Is it eczema?

[susmamma]

DD1 who is 2 has had bumpy(? or maybe spotty is a better word ) type skin on her upper arms and cheeks since she was about 6 months old. It feels a bit like sand paper but when I look closely i can see tiny little pimples. I originally thought they were trapped hair follicles. What started out as a patch of skin on her upper arm has now spread to the whole of her arm from shoulder to elbow and I noticed tonight it is now on her lower arm from elbow to halfway down her arm towards her wrist. Some of the tiny spots have little white or little black heads on them. But when I scratched at one of them tonight they were just little bits of skin, didnt look infected or like regular white or black heads.
When I saw the doctor about it when she was a baby the two doctors I saw said to use sorbelene cream to wash with. I have done this at every bath for a year and a half and it's made no difference. I never use soap on her and we use a hypoallergenic shampoo... am at a loss as to what to do? Are dermatologists any good?
The rash/bumpy skin on her cheeks is back again too... she only ever used to get it when she was teething as a baby but now that's back too. Actually rash is the wrong word. They are like tiny little pimples.

Is this what eczema is? She isnt itchy and although her arm skin is dry it's not peeling.

[punkbaby]

Go back to your gp or a peadatrician there is no point spending the extra on a dermatologist and i found with my younger too their pead was just as good and it worked :) we still have excema but its managed better now and eased more as well

It may or may not be excema but if you request the gp takes more notice or paed then they will its quiet common and most good doctors will know what it is by looking at it :)

Good luck

[oleander]

My DD has eczema although it was worse before. It's gotten 99% better since detecting her nut and egg allergies.

It sounds like it could be eczema although it's best to go to your GP and get a referral to a Dermatologist.

Do you think it might be linked to an allergy? Does it flare up after she has certain foods or uses certain creams or soaps?

[susmamma]

My DD has eczema although it was worse before. It's gotten 99% better since detecting her nut and egg allergies.

It sounds like it could be eczema although it's best to go to your GP and get a referral to a Dermatologist.

Do you think it might be linked to an allergy? Does it flare up after she has certain foods or uses certain creams or soaps?

Do dermatologists detect allergies or do you go somewhere else to get that analysed?

[punkbaby]

Was actually going to mention i found it was more soaps etc that flared my kids up they both got it at 3 months and it was picked up then basically i had to introduce things slowly ...cut everything out that i was using and start again.

My kids itch though quiet severely and this time of the year till around july tends to make it worse and they need the cold wraps at night :( thankfully its not food

I only bath the younger ones in oil now (qv) and can only use one detergent and also find that only shampoo that doesnt affect them is tee tree for some reason...

I cut everything out and they still come up in a hideous welting rash at this time of the year so my gp was thinking it could also be actual pollens etc outside if that makes sense :)

[oleander]

Do dermatologists detect allergies or do you go somewhere else to get that analysed?

The Dermatologist took a blood test and detected a nut allergy and then when I had a follow-up appointment 6 weeks later the eczema was just as bad. He sent me to the 'Allergist' who did the scratch tests and found nut and egg allergies. The scratch tests are more accurate than the blood.

This all happened when DD was about 4 months old. She is fully breastfed and I was eating lots of nuts and eggs (among other things!) because I thought they were good for my milk (the good fats). Are you BF? You could try cutting out nuts and see if it does anything and if not then try cutting out eggs. Apparently these are the most common of allergies with infants. Oh, and milk.

Anyway the way I went about it I ended up getting all my appointments with the Dermo and Allergist for free through the public hospital.

[susmamma]

thanks for everyone's feedback.
will head back to the drs.
xx

[Adria]

My DD has the same kind of rash/pimple thing.
The Drs keep telling me to use different creams on her.
I think it is milk she has a reaction to.
Did see a dermatologist, who said because it wasn't life threatening wouldn't test her until 5 yrs:mad:

[BaC2life]

DD1 who is 2 has had bumpy(? or maybe spotty is a better word ) type skin on her upper arms and cheeks since she was about 6 months old. It feels a bit like sand paper but when I look closely i can see tiny little pimples. I originally thought they were trapped hair follicles. What started out as a patch of skin on her upper arm has now spread to the whole of her arm from shoulder to elbow and I noticed tonight it is now on her lower arm from elbow to halfway down her arm towards her wrist. Some of the tiny spots have little white or little black heads on them. But when I scratched at one of them tonight they were just little bits of skin, didnt look infected or like regular white or black heads.
When I saw the doctor about it when she was a baby the two doctors I saw said to use sorbelene cream to wash with. I have done this at every bath for a year and a half and it's made no difference. I never use soap on her and we use a hypoallergenic shampoo... am at a loss as to what to do? Are dermatologists any good?
The rash/bumpy skin on her cheeks is back again too... she only ever used to get it when she was teething as a baby but now that's back too. Actually rash is the wrong word. They are like tiny little pimples.

Is this what eczema is? She isnt itchy and although her arm skin is dry it's not peeling.

Hello Sussmamma
I am very new to this and do appologise if this post is a bother.I just figure ,well you have to start somewhere.Right!!
I cant say if your child has eczema, but i can say" i found my daughter to have eczema at 2 months of age.The signs i saw were a rash on every joint of her body.First it started on her arms in the slits then underneath her arm pits.The rash was red and bubbly when it was bad.Straight after this i decided to take my daughter to the drs.The dr then said it was very clear that she had chronic eczema.I asked all sorts of questions ,like can she be tested for allergies,why does she have eczema when i dont ?how can i help her?The answers were 1 she cant be tested until age of five.He then said that in some cases eczema is passed on from generations,and can also be linked to asthma,and other sinus problems.(which my daughter did later on get all three of them:(.
The advice i was given was try quarterzone and many other creams,ointments.If you want to know my whole story and more facts click on my signiature.

[BaC2life]

See you can tell im a newbie, firstly i dont know why i got that quote up there and second my signature didnt show up. I think i fixed it now..lets see. :)