Eczema Issues

I am the mother of a 2 1/2 yr old, who we have recently discovered has eczema. She has been hospitalized because of this, and she is currently seeing a allergist, whom tested her and she has no allergies and also a dermatologist, but it seems like nothing is helping.. the issue is that her eczema will clear up and then a few days later come back worse then before.. anyway the question that i have is, could there be something that we are missing and not looking for.. or a product that can be recommended i dont like using the RX cream prescribed constantly because it a steroid and isnt good for young kids when used for long periods of time. any suggestions will be appreciated.

I’m so sorry you’re having this challenge, and sorrier that allergists and dermatologists only deal with immediate-type (IgE) allergic reactions. There are many other components of the immune system that can react unfavorably to substances that other people tolerate well. We have to call these intolerances or sensitivities, to differentiate them from the simple conditions allergists treat. The number one cause of eczema is food intolerances, to foods such as cow’s milk or soy. Some of these reactions can be detected by a different kind of blood test (IgG) but none of the blood tests are very accurate in terms of food intolerances. Some negative findings will be true irritants and some positive findings will be foods that are associated with no symptoms.

You will want to put your daughter onto a strict elimination diet where she is fed only a handful of very non-allergenic foods for several days and then other foods are added back in, one at a time. The process can be challenging, but being able to find the answers that can bring relief to your daughter makes the effort worthwhile. The reaction in her system that is causing the eczema can lead to other health problems as well, so it’s best to find and avoid all irritants.

My book, “The Baby Bond,” goes into good detail about how to design and follow an elimination diet.

~ Dr. Laura Markham