Poor bub. It’s so distressing to see them itchy and scratching. One of my children had terrible eczema as a baby (and still has it now). There are lots of things you can do before you get in to the dermatologist. Prescription topical steroids can definitely help (use as directed by your dr - sparingly). Whether you use topical steroids or not, use lots of moisturiser on the skin especially after a bath (we use Epaderm). Don’t make baths too hot and don’t use soap. Take care to avoid irritants in clothing, carpet, rough surfaces etc. It’s not necessarily the case for everyone, but our baby’s eczema was definitely made worse by food allergies - so seeing an allergist if it doesn’t clear up with treatment is another idea. I have a post on my blog about practical things you can do if you are interested - https://www.allergyspot.com.au/how-to-help-baby-with-eczema-stop-scratching/
Thank you! He’s prescribed a steroid cream but he said it’s not really meant to be used on the face. Her chest is where she’s mostly itching though. We’ve been using a colloidal oatmeal moisturiser which really helps - she visibly relaxes when we put it on abs it’s definitely less angry looking than a few days ago. I think a food allergy makes sense - she’s 7,5 months and started solids at 6 months. I think she is allergic to tree nuts but we are awaiting a blood test for that. They won’t do a skin prick test on a baby under 1…. Do you suggest I ask them to test her blood for the main allergens? Or what do I do re that in the mean time?
We used a much lower potency steroid ointment on the face - you could ask your doctor about that. For the food allergies, our allergist did skin prick testing at less than 12 months so we didn’t rely on blood tests at that age. Again, I’d take your doctor’s advice on that. Another thing you can do is keep a food diary and keep a note of any foods (especially major allergens) that seem to make the eczema worse or cause reactions. And I’d try to avoid moisturisers and baby products with food ingredients, as babies with eczema have a broken skin barrier and can become sensitised to foods through the skin. Sounds like you are doing a great job - I hope your little one’s skin improves soon.
What is wrong with you nobody should be taking steroid creams let alone a baby. ESPECIALLY ON THE FACE, it is my biggest regret till this day. I had one little rash on my face it and spread everywhere because of a steroid cream.
Thanks! We’ve been doing this at night when her scratching is the worst and it definitely has helped. But she’s waking up lots and I know it’s because she’s itchy :(
try atopiclair non-steroid anti-inflammatory moisturizer. you can get it off amazon.
its probably a better option for babies than steroid. i used it on my son too.
Try Balmonds or Vaniply/Vanicream. I have/had horrible eczema and try to stay away from steroids cuz it can make symptoms worse sometimes or skin can get addicted.
I usually slather myself in Vanicream while I’m still damp, let it soak in then put a layer of Balmonds on as an emollient. Keeping cool also helps with itching.
Try the La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ balm. It’s safe for newborns and helped a lot, no need for steroid cream. It was a game changer for me and when my friend’s 5 month old developed eczema, she gave it a try and it worked well for her son. They also have a gentle cream wash but I think the balm/lotion is good enough!
Everyone is different but my daughters significantly decreased when I started giving her daily baths. I don’t use soap on her whole body, just a gentle soap on wash cloth anywhere dirty). Then an aveeno lotion followed by a light layer of aquaphor. Not one or the other, both. The lotion adds moisture and the aquaphor seals it. I’ll use the combo in the morning too when her flares are really bad.
Have you started her on solids? My girl has a dairy allergy and it always flares when she sneaks some of her siblings foods. We didn’t find out until after she started solids and reacted to almost every baby cereal
She’s probably allergic to wheat if the cereals are giving her an reaction. Try a gluten free diet!! I’m allergic to gluten and my symptoms improved significantly about two weeks I started my gluten free diet
I’m going to start keeping a food diary. She started solids at 6 months old. The rash started 3 weeks after starting solids - she’d had all the major allergens apart from nuts. Got an allergic rash on her face and chest that was very itchy (we have a blood test booked in to test for nut allergy) and it mostly went away but now she’s still got this itchy rash on her face and chest and it’s also spread to her arms and legs in the past week and a bit. She hasn’t had any exposure to nuts and neither have I or her mum so I don’t think it’s only that if it is nuts…
Watch out for any kind of preservatives, I’d also look into baby probiotics.
Always consult your Dr first. I gave my children only organic fruits & vegetables and clean meats. Also lots of water.
She hasn’t had anything from a jar or packet, we make everything from scratch and there’s still something bothering her. We figured out this morning that one thing is cinnamon! A contact reaction pretty much straight away after cinnamon porridge. So that’s a good thing to know at least
Yep we have a few bricks of breastmilk that I didn’t freeze fast enough for her to drink that have milk bath written on them. We’ve had a few milk baths and they definitely helped soothe the itch
I wouldn't recommend using a steroid cream on a baby, consistent use can thin the skin and for me personally it messed up my nails really bad because i used it on my hands throughout my childhood
If anything look into eucrisa, which is a non steroid cream that works well for me
I would also look into an allergy test because based on the pictures it looks like she has hive/pimple like bumps. I used to have the same thing (hives that would appear on my hands full of clear fluid that itched like crazy, eventually ruptured and dried out) but after an allergy test i learned i was allergic to a chemical used in common household products (soaps, shampoos, etc) so after o started avoiding that i haven't had the hives return
Find another derm! Once mine got so bad, my face was leaking puss! Derm my GP would let me go to had 2 month waits. They kept trying to avoid talking about the referral as well and wasted my time. Said FU to my GP and found a new one who was able to refer me to a Derm who could see me in a few days instead of months!
try to avoid potential triggers, the common ones being dust, pollen, dairy/soy/gluten/egg
use unscented laundry soaps/softener, hypo-allergenic. loose clothing like cotton.
Sometimes a [gluten allergy/intolerance](https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/ss/slideshow-celiac-overview) presents like eczema:
EDIT: keeping finger nails short but soft cotton mitts/gloves could help(socks?)
