Author Topic: Terrible excema since starting solids  (Read 2422 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline mokey_cat

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 19
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1055
  • Location:
Terrible excema since starting solids
« on: June 25, 2011, 22:58:23 pm »
I started DD2 on solids at 5.5 months and she is doing fine except she had developed really bad excema all over her tummy and back a few months ago.  It coincided with starting more solids.  SHe was fine with basic purees but seems worse now she is eating more.  We have tried emollients and hydrocortisone creams but her back is still red and sore. 

The only thing that I can see a link with is yogurt and cheese  :-\  It seems to be a lot worse on days she eats them but she has been on normal cows milk formula since 4 weeks old (now on enfamil AR) so surely it cant be a milk allergy.  I suspected milk allergy in the days when her reflux was awful but my paed was not convinced.  I spoke with my GP who was useless.  The last few days I have cut out cheese, yogurt, cows milk in cooking etc and her skin looks better for the first time in 2 months  ???  Im confused, is it just a coincidence?



Offline Katet

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 608
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 14364
  • Sydney Australia
  • Location: Sydney
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2011, 00:56:11 am »
The way formula is processed & how yogurt & cheese is different, so it could well be the yogurt & cheese. With both my boys due to my milk allergy (& DS1 was discovered to have one) I held off on all dairy until after 10mo.

I'd keep the dairy out of her diet until the portion she would eat is less than 10% of the content of her total meal, that is a rough formula that I have worked on for DS1 & me & seems to work best.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline ~ Vik ~

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 224
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5597
  • Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2011, 04:42:01 am »
Dairy definitely triggered Dylan's eczema, well before we knew that he had a dairy allergy.  I agree with Kate that formula is processed so much that she could be fine with it but still react to the more "natural/raw" dairy proteins in the milk/yogurt/cheese.  I would go even further though to say that your lo may not have been fine with dairy as MPI can cause reflux symptoms, kwim?

Honestly, I would just cut dairy out completely.  So no milk, cheese, yogurt, or anything made with those ingredients.  I wouldn't go so far as to cut out trace or hidden dairy unless you feel the need to (we had to because Dylan reacts even to "may contain" dairy).  Once you've gotten her skin to a point where you feel it's significantly improved, you can either:
- cut out the trace/hidden to see if the eczema goes away entirely
- keep her on a dairy free diet until you feel comfortable doing a food trial (which may be in a few weeks, but I often hear that it's best to keep the elimination diet until 1yo before doing trials)

It's frustrating when you feel that you're not getting help from the doctors that are there to take care of you.  We were really fortunate in that everyone took us seriously - from the paed in the ER to our family doctor to our allergist - and we were able to get to the bottom of Dylan's allergies and eczema, but even with all that support it took us nearly a year and a half to get everything sorted.  Go with your mommy instinct.  If you see her skin improving on the dairy free diet, then it's unlikely to be just a coincidence. xx
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


Offline ~*~Louisa~*~

  • Mummy in need of a month of sleep... PLEASE!!!
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 23
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1169
  • Location: Devon, UK
    • Cupcakes and storm clouds my blog
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2011, 12:25:48 pm »
Milk has two different parts which can irritate protin and the lactose

When Sophina was weaned her excema sort of exploded (she now has to have wet wraps atleast one week out of every 3)

our dietion with her told us its the cows milk protien which triggers excema and that formulas can some times not trigger this if its not an allergy but if a sensitive child has enough it can trigger the skin reaction (ie excema)

Cheese and yogurts are lower in lactose because of the fermentation? of it but it still has alot of protien in it
at one point sophina didnt gain weight and we were told give her full fat cheese as mature as possible because the  lactose is usualy responsible for y tums but protien for skin and at the time the weight was more important then the skin iykwim




DD1 Angel/Spirited - Glue ear
DD2 Angel - MPI, Excema, Late talker
DD3 Angel - Milk,Soy, nut,egg intollerence, Saliciyte sensitivity, Reflux

Offline mokey_cat

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 19
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1055
  • Location:
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2011, 21:16:22 pm »
Thanks for your replies.  I knew I should have followed my instinct and pushed for a dietician reffereal when she was younger.  My DD1s paed (amazing amazing doctor, who unfortunately is due to retire soon!) suggested right away a milk allergy during an appointment for DD1 but when she spoke to DD2s doc he did not agree!

Her skin was looking fab today, but came up bad again just before bed.  I checked ingredients on a little biscuit she had after dinner it it contained milk powder!  Grr, now Im pretty sure its a dairy thing!!

So Im going to just stay away from all dairy for a few weeks.  Just wondering though, what cows milk substitutes can you use?  My doc suggested goats milk but reading a few web pages it seems quite similar to cows milk.  I bought alpro soya junior to try in her cereal and she liked it ok and had no reactions.  Is soya milk ok or is she still too young. Are soya yogurts ok?  I tried using her formula but it made the weetabix really yukky.  I did see rice milk and oat milk too but I feel totally out of my depth here!!  i have no clue about allergies  :-\ 


Offline ~*~Louisa~*~

  • Mummy in need of a month of sleep... PLEASE!!!
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 23
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1169
  • Location: Devon, UK
    • Cupcakes and storm clouds my blog
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2011, 21:50:52 pm »
you can buy a formula called wysoy if you want to use that for cooking

or if its just cooking theres no reason why you cant use normal normal soya for cooking with




DD1 Angel/Spirited - Glue ear
DD2 Angel - MPI, Excema, Late talker
DD3 Angel - Milk,Soy, nut,egg intollerence, Saliciyte sensitivity, Reflux

Offline rlkoh

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 29
  • Location: Houston, TX
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2011, 22:55:58 pm »
Almond milk tastes pretty good - I liked it the most between soy, rice and almond milk, it even has more calcium than regular milk.
Michael Alexander 2.26.11
Ella Madeline expected soon! 11.21.12

Offline Katet

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 608
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 14364
  • Sydney Australia
  • Location: Sydney
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2011, 01:30:17 am »
It's been a while since i had under 1yo's but I'm pretty sure whole milk & goats milk aren't recommended under 1yo (I didn't even attempt in cereal until 13mo with DS1) Soy can or can't be an issue depending on if it is MSPI or just MPI, but I'd do a bit of checking as to whether formula is better at that age rather than try oat or rice milks
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline ~ Vik ~

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 224
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 5597
  • Location: Ontario, Canada
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2011, 01:40:23 am »
I agree with Kate - under one year you really can only use formula (other than small amounts of alternative milks in cooking). If dairy seems to be the only source of trouble then soy should be fine, but almond, coconut, etc milks are fine too. Soy yogurt is fine (though I'm not a fan of the flavour), and there are loads of dairy free options for cheeses, ice cream, and other foods.
D ~ dairy, egg, peanut/nut and mustard allergies
Proud to have breastfed for over 24 months!


Offline mokey_cat

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 19
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 1055
  • Location:
Re: Terrible excema since starting solids
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2011, 21:00:33 pm »
Excellent, thank you ladies.  Yes its just milk alternatives for cooking (like adding to potatoes etc) as she is happy on her formula so I think the soya stuff will be good.  She has had no reactions to it yet and its been 4 days so fingers crossed we have no soy issues.  Luckily we get her formula milk on prescription so Im in no hurry to switch to other milks to drink  ;)