Author Topic: Breastfeeding and eczema  (Read 5251 times)

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Offline misswibbs

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Breastfeeding and eczema
« on: January 24, 2009, 17:41:01 pm »
Hi there
My ds is 12 weeks old and has eczema. I'm interested to find out if there may be something in my breast milk that is maybe causing his eczema. I'm thinking of eliminating dairy from my diet. Does anyone know anything about this?? I'm exclusively breast feeding.
Thanks for any help anyone can give me..  :) I'm desperate to prevent flare ups rather than just treating his weepy skin with steroid creams.  :(

Offline hjrmom01

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2009, 17:47:32 pm »
I also was exclusively breastfeeding my DS until he was 4.5 months but we recently switched to Nutramigen and his eczema cleared right up.  We weren't really sure about exactly what was going on with him, he was EXTREMELY fussy, reflux, not eating, etc, etc, etc, and we've made a lot of changes (including cutting out dairy, wheat, and practically everything else from my diet) but have really noticed that since he's been on the hypoallergenic formula his eczema is gone!  I know that's probably not the answer you were hoping for :-(  But go ahead and try the exclusions from your diet and see if that makes a different.  Every LO is different!  Good luck!


Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2009, 18:14:45 pm »
How interesting.. I'm so glad you've found a solution. It's awful to think that something I'm eating may be causing my son's eczema. I feel I'm doing the best thing but at the same time poisoning him!!!!!! I'll maybe end up switching to formula if eliminating doesn't work and his eczema gets any worse... thanks  :)

Offline Spectra

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2009, 19:51:48 pm »
I know a lot of moms eliminate straight dairy first, then hidden dairy.  Just remember it can take up to 4 weeks to see improvement in their skin.  I'd definitely try it, worth a shot.  Sometimes it's more than just dairy, a lot of the times it is soy as well, and hidden soy.  And sometimes it's the high allergenic foods such as gluten, eggs, nuts.  But try dairy first, if it works, then great!  Good luck you you.
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Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2009, 12:53:22 pm »
Thanks for your help.. I've cut out dairy as from today and we'll see how it goes. His skin flared up last night after a feed and this morning the patches on his chest were all crusty cos they were weeping all night. I'm taking him to the docs tomorrow too. My poor baby. It's distressing thinking of him being so uncomfortable and itchy all over:(
Thanks again

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2009, 22:27:31 pm »
Aww, poor thing!  Let us know how it goes at the doctor's.  I hope they can help in some way.
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Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2009, 18:43:18 pm »
Hi Spectra
Phoned my health visitor today to ask for advice about maybe eliminating some foods from my diet that may be causing his eczema. She firstly really annoyed me by making me feel like she was very busy (which I'm sure she was... not her fault.. I know how overworked health Visitors can be but I was still cross) then she just said it wasn't proven and she wouldn't want me to stop eating any foods as I need to produce "good milk" and wasn't up for discussing it at all. The outcome is that she is giving me some leaflets about coping with eczema and how to manage it. I was sooooooooooooooo disappointed because I'd expected the doctor to say that but not my health visitor. I was fighting the tears cos I was looking at my weepy little man and so want to treat the cause more than the symptoms but I just think I'm going to have to seek help from alternative practitioners.
Ho hum... I'm not giving up. Have bought some eco washing balls to rule out the possibility of washing powder aggrivating his eczema.
Thanks for your support  :-*

Offline Spectra

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2009, 18:55:26 pm »
Grr, that is soooo annoying!  My ped said the SAME thing!  Just said it's eczema and here are pamphlets on how to deal with it.  I didn't want to deal with it, I wanted it GONE!  I wasn't Breast feeding so it was easier for me to pinpoint the problems.

Don't give up.  I hear many times on this board of women in your exact position and they go on elimination diets trying to figure out the problem.  A lot of them are successful too!  Here is one thread here that has a lot of info on it. http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=138402.0 I don't know if eliminating dairy will reduce your breast milk, but perhaps someone can offer tips in that area too.  Maybe ask how to do that on the Breast feeding board.
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Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2009, 22:31:31 pm »
Will do Spectra.. thanks so much for your support. I need it. Gonna go to the doctors tomorrow and try not to be fobbed off. Tonight he has what looks like a heat rash all over his back.. bright, bright red bumps all over his back. Argh! It must be so uncomfortable. He's such a hot little man.. I have a battle to keep him cool. I think this factor aggrivates his eczema. How do you keep a baby's back cool if they lay on it for most of the day and night. Argh! He has such delicate skin.. I was reading about your ds pinching your bread. How is he? I hope he didn't have a reaction  :o

Offline Spectra

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2009, 14:26:36 pm »
My son is doing well!  Didn't phase him at all, thankfully!  My son was like that too, always so hot!  I just made sure to either not put any clothes on him at home, or just 100 percent thin cotton shirts.  He use to get the tiny red bumps on his tummy from the heat.

Let us know how it goes at the doctor.  Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
Melanie
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Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2009, 22:01:24 pm »
Well Hurrah  hurrah  hurrah  is all I can say! The doc took one look at my son's skin and said.. hmmm... that must be driving him crazy.. I'll refer him to the skin specialist at the hospital!  :o Hurrah.. I told her I was so relieved. She said that they'll probably do allergy testing. Once I'd picked myself up off the floor I asked her about the possibility of him being allergic to something in my milk... EVEN tho it hasn't been proven.. she told me that the specialist knows all about that and will really look at what's causing his eczema. YAY!! Happy days!!
Thanks so much for your support xx  :-* Am a happy mummy once again.. you've helped me through an upsetting time x
« Last Edit: January 27, 2009, 22:03:45 pm by misswibbs »

Offline hjrmom01

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2009, 00:31:55 am »
woohoo for your doctor recognizing that your LO is probably miserable.  Hope all goes well with the skin specialist.  Keep us updated on how he's doing.  Hugs and best wishes to you and him!


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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2009, 00:51:18 am »
Oh yes!  That is so awesome!!  I'm so glad someone listened to you!  Let us know how the next step goes.  Finally a light is appearing at the end of the tunnel eh?  So awesome!
Melanie
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Offline misswibbs

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2009, 10:08:36 am »
Will do ladies... thanks x  :-*

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Re: Breastfeeding and eczema
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2009, 14:31:47 pm »
My DD has very bad excema and when she was BFed I changed everything I ate in order to work out what was coursing her reactions, I stopped all diary and changed to soya milk fortified in calcium and vitamin D and I also changed all my personal care items to frangrance free and soap free and final change I made was my food was all organic and bought from my local organic farm who delivared my fruit, veg, potatoes and eggs every 3 days.