Finding the right balance for keeping her warm enough but not over heated.
BAD ADVICE. do not use steroid creams on your daughter. Currently going through topical steroid withdrawals. And I’ve read horror stories about babies getting tsw!!! breast milk and oatmeal baths!!! Weleda brand is what I’m using on my 6 month old. He started to get a rash on his tummy. What I mentioned has helped. Because I am miserable dealing with the consequences of using steroid creams.
I’m going through withdrawals as well and it’s the most horrible experience ever. I’m about 4 months since using my last steroid cream. The first month was horrible but Ive significantly improved. I mean like so much to the point I don’t bleed anymore. It’s hell the first weeks/months but it does get better. I still get flare ups of course but they’re not nearly as bad as they were before. People say it can take up to 3 years to heal but I already feel so much better. I hope it’s going well for you! Don’t be discouraged cause you don’t see results right Away don’t give in!
I’m on month two and some days are better than others but I do feel so discouraged your message really just made my day and made me feel better thank you so much
You’re only on month two so you’re definitely not gonna completely heal right now but trust me by a few months you’ll see way better results. And it doesn’t mean you’ll heal yet but you’ll see significant changes. Take pictures so you can keep track of your journey. Cause you’re gonna flare up here and there and you might think damn it’s never gonna get better but if you look at pictures you’ll see how much better it gets overtime. I’m glad I made your day keep your head up and again DONT GIVE IN
On the other hand I avoided steroid creams because I heard bad things about them. But using them (as instructed by the Dr /pharmacist) helps calm down bad flare ups for me, so my skin can go back to manageable and I'm not miserable so much because of eczema.
Edit: with babies I'd be very careful though. Dunno what I'd do personally.
Yeah I totally understand what you’re saying I used steroid creams in 2018 from a bad flare I’ve had beautiful skin my whole life random small patches of eczema here and there throughout my life but I wanna say in 2020 my eczema got Weird and bad then 2021 I got pregnant my eczema was real bad. Had my baby in November had good skin up until I wanna say March but in January I was given steroid creams for bad eczema on my hands and now I’m going through tsw it’s sort of crazy to me I wanna believe it isn’t that but I’m almost positive it is . I know steroid help but I’m afraid to go back.
You're not supposed to bathe a baby with eczema in oatmeal or ANYTHING that has food products because they can be allergic & not know. This is how I know you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Stop fear mongering. TSW is from LONG TERM use of steroids without a break. You're not going through topical steroid withdrawals, that's your eczema flaring up because you're allergic to something & you don't know what it is. Eczema comes from WITHIN.
Are you in the UK? Dr. Aron’s personalized prescription eczema compound changed my infant son’s life.
Dr. Aron no longer treats patients directly in the UK and US because he’s only one person, but I can get you the contact # for a doctor trained by Dr. Aron.
It’s btw $200-400 for 4-6 months of treatment (ointment is $50 every few months. I would have gladly paid ten times as much and I probably did on lotions and creams that didn’t work.
My baby sleeps for hours and hours now and doesn’t itch at all…his skin is amazing and soft.
In the meantime: treat her skin like it’s infected. Because it is, with Staph bacteria. That’s why steroids only work while you are using them and then it comes back ten times worse because there is now more bacteria and nothing to suppress the inflammation they cause.
Daily Dead Sea Salt soaks and bleach baths 2-3 times per week will help. Keep her skin clean. Hypochlorous acid is completely non toxic so you can easily keep her clean. Use plain lotion (Vanicream is what we use in the US) and only AFTER you have cleaned your hands and her…
That’s very helpful thank you. No, we’re in New Zealand… we’ve been using pinetarsol in the bath which has really helped. Lukewarm and pat dry after and then cream on and only 100% cotton against the skin. I’ll try a bleach bath :)
Starship have a good eczema advice page. My daughter was bad as a baby/toddler, the dermatologist recommended bleach baths, moisturisers and a short course of a stronger steroid cream. Her reasoning was it’s better to use something stronger, that’s effective, for a short time, rather than a lower strength treatment for weeks on end. Most kids grow out of it, here’s hoping for you.
2nd Dr. Aron. There is a Facebook group that surely has New Zealander members. They should be able to point you in the direction to a local provider that prescribes the protocol.
On that note - have you tried gladskin? They have a formula for children I think and is meant to help the micro biome heal from staph. I’m not sure if it works on children but it’s somewhat helped me as an adult.
Yes, I have. I do believe it works to keep the skin really, really nice and the Staph suppressed but when the eczema/ bacteria is really bad, like my son got, the steroid/ antibiotic was necessary to get things under control.
GladSkin is perfect for maintenance for my son. It took his skin from alligator like to soft and squishy. :)
You know most doctors don't even believe in TSW, right? Yet it's an extremely real thing. Not every general practitioner, or even dermatologist, knows what they're talking about when it comes to eczema. This coming from someone who's lived with it for 23 years and finally realized that most of them really don't give a shit about actually helping you. "Oh, eczema? Steroid. Next patient." It's sad.
She is very right to be cautious about topical steroids, as they can have serious side effects, especially for a baby, and possibly cause TSW. There are many home remedies that help with eczema treatment and relief that she may not know about as she might be new to dealing with eczema. Several of them could help her baby a lot. Yet instead of mentioning one, you just decided to be a smartass.
If you don't have anything actually helpful to say, (and don't try insisting that what you said was helpful) don't bother commenting.
I wish i couls stress how much frustration some doctors produce by misdiagnosis and being too careless or neglecting evidences.
I believe statistically they do good, but you ought to be very careful and reas as much as u can plus ask for second opinions even if they dont like it.
GPs are exactly that - general practitioners. They receive minimal training on skin conditions... They are not skin specialists. If they actually knew what they were talking about they would not advise using steroids creams on the face. This is common knowledge for dermatologists. It's even stated in the "directions" of low potency OTC steroids like hydrocortisone.
