evening Primrose Oil seems to help :)

As you said, it would be best to find out the cause though, I think eczema is normally an indication that there is some kind of allergy going on. Usuallly they get you to do an elimination type diet...are you breastfeeding? Also, what about the washing powder/liquid you use on bubs clothes/sheets etc? Maybe try to change to something natural for awhlie and see if it makes a difference. Even things like cleaning products that you use, perfumes you wear etc etc etc....Gosh this kind of thing makes you really sit up and take notice of just how many chemicals etc. there are around us!!

I would definately go the naturopath route to treat the symptoms....or what about a homeopath?.....I always think it's best to try the natural stuff first as there is normally something that can help from nature...Maybe stop using all products for awhile? Even the QV has chemicals in it.

Anyway, good luck, it must be hard dealing with this when your child is so young:( I hope it all gets resolved quickly....sorry for raving on, I just realised how much I had written lol! I am always interested in these kinds of things!

[nemosmum]

Our Ds started getting eczema really bad around 2 months of age so I understand what your going through. Your doing all the things that we did at first which is great!.I Have posted previously so forgive me if you've already read our story. Anyhow the first thing we did was look at my diet as I was bfeeding, I started to cut out alot of foods that are known to cause eczema eg chocolate,tomatoes,citris fruits etc then booked DS in to an allergy clinic (RPA in Sydney) its a free service so there is a long waiting period of about 5 months. We had our son skin pricked tested (he was 7 months old at the time)and they confirmed an egg allergy and a dustmite allergy. They put him on an elimination diet and gave us various instructions to help minimise the environmental allergies etc. After only a week we noticed a huge improvment now after 8 months DS is eczema free most of the time.....if he eats something he shouldnt then he'll have a flare up but its usually mild.
Sigamacort is a gd cream but not for long term use (or so I've been told) Elecon is also great but also not for long term usage. The best cream we've tried that is gd for long term is Eledel (not a steroid cream) it is v.expensive $60 for the smallest tube possible but it works really fast!.
Goodluck and PM me any time if you want to chat :)

[WeThree]

hi i just thought i let you now that qv oil and its other products make my sone skin alot worse as it does to alot of other little ones, there is tales of it burning off little ones skin on another thread here, if i were you i would switch to something else because i have found it only makes it heaps worse

[SugarBlossom]

My bubba had eczema too, so I stopped using Johnsons, and started using Gaia Skin Naturals and it cleared up withen a week.

I then used J&J's Milk bath just to test it, and a little bit of the eczema came back straight away!!

I threw the milk bath in the bin and will never use J&J's again!

I highly recommend Gaia Skin Products, they are available online or from some pharmacys. It smells beautiful and made Codies skin look great again!

[Benandrewsmum]

Thanks for all the info ladies....I think I will look into the skin test thingy.

Thanks for th etip on QV products...yeah, so far I don't think they are really helping?? I might try Gaia...I have heard good things about those products.

Keep the tips flowing through!!

Thanks

[Michele Crocker]

Hi,

I know what you are going through. My 3 year old son had really bad eczema when he was 4 months old. He was that bad that he ended up in hospital having wet dressings done on his eczema when he was just five months old. That started clearing up with the wet dressings. He was also on antibiotics for nearly four months due to having a staph infection where he had the ezcema. After that he was continually getting outbreaks of ezcema, so we went to see a paedaetric skin specialist in Sydney who admitted him back into hospital for a week and tried all these new ointments out on him. They finally diagnosed him with having psoriasis as well as having ezcema, so they put him on coal tar creams as well as Advantan and after that his skin cleared up pretty much straight away. If there was an outbreak I just did the wet dressings at home on him.

He is now three and occassionally he has a outbreak of ezcema but not as bad as he had it when he was a baby. I found out that the older they get the less trouble they get with the itchy skin but they can develop other allergies such as asthma.

In the bath I use Oilatum Plus which is a bath oil that helps ezcema sufferers.

