- Melissa B. Wesley Chapel, NC
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Monday, August 31, 2009
Eczema Blues
Any tricks for baby eczema? My baby is 4 months old and we just found out that the "rash" he's had for a couple days is actually eczema. Does it go away on it's own or is this really something he's going to deal with forever?
6 comments:
My daughter and my husband BOTH have eczema. Your baby might grow out of it but he also might grow INTO it. i.e. it might get worse the older he gets. We use a lot of oatmeal based products such as Aveno for bat...h time..the power bath add is the best. No more scented anything. We also learned this weekend that bedmites will make eczema 10 times worse. If you can clean your matresses on a weekly basis this will help keep down the breakouts. Sunlight is a very good natural healer for eczema and keeping him hydrated (no sugary drinks..of course he's only a baby) but that will also help. We use Eucerine lotion on AvaRose when she gets out of the bath. Normally we use this at night because its pretty greasy and thick. However, it is good for her skin and mostly keeps the eczema at bay. Also stress is an eczema instigator :) so if you are traveling or changing sitters, etc. beware because he will probably have a flair up.
I have eczema, and so does my sweet little Caroline, makings ure your diet is full of zinc really helps. We use an all natural laundry detergent called Crunchy Clean. you can buy it on their website crunchyclean.com and it's REALLY cheap! We have an HE washer, and we get about 9 months worth of laundry detergent for less than $15. Stay clear of creams, because they contain alcohol that will burn and make him cry! (trust me!) If you use hydrocortisone or anything get teh ointment. I have a prescription for Tiamcinolone, and Caroline uses a lotion called Cutivate. My little sister uses something that's an RX too...but I don't know what it's called. It's clear and comes in a HUGE bottle, but it really works!
Oh and they make dye free scent free downy and everything now too
My two oldest sons have had eczema from infancy - they NEVER had the classic baby-soft skin! At 5 and 6 1/2, their skin is still not that great, but it is getting a little better. The other posters seem to have some great advice!! But I would add, don't OVER bathe your son. If you give him a daily bath, as people often suggest for babies, you will dry out his skin further and irritate his eczema. We use Aveeno or other dye- and fragrance-free baby washes for them. We also try not to just sit them in a bath with a lot of soap in it. But if they do take a bubble bath or something, we'll empty the tub and refill it with fresh water to thoroughly rinse them off. Anyway, good luck! You are probably looking at a long batle, but it will have times when it's better and times when it flares up (winter is the worst for us). Oh, and sweating can really irritate my kids' skin, so bear that in mind. Don't overdress him. And as he gets older and sweats from exertion, he may need some extra baths to rinse the sweat off.
Try using a little bit of olive oil. Rub it into his skin. My niece has eczema and she uses both the cream and olive oil and it has helped a ton!
I have eczema and my best friends little one had it TERRIBLY as an infant. Both of us are under the care of an amazing Dr. in Huntersville. She has a treatment plan that has kept our eczema in check and the little one has never had is at bad to what it was like prior to seeing her. She had us cut back baths. In and out, not toys, wash the essentials on warm to cool water, avoid hot water. And baths every other day preferably every few days, water is the enemy. As soon as excited the bath, pat dry and apply the cream to help lock in the moisture. We used CeraVe cleansing wash and the cream or lotion after water exposure. I have it bad on my hands and the CeraVe is the only thing that doesn't burn as far as soap. You can get it at any Pharmacy. Target keeps it in stock and CVS often runs sales on it.
I just found out something interesting... for future reference. Since you have a child with eczema, it's likely you'll have another, so remember this the next time you have a baby, I sure will!
When babies are born they are covered in vernex. Instead of washing it away it is best to let it stay on the baby for a while and absorb naturally. If you have a hospital birth just request that they don't rub it off or give your baby a bath for a few hours.
Of my moms three kids, two of us have eczema, the one who kept her vernex on the longest (and had the most) doesn't have eczema.
I know the appeal of a fresh clean baby is tempting, but wait a few hours, then have a fresh clean baby.
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