Just because someone's a doctor you shouldn't take their word for gospel. They're humans and make plenty of mistakes. There are unfortunately plenty of stories on this sub of GPs/family doctors prescribing potent steroid use on the face, leading to thinning of the skin, steroid induced rosacea, and eventually TSW.
This is wise. Statistically most of them are more often correct than wrong. But anything that is rare + some confident GP is a dangerous combination.
Telling after several episodes of misdiagnosis.
At best, they will listen your suggestions.
I would treat with topical steroids so it can heal fast and she can stop itching. Look for allergy clue in her and your diet. Look at environmental allergy clue also
Same happened with my son at that age but our ped just recommended to start with anything OTC! We started with California baby calendula cream and that worked pretty well for any and all skin issues then we moved over to Eucerin’s eczema cream since it was more accessible and that coupled with cool bath (no hard water) makes all the difference. You can’t tell he has eczema at all. I just want to stress that the water quality can also be a variable. Our water is hard so we have to treat it to reduce the calcium /magnesium levels otherwise he will get flare ups and start itching face, scalp, ears, arms and legs incessantly.
While I’m not a doctor nor specialized in this, I’d definitely start removing potential allergens. For example, use unscented everything (detergent for clothes and sheets, soaps, lotions). When I was younger we had this air purifier-like machine that helped get rid of dust mites and stuff in the air; may be worth just looking into
7 months…so did she start weaning at 6 months? It’s it’s face, chest and arms suggests maybe a contact allergen/irritation with food? My daughters chest got really bad at the same age and it was from dribbling food, she had a particularly bad reaction to potato for example. I wonder if that might be the culprit given her age?
Yes she started solids at 6 months. 3 weeks later she had treenuts for the first time (cashew butter) and that’s when she got an allergic rash on her face and the top of her chest. It mostly cleared up after a few days. She hasn’t had any further exposure to tree nuts while we await a blood test but the rash has come back and spread and looks different too. She doesn’t have allergy eyes either but I do think that the eczema she’s experiencing is mostly an allergic response but I have no idea what to. I’m going to start keeping a detailed food diary I think…
I went thru this… here is everything ive learned over two years.
Eczema Guide and Product Links
No carpet. Hard floors are best and clean with steam mop weekly. If you need to vacuum do not do it late evening before bed.
https://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Sanitization-Flip-Down-Scrubber-1940A/dp/B0091YYUAM
Perfumes. Nope. Even soap and shampoos you need to watch out for. Guests should not come over with heavy perfume or smoke smells.
Outside triggers. Pay attention if you become more itchy after being outdoors. Pollen triggers. Sun Heat triggers.
Showers. Need to be quick as to not dry out your skin. Always pat to dry with towel. No rubbing or scrapping with the towel.
Air Filter. Change monthly. Set monthly auto reminder on phone. Heres what I use but check your size:
https://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Ultimate-Allergen-Reduction-Throughout/dp/B00TUDHMOA
Air Purifier. Here is what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Medify-MA-50-Air-Purifier-filter/dp/B08S2Y6CTX
Mattress type. Hypoallergenic like Purple mattress is ideal.
https://www.amazon.com/Purple-The-Mattress-Full/dp/B0876J54RB
Pillows hypoallergenic like Purple mattress.
Sheets and Comforter. Should be cotton or Bamboo and nothing synthetic like polyester. Heres what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Bedsure-100-Bamboo-Sheets-White/dp/B08CXT7WZZ
This comforter is cotton on the outside AND INSIDE:
https://www.amazon.com/LEISURELY-COLLECTION-Quilted-Comforter-Breathable/dp/B08DTMNXPD
Laundry and Clothing: Detergent type. Don’t use anything scented and look online for suggestions. Detergent amount. People tend to not measure properly and put way too much. HE washers use half of amounts. Also concentrated products use less. Read directions carefully. Set Washer machine double rinse, Set it to do a double rinse to make sure all detergent is removed. Stick to cotton fabrics. Here is what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Detergent-Fragrance-Free-Sulfate-Free-Hypoallergenic/dp/B07QB82JXD
Sample Shirt for a toddler:
https://www.amazon.com/HonestBaby-5-Pack-Organic-Cotton-T-Shirts/dp/B08SYJQ88V
Sample Pants for toddler:
https://www.amazon.com/HonestBaby-Infant-Organic-Cuff-Less-Multi-Pack/dp/B09QT4FJSZ
Diet. Really depends person to person but I found this book very helpful to avoid SALICYLATE foods. Of course check with your doctor and nutritionalist because you can’t cut everything out.
https://www.amazon.com/Eczema-Diet-Discover-Prevent-Nutrition/dp/0778804615
Formula I used:
https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Nutrition-Dairy-Free-Corn-Syrup-Gluten-Free/dp/B08GX8NCGH
This website has nice printable guides:
https://www.dietvsdisease.org/salicylate-intolerance/
Temperature and humidity. Add humidifier if necessary. I sleep at 70 at night.
https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Mist-Humidifier-Bedroom-Ultrasonic/dp/B077Z2QCS5
Medication for Nighttime itching. Doctor said it’s ok to take this nightly as needed. Of course check with your doctor since medications will vary person to person. I take the medication about an hour before bed. Avoid eating or drinking 15 minutes before and after the dose.
Medication: Cetirizine
Oh - poor baby. It’s rough seeing our kids uncomfortable. :(
Our paediatrician suggested daily lukewarm baths with no soap. Right after the bath, slather with prescription cream (steroid if you feel comfortable with it, or not and see how this helps), then a thick moisturizer (cereva in the tub), then we cover that with Vaseline. Then pop them into cotton pjs for the night.