Michele
Mother of Christopher, Luke, Melissa, Jayden and baby girl due in November

[Mum2Tyla]

Hi,
sorry to hear about your little boy, you are going to get so much advice and recommendations of things to try all by well meaning people, I have hereditary eczma and I am constantly getting people saying try this try that , I am also a vet nurse and see many animals with skin problems, the problem with skin is what works brilliantly for one does'nt necessarily work for another the other thing I find with mine anyway is that something that will work for a few days then stops being effective, I would say try a dermatologist as there are always new treatments, natural rememdies can work really well with conventional medicine, you may never get rid of it but you may learn to control it and find out what sets it off. I know I may not have been much help, but as someone who suffers from a skin condition that I am unable to get rid of but know how to manage and control flare ups I am being honest,if you are unhappy with what your dr has said or his treatment go else where. Hope this helps

[Ana Gram]

My daughter is currently in the middle of a fairly bad outbreak. She seems to be ok over winter, autumn and not too bad over summer. Spring is the killer for her. None of the creams ect we have tried really work on their own, we have had to try and alternate with several creams to try and keep it under control. Also try and keep their fingernails as short as possible, once they are old enough to scratch properly, they will do it with gusto and bleed.

[Benandrewsmum]

My bubba had eczema too, so I stopped using Johnsons, and started using Gaia Skin Naturals and it cleared up withen a week.

I then used J&J's Milk bath just to test it, and a little bit of the eczema came back straight away!!

I threw the milk bath in the bin and will never use J&J's again!

I highly recommend Gaia Skin Products, they are available online or from some pharmacys. It smells beautiful and made Codies skin look great again!


Hi JazzPete_n_Codie

Just thought I would let you know that I went to the chemist today to try some Gaia products. The chemist was great and gave me a whole heap of samples to try. We had a bath with the bath gel tonight and then lathered ourselves in the moisturiser....you are right, it does smell delicious!!

Just curious ....did it help actual flare ups on your little one as well as keeping the skin free from the rash??

Cheers

P.S I just have to share something else....my little bubba is sitting here on my lap while I type and is giggling out of control ....he is absolutely amazed by my typing....probably the noise of the keys...thinks it's hilarious!!

[SugarBlossom]

Hi Donna,

Codie has had no eczema or cradle cap since switching to Gaia, I don't want to sound like I'm going on, but I think Gaia is great and won't use anything else, the moisteriser and body wash are just fantastic. It may cost more than your supermarket stuff, but is so worth it!

[Bonney]

Hi Donna,

My little boy (now 11 and a half months old) had eczema and myself and my brother also suffered as babies. I don't know if this will work for your little one but our eczema is/was a dairy intolerance called CMD.
I'm not sure if your bub is on formula but if he is you can try a soy based formula easily found in supermarkets with all the rest of them.
If he is still on the breast you could try eliminating all other dairy items. I'm not saying this is what your little man is suffering from but since I changed my bub to soy his skin is clear and glowing!

Hope this helps
from Bonney and not-so-itchy-anymore Cameron :)

[Jessicasmum]

Hi my baby was also diagnosed with eczma today. Quite daunting, poor little thing is scratching at her legs. Just thought I would let you know that it really flared up to after using Dermaveen ( i think that is how you spell it) recommended by the chemist as a substitute for QV. So even though it is an eczma treatment, it actually made it go from barely causing a problem to needing cortisone cream to repair the damage.

I did a spot test on her non inflammed skin before trying, no problem, but within a day her poor legs were red and inflammed. Hard not to feel guilty.

I have bought some QV, but was interested to read about Gaia.

Mel

[rebeccamum]

I bought Dermaveen yesterday because I've heard a lot of people have really good result from it. Wrong! My DD's skin is inflamed and it happens on her inner thighs, elbows and back of her knees. I can't believe it makes her skin worse when the product says it's used for Ezcema :( My DH had Ezcema so his skin is very sensitive too, he put the cream on his arm and said it's burning him so imagine how it'd do to DD....

I'm feeling terrible, I used to put Sorbolene on her and it worked quite all right. I'm afraid to use anything right now besides Sorbolene. Her Ezcema used to be quite mild but for the past week it just looks very red angry. I dont know it's because of the weather, hemp nappies or the combination of both. Now I have to air her bottoms most of the time even if it means pee everywhere, use nothing but water to clean and bathe her.

I'm very upset, what else should I do besides the above I mentioned?

