Eczema

[ChristinaMarie]

My DD had ezcema in her diaper area when she was 5 months old. We treated it with oatmeal baths and Aquaphor and made sure to wash her clothes in Dreft and double rinse and stopped using dryer sheets (we also very rarely used a prescription steroid cream from the Ped for when it seemed at its worst). She had it for a couple months and then it randomly went away and hasn't returned. Now, she is 9 months old and a couple weeks ago the eczema returned except it's all over her body and not in the diaper area anymore. It covers her chest, stomach, arms and legs.
Could this be a food allergy? My Ped said it could be from anything and we have no way of knowing. I had to assume it was more of an allergy to something external and not food. I thought if it was food allergy, there would also be vomiting and diarrhea? Is that correct?

[~ Vik ~]

Hi ChristinaMarie, and (((hugs))) for your dd - my ds has had eczema since 2 weeks old and it is no fun

I thought if it was food allergy, there would also be vomiting and diarrhea? Is that correct?

Unfortunately, no - there are tons of symptoms of food allergy, and not all of them are digestion-related.  In addition to symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, food allergies can cause symptoms in the respiratory system (like wheezing or asthma), the cardiovascular system, or the skin (like hives or eczema).  My ds is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanut, and mustard and his main symptoms are hives, swelling (lips only so far, thank God), and eczema flare-ups.

Having said that, all eczema is not food-allergy related.  In fact, when we had Dylan's allergy testing done our allergist tested him for dust mite allergy, as apparently that is a very common cause of eczema.

You mentioned that her skin worsened a couple of weeks ago - has anything changed?  New foods introduced, or larger amounts being eaten of a food she's had before?  New ingredients or processed foods (for example, sulfites are a common allergen)?  New clothes/soap/carpet/etc?  Change in seasons/weather/indoor heating/cooling?  Teething or illness?  (My ds' eczema on his cheeks always flares before teeth or when he is ill)  If you are bfing, have YOU changed/eaten anything different recently?

Your Ped is right in the sense that many things can trigger eczema, but with some detective work you might be able to help discover some triggers and minimize her flare ups.  Dylan's eczema is still there and still flares on occasion, but if you compare it to what is was a year ago the difference is night and day.  It is possible   Let me know what you think

[Idahomom]

ChristinaMarie - I saw your topic and had to look at your post because I've had the same issue here, and had just begun wondering what the problem could be.  And after the info that Vikki posted I'm now sure it's exzema and will call the nurse tomorrow for some advice.  He doesn't have a regular apt. for a month and his skin is progressively getting worse.  He's now begun itching it and leaving scratches  . We've had a change in practically every category you mentioned, Vikki.  Just wanted to say thanks to both of you.

[ChristinaMarie]

Yes she is teething but really the only change in our house as been the addition of new food. I only feed my DD Gerber baby food (or any other brand but she only likes food from the jar). My diet has been pretty much the same but I'm actually BF less (only twice daily now) than when the eczema showed up the first time. I have scoured the internet looking for other remedies for treating it. I don't believe hers is very severe but I'm thinking it could be bothersome enough and what could be causing her to have restless nights.
She takes all her food with enthusiasm and I have not ever seen swelling or hives around her mouth, and there has not been any unusual BM's. Nor do I hear wheezing or coughing. But I will check the ingredients on the baby food and see if any contain sulfites.
I have decided to try and remove all perfumes/fragrances from any product I use on her. I was using Aveeno baby wash but realized I was using the Lavender wash (which is not fragrance free) so I have since switched to the 100% fragrance free wash (with the dark blue lid). Also Aquaphor makes a hair/body wash 100% fragrance free. My Ped suggested using 1% cortisone (OTC) can help relieve itching (IdahoMom you might try this). But she also gave me the Rx for the steriod cream. I'm just reluctant to use the steroid. After her bath is when she is slathered up with an Aquaphor ointment. It's clear and much like petroleum jelly. I've heard that ointments are better for the skin than creams and lotions.
I was also dressing her in a fleece sleepsack for bed but have read that you should ONLY use 100% cotton material to dress your baby in so I've since switched to the cotton sleep sack. Also, the dry weather can irritate the ezcema so as of last night I've put a cool mist humidifier in her room.
Several have had success with Cetaphil, Eucerin and other such moisturizers. I've also found that every baby is different in what cures the ezcema so it will really be trial and error (and lots of money spent on the products) as to what works best for your baby.
I will continue my search of what works best for my DD! If I haven't found anything to work, I think I will take her to the dermotologist!

[Austin's mom]

The Aveeno baby has a great lotion for sensitive skin and eczema as well, and California Baby has a good Calendula cream for eczema and unknown rashes. Both have really helped my DS. If the eczema is at its worst, some babies can only tolerate water (and the worst cases not even that). My son does the best when I just use water (unless he is super dirty) with a splash of Jojoba Oil in the bath water. It has made an instant difference in his skin. Also, it is also best to keep baths frequent and brief and not too warm so that their skin doesn't dry out any more. If you are able to apply the lotion/ointment with in 3 minutes after the bath, that helps to seal in the moisture as well.... hopefully this helps (-:

[ChristinaMarie]

Where can you find jojoba oil? Does it make them really oily after the bath?
I'm finding that my DD does not like me to rub the Aquaphor over her after the bath. She fusses and cries and fights me. And then she puts her hands in it and gets it everywhere! It has worked very well to clear her eczema up so I've been hesitant to change but I do have the Aveeno baby lotion, maybe I will try that, it seems less messy.

[Austin's mom]

Jojoba oil is a wonderful thing. It is one of the few oils that can be used on almost any skin type, even oily acne skin. It is not greasy at all, but I do only use a cap full (or alittle more depending upon the amount of bath water). You can find it at health food stores. I got mine at the Vitamin Shop, for about $8.00. I would still recomend using lotion of some sort after her bath too. Austin kicks around alot too, so it is challenging, but it makes such a difference  in his skin!

[Ana72]

Remember this thing that eczema is also caused by allergic reactions through the type of food intakes. You have to determine the exact food that causes your baby’s eczema. There are allergy tests that can be performed or you can keep a list of foods you feed for your baby to pin point the foods that trigger allergic reaction. Afterwards, eliminate those foods suspected to trigger eczema. Then after few days, reintroduce those particular foods for your baby in order to prove whether the allergic reactions occur or not.