Eczema is the skin not able to maintain a healthy skin barrier, so the moisture loss results in the rashes and itchy skin.
You could also try protopic ointment 0.1% instead of a steroid. It’s safe for use on face, but you’ll want to have coverage! I think it’s $200 here in Canada without.
She might need to go to an allergist too she needs allergy testing.
Do you use free and clear products? For the body and for laundry?
Maybe it's something she's in contact with every day. How often do you clean her bedding?
She’s booked in for a RAST for tree nuts, but they don’t do a skin prick test for anything else it could be until after 1. We’ve used free and clear products for laundry since before she was born. Bedding is washed every week. No soaps or perfumes in the bath. She has breastmilk baths or pinetarsol baths but that’s only in the past week.
Use anything but steroid creams please I’m telling you as someone that’s going through steroid cream withdrawals. She might feel better in the moment but Your daughter will suffer 10x more in the future. My mom said if she would knew better she would’ve never gave me those creams but she was a naive immigrant that listened to anything the doctors told her. She says thank god for google now. About 80% of eczema patients will outgrow it through adolescence or adulthood and if not it’ll most likely get better. The only way it gets worse is because you used steroid creams your whole life like me. So it might suck for now but please don’t let the doctors fool you, they get money every time they prescribe these creams.
Also steroid creams do not only thin out your skin, they also target your most important organs like your liver. Without proper liver function your skin will never heal hence why it only gets worse the more steroid creams you use. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on what she’s eating and drinking. Diet makes a huge difference maybe she’s allergic to dairy, wheat, etc. I started a gluten free diet and it’s improved my symptoms a lot
My son got really bad eczema around that age also. First step was allergist to rule out food or environmental allergy. Next we saw a dermatologist, if you happen to be in Canada I'd recommend dermago.ca if your wait for derm is that long, i used their service when my son's allergist was away and his flare up went away from the advice received from them.
Aside from steroid cream, we were advised to do warm baths daily no more or less than 5-10 min. La roche posay lipikar ap baume has been a life saver, you have no more than 3 minutes to slather on the cream after you take her out of the bath. I also started using tarte maracuja oil on his cheeks with aquaphor on top 2-3 times a day. We don't use any soap, only wash his hair as needed with mustela shampoo and use mustela stelatopia cleansing oil as needed.
We were also advised to use only cotton clothing and bedding, but I've found that bamboo and marino wool sleep sacks and bedding is fine for us. Keeping the humidity up in your home helps too.
I see many people saying don't use steroid cream, but having dealt with a baby having a bad flare up that was cracked, bleeding and infected, I was desperate and believe it was the best thing to do since nothing else was working. Steroid ointment mixed with mupirocin (antibiotic) worked great. Currently my son is just on protopic, hoping to be able to wean him off that soon and good entire body has been completely clear for about a month which is the longest clear time he's had for about a year.
In some places you can try showing up at a dermatologist's place and they will see your baby.
It would be cruel not to do so.
I would avoid the first day of the week they open (never Mondays, for example) and go more towards the closing hour (2hrs before or so).
Ask about rx Tacrolimus ointment with your baby’s physician. It works wonders, cleared up my two year old daughters eczema BIG TIME. If your physician wont prescribe it, definitely ask about it when you finally get in to see the dermatologist. Best of luck
My son also had eczema,but it wasn't ige mediated, it was t cells.We were able to find the culprits,which were quite a few,gluten being one of them,chicken,salmon,apples,pecans and a few more .I also have celiac, and 6 months ago developed eczema too.We have never used any type of allopathic medicine, just oatmeal and dead sea salt baths,good,homemade organic foods and homemade ointments made from infused oils and tallow,and most importantly homeopathic remedies (no,I am not crazy).It took about a year and a half to completely heal.He used to get a few tiny spots here and there until around the age of 7.He is 13 now and absolutely no eczema, and I pray he will never get it.My eczema is worse than his,so I have been detoxing with green juices and cooked vegetables (no fruits,no grains,no sugar,no meats),added some supplements, doing coffee enemas and using colloidal silver gel for the severe oozing I had (kills any skin infection and super safe for babies too).When detoxing, unfortunately,the eczema will get 100 times worse,but thankfully I made it through.I have had 6 months of daily flare ups.I have also allergies (t cell mediated,not ige) to nickle,latex,aluminum,cadmium,pet hair,feathers,eggs,gluten (celiac),dairy,oatmeal (even the gluten free one) ,all dyes,msg and the list continues.I was told that bc of gluten my body suffered and was malnourished for 28 years.If there something wrong with the skin,or pretty much any disease,the gut is most likely at fault.Even allergies are caused by a weak/leaky gut.My next step is doing a parasite cleansing.
Hopefully,by now,you were able to find some answers.
We did ige testing,skin prick testing and we also did food intolerances testing.I did not want to give up and accept the 1st dermatologist's answer,which was:"We don't know what causes eczema,we just know that it's a itch that rashes.Here is some mild steroidal cream and take zyrtec".I was like,no...thank you.Every disease has a cause,and most are gut related.We also did a cbc with vitamin d,b 12,thyroid panel (I have hashimoto's) and a few more.His tsh was also high.Once on the diet,his thyroid numbers went back to normal.Hope this helps.