[moonblossom]

Buy yourself a good supply of fresh Aloe Vera plants, cut off a little each day and squeeze out the gel and apply 2 times a day.

Its a marvel what nature can do ;)

[MamaFour]

I wonder what it is about J&J products???
My son has eczema.. after it was diagnosed properly (I had no idea, & the dr told me it was just 'milk pimples') I was recommended Dermaveen by a friend who used it with her daughter.
Fortunately for us we have had no problems with the Dermaveen, and we were lucky that what works for my friends daughter usually works for my son.

Anyway back to my origional point :p I continued happily using J&J products and while the eczema died down it didn't go away. It didn't even dawn on me that the J&J's was the problem! He developed cradle cap & the Dr told me J&J shampoo to help get rid of it, so off we started on J&J shampoo for him. I noticed his face was getting really spotty. Anyway one weekend at his dad's I forgot to send the shampoo down. Tai came back and his face was so much better! So I didn't use the shampoo for another 2 nights and it was gone! I tested the theory and used the shampoo after 5 nights of non-use and there was the eczema!
I was also using their baby massage oil post-bath (which I haven't found anything else I can use yet?) and their bum powder.. it was giving Tai bad nappy rash and again, I didn't make the connection for a while til it clicked.

The J&J's products all went in the bin! Evil J&J's!

[redbaby]

We found that the following works for us, and Scarlett is now eczema free,.

1) QV flare up oil burnt scarletts skin off,..apparently, according the the paed. dermat. that is quite common with children,..really scary!
2)Demaveen bath oil is great as it contains oatmeal,..
2)Gaia shampoo is brill as it has no soap in it
3)Sand and chlorine are issues for eczema - so make sure you moisturise after a swim or beach session
4) Sunscreen can be a problem so check the ingredients.
5)We use QV cream at every nappy change and also after her bath,...moisturising is the key!
6)Claratyne syrup takes the allergic reaction away, and consequently the rash goes too! It is amazing!

[Jacki]

Skin Therapy XMA is an excellent cream that has been trialled at the Royal Brisbane Hospital with excellent results, check out their website http://www.xma.com.au/index.php.

Also available from Direct Nutritional Supplies http://www.dnsupplies.com.au/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=xma

[mel04]

I use the Skin Therapy XMA cream on my DD. It hasn't gotten rid of her eczema but it helps control it. Mind you, cortisone cream doesn't get rid of it either.
The poor thing has it on her cheeks. She's constantly scratching her face and it often bleeds. She has had it since she was 3-4 months. I hope she outgrows it soon.
We have tried QV bath stuff, the Gaia natural stuff and the J+J's and none seem to make a difference.
We found the XMA cream at the markets! Thought we'd give it a go, so at least it doesn't have side effects like steroids can.

[aardvark]

I wonder what it is about J&J products???


It's probably a chemical called SLS, or Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. My DD#2 (now 5) has eczema, and we switched from J&J to a natural shampoo and conditioner from the health food shop which contains no SLS (there are heaps of them out there). We use a pure unfragranced olive oil soap from an Olive grove in NE Victoria.

We also ditched the mainstream laundry products, and started using the envirocleen fabric softener and the Alpha Plus laundry powder. They work out cheaper per wash, and seemed to have helped.

Finally we went onto organic food, and that cleared up any remaining patches she had. And it cleared up my own eczema as well.

With new baby arriving in the next few weeks, I've bought one bottle of Baby Organics bath solution, Nappy change lotion and Shampoo to try. J&J has no place in my home anymore.

[rsmum]

Just another thing to add..
one range of products that we tried was recommended by our local health food shop (I later saw on a morning tv show an advertorial type segment) was an all natural products mosturisers, oil, shampoo etc. It claimed to have had lots of success but after nearly $50 on just the jar of cream we had no results. I had emailed the products web site prior to purchasing and they said that results would be minimal without using all products in conjuction. Gave it to a friend who also had no success with her own mild adult eczema.

[Nicki]

Just to add my two cents worth...I have two children who both had eczema as babies and my 4yo continues to have it from time to time. We ended up at the RPA allergy clinic with her at a very tender age. After the whole family had been on an elimination diet for a month and we reintroduced some foods, we discovered that she is sensitive to salicilates in her food (and probably has some environmental sensitivities as well).