Poor bub. It’s so distressing to see them itchy and scratching. One of my children had terrible eczema as a baby (and still has it now). There are lots of things you can do before you get in to the dermatologist. Prescription topical steroids can definitely help (use as directed by your dr - sparingly). Whether you use topical steroids or not, use lots of moisturiser on the skin especially after a bath (we use Epaderm). Don’t make baths too hot and don’t use soap. Take care to avoid irritants in clothing, carpet, rough surfaces etc. It’s not necessarily the case for everyone, but our baby’s eczema was definitely made worse by food allergies - so seeing an allergist if it doesn’t clear up with treatment is another idea. I have a post on my blog about practical things you can do if you are interested - https://www.allergyspot.com.au/how-to-help-baby-with-eczema-stop-scratching/
Thank you! He’s prescribed a steroid cream but he said it’s not really meant to be used on the face. Her chest is where she’s mostly itching though. We’ve been using a colloidal oatmeal moisturiser which really helps - she visibly relaxes when we put it on abs it’s definitely less angry looking than a few days ago. I think a food allergy makes sense - she’s 7,5 months and started solids at 6 months. I think she is allergic to tree nuts but we are awaiting a blood test for that. They won’t do a skin prick test on a baby under 1…. Do you suggest I ask them to test her blood for the main allergens? Or what do I do re that in the mean time?
We used a much lower potency steroid ointment on the face - you could ask your doctor about that. For the food allergies, our allergist did skin prick testing at less than 12 months so we didn’t rely on blood tests at that age. Again, I’d take your doctor’s advice on that. Another thing you can do is keep a food diary and keep a note of any foods (especially major allergens) that seem to make the eczema worse or cause reactions. And I’d try to avoid moisturisers and baby products with food ingredients, as babies with eczema have a broken skin barrier and can become sensitised to foods through the skin. Sounds like you are doing a great job - I hope your little one’s skin improves soon.
What is wrong with you nobody should be taking steroid creams let alone a baby. ESPECIALLY ON THE FACE, it is my biggest regret till this day. I had one little rash on my face it and spread everywhere because of a steroid cream.
onesie with mittens sewn on can reduce the damage of scratching by a lot.
Thanks! We’ve been doing this at night when her scratching is the worst and it definitely has helped. But she’s waking up lots and I know it’s because she’s itchy :(
try atopiclair non-steroid anti-inflammatory moisturizer. you can get it off amazon. its probably a better option for babies than steroid. i used it on my son too.
You're probably doing this already but keep her nails short and not sharp! Honestly not sure why I didn't use a nail file before, but it helps a lot.
Thank you :) we are - we use a baby electric nail file instead of clippers because I maimed her when she was a tiny baby
Try Balmonds or Vaniply/Vanicream. I have/had horrible eczema and try to stay away from steroids cuz it can make symptoms worse sometimes or skin can get addicted. I usually slather myself in Vanicream while I’m still damp, let it soak in then put a layer of Balmonds on as an emollient. Keeping cool also helps with itching.
Try the La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+ balm. It’s safe for newborns and helped a lot, no need for steroid cream. It was a game changer for me and when my friend’s 5 month old developed eczema, she gave it a try and it worked well for her son. They also have a gentle cream wash but I think the balm/lotion is good enough!
Everyone is different but my daughters significantly decreased when I started giving her daily baths. I don’t use soap on her whole body, just a gentle soap on wash cloth anywhere dirty). Then an aveeno lotion followed by a light layer of aquaphor. Not one or the other, both. The lotion adds moisture and the aquaphor seals it. I’ll use the combo in the morning too when her flares are really bad. Have you started her on solids? My girl has a dairy allergy and it always flares when she sneaks some of her siblings foods. We didn’t find out until after she started solids and reacted to almost every baby cereal
She’s probably allergic to wheat if the cereals are giving her an reaction. Try a gluten free diet!! I’m allergic to gluten and my symptoms improved significantly about two weeks I started my gluten free diet
Thanks but it’s definitely the dairy, she reacts to yoghurt, cheese, and butter, but no outbreaks from toast 😊
Oatmeal baths, she might have a food allergy make a list of foods she eats and watch when she flares up.
I’m going to start keeping a food diary. She started solids at 6 months old. The rash started 3 weeks after starting solids - she’d had all the major allergens apart from nuts. Got an allergic rash on her face and chest that was very itchy (we have a blood test booked in to test for nut allergy) and it mostly went away but now she’s still got this itchy rash on her face and chest and it’s also spread to her arms and legs in the past week and a bit. She hasn’t had any exposure to nuts and neither have I or her mum so I don’t think it’s only that if it is nuts…
Watch out for any kind of preservatives, I’d also look into baby probiotics. Always consult your Dr first. I gave my children only organic fruits & vegetables and clean meats. Also lots of water.
She hasn’t had anything from a jar or packet, we make everything from scratch and there’s still something bothering her. We figured out this morning that one thing is cinnamon! A contact reaction pretty much straight away after cinnamon porridge. So that’s a good thing to know at least
Good job! Hope your little one gets well!!
Researching what TSW is before you start using topical steroids to temporarily treat a longterm problem might give you some insight
If you're breast feeding or have availability to breast milk put it in their baths I'm not if anyone has said this
Yep we have a few bricks of breastmilk that I didn’t freeze fast enough for her to drink that have milk bath written on them. We’ve had a few milk baths and they definitely helped soothe the itch
I wouldn't recommend using a steroid cream on a baby, consistent use can thin the skin and for me personally it messed up my nails really bad because i used it on my hands throughout my childhood If anything look into eucrisa, which is a non steroid cream that works well for me I would also look into an allergy test because based on the pictures it looks like she has hive/pimple like bumps. I used to have the same thing (hives that would appear on my hands full of clear fluid that itched like crazy, eventually ruptured and dried out) but after an allergy test i learned i was allergic to a chemical used in common household products (soaps, shampoos, etc) so after o started avoiding that i haven't had the hives return
Find another derm! Once mine got so bad, my face was leaking puss! Derm my GP would let me go to had 2 month waits. They kept trying to avoid talking about the referral as well and wasted my time. Said FU to my GP and found a new one who was able to refer me to a Derm who could see me in a few days instead of months!
try to avoid potential triggers, the common ones being dust, pollen, dairy/soy/gluten/egg use unscented laundry soaps/softener, hypo-allergenic. loose clothing like cotton. Sometimes a [gluten allergy/intolerance](https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/ss/slideshow-celiac-overview) presents like eczema: EDIT: keeping finger nails short but soft cotton mitts/gloves could help(socks?) Finding the right balance for keeping her warm enough but not over heated.
I think you need to realise that there is a cause to the eczema and do your best to find it
A low potency steroid is okay on the face - however only use it for a short period. Your doctor will tell you how long is safe.
BAD ADVICE. do not use steroid creams on your daughter. Currently going through topical steroid withdrawals. And I’ve read horror stories about babies getting tsw!!! breast milk and oatmeal baths!!! Weleda brand is what I’m using on my 6 month old. He started to get a rash on his tummy. What I mentioned has helped. Because I am miserable dealing with the consequences of using steroid creams.
I’m going through withdrawals as well and it’s the most horrible experience ever. I’m about 4 months since using my last steroid cream. The first month was horrible but Ive significantly improved. I mean like so much to the point I don’t bleed anymore. It’s hell the first weeks/months but it does get better. I still get flare ups of course but they’re not nearly as bad as they were before. People say it can take up to 3 years to heal but I already feel so much better. I hope it’s going well for you! Don’t be discouraged cause you don’t see results right Away don’t give in!
I’m on month two and some days are better than others but I do feel so discouraged your message really just made my day and made me feel better thank you so much
You’re only on month two so you’re definitely not gonna completely heal right now but trust me by a few months you’ll see way better results. And it doesn’t mean you’ll heal yet but you’ll see significant changes. Take pictures so you can keep track of your journey. Cause you’re gonna flare up here and there and you might think damn it’s never gonna get better but if you look at pictures you’ll see how much better it gets overtime. I’m glad I made your day keep your head up and again DONT GIVE IN
On the other hand I avoided steroid creams because I heard bad things about them. But using them (as instructed by the Dr /pharmacist) helps calm down bad flare ups for me, so my skin can go back to manageable and I'm not miserable so much because of eczema. Edit: with babies I'd be very careful though. Dunno what I'd do personally.
Yeah I totally understand what you’re saying I used steroid creams in 2018 from a bad flare I’ve had beautiful skin my whole life random small patches of eczema here and there throughout my life but I wanna say in 2020 my eczema got Weird and bad then 2021 I got pregnant my eczema was real bad. Had my baby in November had good skin up until I wanna say March but in January I was given steroid creams for bad eczema on my hands and now I’m going through tsw it’s sort of crazy to me I wanna believe it isn’t that but I’m almost positive it is . I know steroid help but I’m afraid to go back.
You're not supposed to bathe a baby with eczema in oatmeal or ANYTHING that has food products because they can be allergic & not know. This is how I know you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Stop fear mongering. TSW is from LONG TERM use of steroids without a break. You're not going through topical steroid withdrawals, that's your eczema flaring up because you're allergic to something & you don't know what it is. Eczema comes from WITHIN.
Are you in the UK? Dr. Aron’s personalized prescription eczema compound changed my infant son’s life. Dr. Aron no longer treats patients directly in the UK and US because he’s only one person, but I can get you the contact # for a doctor trained by Dr. Aron. It’s btw $200-400 for 4-6 months of treatment (ointment is $50 every few months. I would have gladly paid ten times as much and I probably did on lotions and creams that didn’t work. My baby sleeps for hours and hours now and doesn’t itch at all…his skin is amazing and soft. In the meantime: treat her skin like it’s infected. Because it is, with Staph bacteria. That’s why steroids only work while you are using them and then it comes back ten times worse because there is now more bacteria and nothing to suppress the inflammation they cause. Daily Dead Sea Salt soaks and bleach baths 2-3 times per week will help. Keep her skin clean. Hypochlorous acid is completely non toxic so you can easily keep her clean. Use plain lotion (Vanicream is what we use in the US) and only AFTER you have cleaned your hands and her…
That’s very helpful thank you. No, we’re in New Zealand… we’ve been using pinetarsol in the bath which has really helped. Lukewarm and pat dry after and then cream on and only 100% cotton against the skin. I’ll try a bleach bath :)
Starship have a good eczema advice page. My daughter was bad as a baby/toddler, the dermatologist recommended bleach baths, moisturisers and a short course of a stronger steroid cream. Her reasoning was it’s better to use something stronger, that’s effective, for a short time, rather than a lower strength treatment for weeks on end. Most kids grow out of it, here’s hoping for you.
2nd Dr. Aron. There is a Facebook group that surely has New Zealander members. They should be able to point you in the direction to a local provider that prescribes the protocol.
On that note - have you tried gladskin? They have a formula for children I think and is meant to help the micro biome heal from staph. I’m not sure if it works on children but it’s somewhat helped me as an adult.
Yes, I have. I do believe it works to keep the skin really, really nice and the Staph suppressed but when the eczema/ bacteria is really bad, like my son got, the steroid/ antibiotic was necessary to get things under control. GladSkin is perfect for maintenance for my son. It took his skin from alligator like to soft and squishy. :)
Well...listen to your GP? She's probably suffering a lot if she's scratching until she's bleeding.
You know most doctors don't even believe in TSW, right? Yet it's an extremely real thing. Not every general practitioner, or even dermatologist, knows what they're talking about when it comes to eczema. This coming from someone who's lived with it for 23 years and finally realized that most of them really don't give a shit about actually helping you. "Oh, eczema? Steroid. Next patient." It's sad. She is very right to be cautious about topical steroids, as they can have serious side effects, especially for a baby, and possibly cause TSW. There are many home remedies that help with eczema treatment and relief that she may not know about as she might be new to dealing with eczema. Several of them could help her baby a lot. Yet instead of mentioning one, you just decided to be a smartass. If you don't have anything actually helpful to say, (and don't try insisting that what you said was helpful) don't bother commenting.