Neither of my kids uses soap (although they use shampoo 1-2 times per week) as it was more trouble than it was worth. I would recommend seeing someone about the root cause of the condition because some of the lotions are just covering up the problem.

Nicki

DD 7
DD 4
#3 due April

[adri]

i understand ur frustration with not being able to find a treatment for ur bubs eczema coz my son of 10mths has it on his shoulders really bad. i've been prescribed a steroid cream called advantan and i hate using it, i feel that its not getting to the problem its just covering it up! so ive made an appointment to see a peadiatrican in Fairfield thats been recommended by my cousing because her daughter had bad eczema as well. they did an allergy test and i that found wat the problem was. im hoping Dr. Cubas will find the reason my son has it. I was wondering if u had tried QV bath oil to use in ur bubs bath and QV lotion? it doesnt have any soap! also i've tried using 'plasmag gel' Thalgo, u can find this at a beauty salon, it helps with drying it out and helps to prevent scaring! it helped a bit for my son! you can get the plasmag gel from selected beauty salons, it retails at about $45. well good luck and i hope u find out whats causing this eczema! take care and keep me updated on anything new that u've tried! thanx.

[sunnyflower]

have you heard of the book, allergy alert,it's written by a mum and it's available in health food shops.it will really make you think about all the chemicals and preservatives in our foods and even gives a details of different allergies eg asthma,etc and what foods to advoid.it's written by julie elhers.i would really recommend it.don't bother with qv and all that .if you look at the back it is actually full of chemicals,try and use as natural as possible,that include washing powders etc.hope you gey some results soon.

[smajh]

Hi All,
I find this a very interesting topic as I have excema since I was a a baby(now 31). Whilst I agree that what works for some doesn't work for others I really think that there are some fundamental things that you can use and do to help the situation...firstly realise that the environment that we live in is so laden with chemicals that most people dont even realise exist,so take a really critical look around your house and look for the things that may be emiting fumes..heaters,air conditioners,carpets made of synthetic materials,are the clothes you dress yourself and especially your baby in synthetic(these dont breathe so when your baby sweats how does the heat escape?it cant ...consequence..itchy skin)avoid any products with SLS in and this includes commercial shampoos,toothpaste,washing up liquid,commercial bubble baths anything that lathers really,it is a mighty bad chemical for anyone to use particularly those with sensitive skin.Whilst it is nice to have clothes that smell nice the perfumes used in washing powders are harsh and synthetic,dont use them and I have found avoiding any washing powders with blue particles in them to be a great help.If you want your clothes to smell nice add an essential oil like lavender to the rinse water,not only does it smell nice but lavender is naturally anti bacterial.Preferably remove carpets from your house but if you cant do that make sure they are super clean because dust mites love carpets to live in,remember you can always put lovely rugs down that can be taken out into the sun(which dust mites hate!!).Remember that zinc is one of the most important minerals to keep skin healthy and to also aid in the repair of wounds,so that makes stopping dairy highly questionable because of the high level of zinc and ease of digestabilityBananas are also very high in zinc.I would never use Sorbelene cream because it is a by product of the manufacture of petrol!!!yep,yet some doctors keep recommending it!? Get really smart about the food that you are eating if you are breast feeding or the food you are feeding your baby,the more processed it is the less likely it is to be nutritious and the more likely it is to be full of chemicals,don't be sucked in because the packet tells you it is healthy,read the ingredients..if you cant pronounce it you probably shouldnt be eating it,is the yoghurt coating those sultanas really yoghurt or just a fake,MSG causes me to have a bad outbreak so I dont eat foods with that in...but food additive 621 is which is sometimes listed as "hydrolised wheat/soy protein" is a synthetic flavour enhancer just like MSG it is a really bad food additive but is in all sorts of foods.Not only can it cause skin irritation it can cause hyperactivity,irritability,mood changes,migraine just name a few!!One of the best resources that I have found is a book called The Chemical Maze by any Aussie guy called Bill Statham,buy it and take it shopping with you one day and look how the make up of what is in your shopping trolley will change.Water,water,water before there was umpteen different products to wash yourself and deplete your bodies natural oils water did the trick,if not add some bi carb to a bath or again some essential oils,and give your children water to drink from the very time they start needing more than breast milk or formula it doesn't need to have cordial added and it doesn't need to flavoured with anything,water cleanses your body flushes out toxins as well as most effectively quenching thirst.Find a good moisturiser(again read ingredients and look them up...one that always amazes me is propylene glycol-E1520,a humectant,which helps moisture bind to skin..great..except that this humectant can cause kidney damage,contact dermatitis,skin rashes and dry skin...you wouldn't expect to find it in amongst other things..baked goods,ice cream,confectionary,moisturiser,sun tan lotion,hair conditioner,perfume,toothpaste,or baby creams but not only is it those items it is also in paint remover,anti freeze and brake fluid!!!
When I did the scratch test at RPA one of the biggest triggers for me was cat allergen,cats can cause alot of allergys and the allergen can stay in a house for 9 years even if the carpets have been cleaned.Also remember that excema is often a family thing,my sister has mild asthma and my brother had problems with his ears when he was young,these are all associated.My great uncles (in their 80's now)have excema so badly they can only use cotton wool in the toilet cause of the chlorine that is used to treat most toilet paper,so have look around in your family and see what is going on.
We have as a human race made some wonderful advancements but we have also complicated our lives greatly and my attitude to life now is if I can do it naturally and chemical free I do then at least I am controlling to some degree what goes into and onto my body,I cant control the fumes that come from cars or factories but I can chooseto make my own gravy instead of using a packet mix full of 621,bake things from scratch instead of using a packet mix,grow some veggies of my own,fragrance my washing with bergamot essential this week!!
Without realising I have written an essay...but I really hope that it has given everyone something to think about cause it comes from 31 years of experience.Good luck and please email if You want to ask me anything else.I would be happy to help Cheers