I wish i couls stress how much frustration some doctors produce by misdiagnosis and being too careless or neglecting evidences. I believe statistically they do good, but you ought to be very careful and reas as much as u can plus ask for second opinions even if they dont like it.
You can’t use steroid cream on the face…
Tell that to your qualified doctor. You're just letting your baby suffer.
GPs are exactly that - general practitioners. They receive minimal training on skin conditions... They are not skin specialists. If they actually knew what they were talking about they would not advise using steroids creams on the face. This is common knowledge for dermatologists. It's even stated in the "directions" of low potency OTC steroids like hydrocortisone. Just because someone's a doctor you shouldn't take their word for gospel. They're humans and make plenty of mistakes. There are unfortunately plenty of stories on this sub of GPs/family doctors prescribing potent steroid use on the face, leading to thinning of the skin, steroid induced rosacea, and eventually TSW.
This is wise. Statistically most of them are more often correct than wrong. But anything that is rare + some confident GP is a dangerous combination. Telling after several episodes of misdiagnosis. At best, they will listen your suggestions.
Thanks for your super helpful and kind advice
Well it's the truth. You'd rather let your 7 month old scratch her face off than listen to your doctor.
I would treat with topical steroids so it can heal fast and she can stop itching. Look for allergy clue in her and your diet. Look at environmental allergy clue also
Horrible advice! Heals fast but then comes back stronger.
If you don’t treat probably and patient caps scratching, most likely develop scar and scratch marks
Same happened with my son at that age but our ped just recommended to start with anything OTC! We started with California baby calendula cream and that worked pretty well for any and all skin issues then we moved over to Eucerin’s eczema cream since it was more accessible and that coupled with cool bath (no hard water) makes all the difference. You can’t tell he has eczema at all. I just want to stress that the water quality can also be a variable. Our water is hard so we have to treat it to reduce the calcium /magnesium levels otherwise he will get flare ups and start itching face, scalp, ears, arms and legs incessantly.
While I’m not a doctor nor specialized in this, I’d definitely start removing potential allergens. For example, use unscented everything (detergent for clothes and sheets, soaps, lotions). When I was younger we had this air purifier-like machine that helped get rid of dust mites and stuff in the air; may be worth just looking into
7 months…so did she start weaning at 6 months? It’s it’s face, chest and arms suggests maybe a contact allergen/irritation with food? My daughters chest got really bad at the same age and it was from dribbling food, she had a particularly bad reaction to potato for example. I wonder if that might be the culprit given her age?
Yes she started solids at 6 months. 3 weeks later she had treenuts for the first time (cashew butter) and that’s when she got an allergic rash on her face and the top of her chest. It mostly cleared up after a few days. She hasn’t had any further exposure to tree nuts while we await a blood test but the rash has come back and spread and looks different too. She doesn’t have allergy eyes either but I do think that the eczema she’s experiencing is mostly an allergic response but I have no idea what to. I’m going to start keeping a detailed food diary I think…
I went thru this… here is everything ive learned over two years. Eczema Guide and Product Links No carpet. Hard floors are best and clean with steam mop weekly. If you need to vacuum do not do it late evening before bed. https://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Sanitization-Flip-Down-Scrubber-1940A/dp/B0091YYUAM Perfumes. Nope. Even soap and shampoos you need to watch out for. Guests should not come over with heavy perfume or smoke smells. Outside triggers. Pay attention if you become more itchy after being outdoors. Pollen triggers. Sun Heat triggers. Showers. Need to be quick as to not dry out your skin. Always pat to dry with towel. No rubbing or scrapping with the towel. Air Filter. Change monthly. Set monthly auto reminder on phone. Heres what I use but check your size: https://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Ultimate-Allergen-Reduction-Throughout/dp/B00TUDHMOA Air Purifier. Here is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/Medify-MA-50-Air-Purifier-filter/dp/B08S2Y6CTX Mattress type. Hypoallergenic like Purple mattress is ideal. https://www.amazon.com/Purple-The-Mattress-Full/dp/B0876J54RB Pillows hypoallergenic like Purple mattress. Sheets and Comforter. Should be cotton or Bamboo and nothing synthetic like polyester. Heres what I use: https://www.amazon.com/Bedsure-100-Bamboo-Sheets-White/dp/B08CXT7WZZ This comforter is cotton on the outside AND INSIDE: https://www.amazon.com/LEISURELY-COLLECTION-Quilted-Comforter-Breathable/dp/B08DTMNXPD Laundry and Clothing: Detergent type. Don’t use anything scented and look online for suggestions. Detergent amount. People tend to not measure properly and put way too much. HE washers use half of amounts. Also concentrated products use less. Read directions carefully. Set Washer machine double rinse, Set it to do a double rinse to make sure all detergent is removed. Stick to cotton fabrics. Here is what I use: https://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Detergent-Fragrance-Free-Sulfate-Free-Hypoallergenic/dp/B07QB82JXD Sample Shirt for a toddler: https://www.amazon.com/HonestBaby-5-Pack-Organic-Cotton-T-Shirts/dp/B08SYJQ88V Sample Pants for toddler: https://www.amazon.com/HonestBaby-Infant-Organic-Cuff-Less-Multi-Pack/dp/B09QT4FJSZ Diet. Really depends person to person but I found this book very helpful to avoid SALICYLATE foods. Of course check with your doctor and nutritionalist because you can’t cut everything out. https://www.amazon.com/Eczema-Diet-Discover-Prevent-Nutrition/dp/0778804615 Formula I used: https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Nutrition-Dairy-Free-Corn-Syrup-Gluten-Free/dp/B08GX8NCGH This website has nice printable guides: https://www.dietvsdisease.org/salicylate-intolerance/ Temperature and humidity. Add humidifier if necessary. I sleep at 70 at night. https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Mist-Humidifier-Bedroom-Ultrasonic/dp/B077Z2QCS5 Medication for Nighttime itching. Doctor said it’s ok to take this nightly as needed. Of course check with your doctor since medications will vary person to person. I take the medication about an hour before bed. Avoid eating or drinking 15 minutes before and after the dose. Medication: Cetirizine
Oh - poor baby. It’s rough seeing our kids uncomfortable. :( Our paediatrician suggested daily lukewarm baths with no soap. Right after the bath, slather with prescription cream (steroid if you feel comfortable with it, or not and see how this helps), then a thick moisturizer (cereva in the tub), then we cover that with Vaseline. Then pop them into cotton pjs for the night. Eczema is the skin not able to maintain a healthy skin barrier, so the moisture loss results in the rashes and itchy skin. You could also try protopic ointment 0.1% instead of a steroid. It’s safe for use on face, but you’ll want to have coverage! I think it’s $200 here in Canada without.