[Daisy3]

Our daughter had eczema behind her knees and elbows and on her face and tummy from when she was a baby until she was around 3 and a half years old. I tried many, many different creams, oils etc but found the best relief came by using Dermaveen lotion twice a day and Sigmacort (sparingly) on really bad flare ups. Hope this helps!

[treightonsmum]

Thank you so much smajh on your very educational and informative post about eczema! I have three children. My eldest son has had eczema and seborrhic dermatitis since he was a newborn and is now well under control. My newest addition has just had a short week in hospital with such a bad case of eczma that the doctors thought it was something else. After reading your post so many things clicked to me with food, environment and aspecially the additive soy/wheat protein! I have had alot of behavioral problems with my daughter lately and found that after reading your post most of the food my daughter loves to eat have that in it! Big changes are about to hit my pantry and fridge! Thank you so much I will be getting a copy of that book too. I hope to get improvement on the allergy front around here, there is so much of it and my kids suffer so much with it. I will be changing my diet too as I am breastfeeding my bub and I wondered if it was something that I was eating that triggered such a bad case in such a little baby. You are wonderful!!! Again a big THANK YOU!!.

[smajh]

Hi treightonsmum,glad i could help I'm sure that you will notice a difference in your household after a really short period of time,good luck,pm me if i can help anymore.

[brizbabe]

After almost 6 years of excema (not the extreme case like some poor souls-I will admit) we are finally pretty match scratch & itch free.

We tried a great number of things-food elimination, 6 million different types of creams / bath oils etc etc.

Down basically to trial and error-Body Shop Hemp body butter-smells nice, didn't sting when applied to broken skin and moisturising cream instead of soap and shampoo.:D :)

[mumof03]

Hi,
When my last baby was born, he suffered terribly from eczema, especially on face. My mother in law told me of a cream called Egozite. She swore by it, and as she had 8 kids, I thought I'd give it a go. It was marvolous. It cleared my sons eczema up in a matter of days. It is a zinc based cream. I only had to apply it twice a day. It was originally used as a special cream for eczema, but they then changed it to a nappy cream as it is also really good for nappy rash. It can be brought at chemists and is only around $7.00 per 50gram tube (in QLD) and lasts for quite a while as you only need a very small amount.

Diet is also a must with eczema, but this cream helps with the itch and irritation caused by it, and reduces the redness very quickly.

Not all creams work on all eczema cases, but if this helps just one person, than it is worth it. I know the pain and suffering caused by eczema, and wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially kids.

Good luck to you all.

[treightonsmum]

Im just havin a bad run with this whole eczema thing:thumbsdown: . I hate to see my little eight week old suffering so badly from it. He has gone from being a very good baby to one that is whingy and uncomfortable for most of the time.
I cant seem, no matter what I do, buy, or try, to ease his pain and irritation. My greatest heartache is bath time, he used to love it and was relaxed and soothed by it, now for the the last three days he screams and tenses and holds his breath in pain as soon as the areas are immersed in water. His weeping neck, behind his ears and under his arms has an odour, not how a lovely new infant should smell and I dont want any one else to pick him up other than me in fear their perfume or clothes will irritate his skin more and make him cry.
I have an appointment with a Dermatologist on the 22/3 and until then I have to just do what I can in trial and error to get through this. I am doing all the suggested things, the natural things, the old fashioned things and the crazy cleaning and allergy things and short of not eating anything at all myself, Im at a loss what foods are triggering his eczema and colic through my breast milk.
I would like to try a naturopath but I cant afford one right now. My doctor just told me to put cortisone 0.5% on the bad areas but not too much and not for more than a couple of days. It hasnt helped it anyway, he just cries and moans when I try to apply it. Im hurting just as much as he is and I feel Im failing him with all the efforts Im trying. I just needed to vent it out a bit here and get out some of the frustration while he has a short nap. Im sure someone out there will read this and be able to relate to what Im going through. Back to the drawing board. :banghead: Thanks for letting me vent ....Kathy.

[bingo]

HI Kathy, its so frustrating when their in pain and you feel so useless. My little girl was diagnosed with mild eczma a few months ago and I was so upset. I thought it was something I had done wrong even though deep down I knew it wasn't. I wrote to the allergy clinic online as I obstained from dairy and wheat for fear this was causing her eczma. They advised me to go back on the diary and wheat until we had seen the specialist. And since then I haven't noticed that her eczma is any worse. They were excellent. THey provided me with a list of allergy clinics that we could go to for testing. We too have been using the cortisone cream when needed. I think if you use it too much it will give their skin a leathery look when they are older. The info I was given was to cease using all J&J products, give her cooler baths and try not to overheat them as this aggrevates the condition. I've started using the Gia products and they have been great for her skiin and they have a really nice Lavendar smell. Also been using QV bath oil as it covers her skin in a light moisturising oil when she comes out. But I have read that in some babies the QV makes it worse, but for us its been great. But in saying this Maddi's eczma isn't as severe as what treighton's sounds like. Poor bubba. I hope that you get a solution soon and try not to beat yourself up over it. :hugs:

[jkate]

Hi

My 2 1/2 son has eczma on his face, mainly around his mouth. We were seeing a doctor in sydney last year who first gave us Sigamort, however that didnt work, so were giving a stonger cream, she told me not to use to much so I tried not to. After moving to the central coast, and his the rash still hasnt improved (it comes and goes) I went and saw a pedatrician at the local health clinic, I forgot to take the cream I had been using but he told me what a lot of you have already said that some stronger creams can leave marks on thier skin. Now I am so worry, what if I have used too much, its on his face, he wont be able to hide it, I cant believe I may ruin his skin, how could I have been so stupid :banghead: Sorry I just needed to get this off my chest.

The Pedatrician also said to cut down on citris fruits or drinks, espically because he dribbles, to use a sipper cup. Also to use a moistriser (sp?) that had no alcohol in it, but even sorbolene has alcohol in it. Does anyone know of any moistrisers that dont? If it gets worse he suggested to go and see a dermatologist, but I am thinking after reading some of the posts here I might see if I can find a allegery clinic.

Kathy: I hope your little boy is feeling better :hugs:

I am off to read the posts a bit more, i just needed to get my head around things first.