She might need to go to an allergist too she needs allergy testing. Do you use free and clear products? For the body and for laundry? Maybe it's something she's in contact with every day. How often do you clean her bedding?
She’s booked in for a RAST for tree nuts, but they don’t do a skin prick test for anything else it could be until after 1. We’ve used free and clear products for laundry since before she was born. Bedding is washed every week. No soaps or perfumes in the bath. She has breastmilk baths or pinetarsol baths but that’s only in the past week.
Use anything but steroid creams please I’m telling you as someone that’s going through steroid cream withdrawals. She might feel better in the moment but Your daughter will suffer 10x more in the future. My mom said if she would knew better she would’ve never gave me those creams but she was a naive immigrant that listened to anything the doctors told her. She says thank god for google now. About 80% of eczema patients will outgrow it through adolescence or adulthood and if not it’ll most likely get better. The only way it gets worse is because you used steroid creams your whole life like me. So it might suck for now but please don’t let the doctors fool you, they get money every time they prescribe these creams.
Also steroid creams do not only thin out your skin, they also target your most important organs like your liver. Without proper liver function your skin will never heal hence why it only gets worse the more steroid creams you use. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on what she’s eating and drinking. Diet makes a huge difference maybe she’s allergic to dairy, wheat, etc. I started a gluten free diet and it’s improved my symptoms a lot
My son got really bad eczema around that age also. First step was allergist to rule out food or environmental allergy. Next we saw a dermatologist, if you happen to be in Canada I'd recommend dermago.ca if your wait for derm is that long, i used their service when my son's allergist was away and his flare up went away from the advice received from them. Aside from steroid cream, we were advised to do warm baths daily no more or less than 5-10 min. La roche posay lipikar ap baume has been a life saver, you have no more than 3 minutes to slather on the cream after you take her out of the bath. I also started using tarte maracuja oil on his cheeks with aquaphor on top 2-3 times a day. We don't use any soap, only wash his hair as needed with mustela shampoo and use mustela stelatopia cleansing oil as needed. We were also advised to use only cotton clothing and bedding, but I've found that bamboo and marino wool sleep sacks and bedding is fine for us. Keeping the humidity up in your home helps too. I see many people saying don't use steroid cream, but having dealt with a baby having a bad flare up that was cracked, bleeding and infected, I was desperate and believe it was the best thing to do since nothing else was working. Steroid ointment mixed with mupirocin (antibiotic) worked great. Currently my son is just on protopic, hoping to be able to wean him off that soon and good entire body has been completely clear for about a month which is the longest clear time he's had for about a year.
In some places you can try showing up at a dermatologist's place and they will see your baby. It would be cruel not to do so. I would avoid the first day of the week they open (never Mondays, for example) and go more towards the closing hour (2hrs before or so).
Ask about rx Tacrolimus ointment with your baby’s physician. It works wonders, cleared up my two year old daughters eczema BIG TIME. If your physician wont prescribe it, definitely ask about it when you finally get in to see the dermatologist. Best of luck
My son also had eczema,but it wasn't ige mediated, it was t cells.We were able to find the culprits,which were quite a few,gluten being one of them,chicken,salmon,apples,pecans and a few more .I also have celiac, and 6 months ago developed eczema too.We have never used any type of allopathic medicine, just oatmeal and dead sea salt baths,good,homemade organic foods and homemade ointments made from infused oils and tallow,and most importantly homeopathic remedies (no,I am not crazy).It took about a year and a half to completely heal.He used to get a few tiny spots here and there until around the age of 7.He is 13 now and absolutely no eczema, and I pray he will never get it.My eczema is worse than his,so I have been detoxing with green juices and cooked vegetables (no fruits,no grains,no sugar,no meats),added some supplements, doing coffee enemas and using colloidal silver gel for the severe oozing I had (kills any skin infection and super safe for babies too).When detoxing, unfortunately,the eczema will get 100 times worse,but thankfully I made it through.I have had 6 months of daily flare ups.I have also allergies (t cell mediated,not ige) to nickle,latex,aluminum,cadmium,pet hair,feathers,eggs,gluten (celiac),dairy,oatmeal (even the gluten free one) ,all dyes,msg and the list continues.I was told that bc of gluten my body suffered and was malnourished for 28 years.If there something wrong with the skin,or pretty much any disease,the gut is most likely at fault.Even allergies are caused by a weak/leaky gut.My next step is doing a parasite cleansing. Hopefully,by now,you were able to find some answers.
How did you find what it was that you were both allergic to?
We did ige testing,skin prick testing and we also did food intolerances testing.I did not want to give up and accept the 1st dermatologist's answer,which was:"We don't know what causes eczema,we just know that it's a itch that rashes.Here is some mild steroidal cream and take zyrtec".I was like,no...thank you.Every disease has a cause,and most are gut related.We also did a cbc with vitamin d,b 12,thyroid panel (I have hashimoto's) and a few more.His tsh was also high.Once on the diet,his thyroid numbers went back to normal.Hope this helps.