Karen

[bingo]

Hi Karen,
the Skin soothing lotion from Gaia has no alcohol in it from what I can tell anyway. I have a bottle here and I've read the ingredients on the label and I can't see any alcohol. The Gaia baby moisturiser does so don't get that one although I do use it on Maddi and she seems to be fine with it. The soothing lotion is very thick and requires a bit of effort to rub in but it is really nice. It's specially formulated to soothe redness and irritation and is what I use on Maddi if she comes up with some eczma.
Another product that I use is Calendulis Plus Cream which you can get from most health stores. It's an all natural product, look it up on the internet if your interested in it as there is heaps on info. There is a lot of info out there and it does get confusing. I guess you just have to try out a few things and see how you go. Keep me posted with if these creams worked or not? :hugs:

[mumof03]

I was thinking back to when my youngest had eczema. He was diagnosed with it at just 3 weeks of age, and like Treighton, his face and neck was weeping, and he looked a mess. I used the Egozite cream, which is zinc based, and especially formulated for eczema, which cleared it up, but then I noticed it would keep coming back everytime the wattle plants outside his bedroom window flowered. We cut them down, and his eczema and asthma was few and far between attacks. 8 months ago, we moved houses, and he hasn't had an asthma attack, or any sign of eczema since.

Check all around outside for any plants etc that could be causing a reaction. It may not be a solution, but it could help. It may even be a plant from the next door neighbours that the wind is blowing a pollun over the fence.

[jkate]

Hi Lucinda

Thanks for the advice. I was so frustrated that day I wrote the post, and worried about my little boy. I tried to find the Skin soothing lotion from Gaia, but none of the chemist seem to stock it. I was given some samples of Dermaveen, but I also brought some hemp body butter from the body shop, and that seems to have help a lot. Since we have cut out citrus from his diet, his face seems a lot better, but it does flare up if I notice he has been sucking on his toys. Since we moved he started to put things in his mouth, due to the move and a new baby everyone seems to think its due the stress of the change. However he has started to do it less and less so that could be another reason his face is not as bad. I am going to keep an eye on it, and when ever I see another Chemist I will check out if they have the Gaia products. Fingers cross he will grow out of it soon.

Once again thanks for the advice, it helps being able to have a vent but it helps even more when someone sends a hug. :hugs:

[bingo]

thats OK. It might be worth writing an email to Gaia to see if they will send you some samples and if they can tell you where your nearest stockist would be? You never know your luck they might send you some freebies. If the body butter is helping then maybe stick with that? Sounds like a winner. No worries about the hug, I find they help too.:thumbsup:

[jkate]

Hi Lucinda

I had a look at the Gaia website last night and had a look at the retailers list. I found one that was close to me that I had not got to yet. I went this afternoon, and was told that they no longer stock Gaia products as they didnt sell. I told them that I was recommened the products by serveral people. However they did have a bottle of mosturiser left at half price!! So I brought it! :smiliedance: I might try it tonight, and I will let you know how it goes.

[KaM]

As a 25yr old who has grown up with eczema I can feel for all the little ones out there with it. No matter how long and how old you get .. it can still be one of the most frustrating conditions to have. Especially as every person breaks out differently. My mother like many of you was told to try probably 100's of different creams and remedies in my life. And she swears, as do I now, that salt water is like miracle cure. To this day, a dip in the ocean or even a salt water bath (using sea salt with no additives in it) can clear up a break out within hours sometimes. It does dry the skin a little but some moisturiser can handle that side of things. BUt let me tell you from someone who has had some terrible breakouts . .salt water was heaven for me at times, It can be a little painful if you have broken skin . . and I know thats the last thing we want . .but using it as a preventative works as well. Before my belly got to big I would have a salt bath once a week if I could and it kept most outbreaks to a minimum. On another note, I had never been to a dermatologist until just over 2 years ao and he gave me a cream that I don't know how I ever lived without. its called Advantin Fatty Ointment. The tubes are tiny and I need to get a special prescription that gets me 10 at a time, but the tiniest amount can clear up the worst outbreaks. I have had some really bad outbreaks in my life, just last year after a very stressful time in my life I was even on a steroid tablet with my cream to help with my bad outbreak . .not something I would wish on my worst enemy!! . . .Eczema isnt the worst condition but it can be one of the most frustrating . .and on an ending note . .the next person to tell me "don't scratch" . . god help them!! :P