Where do I go from here??

[danielsmommy]

Dd is 15 months old. When she was 3 months she started getting cradle cap. Then it turned brown. Then oozy. Then crusty. Finally her head looked (literally) like a helmet. We fought it with every cream on the market, but the only thing that made it better was warm weather and I suspect humidity. Now the rash has reappeared but not as bad as last year. The doc said she should get a blood test for allergies. So we did. She tested high/very high for cats/dogs, milk and wheat. They also said that since she's under 2 the chance of false positives and negatives was very high. (So why'd they stick my baby's arm???) I have thought it may be corn, so I haven't been eating that. (She's still bfing) Should I eliminate milk and wheat from my diet completely even though the chance is high that it was a false positive? This skin thing comes and goes, so could it really be cats since I have 2? Wouldn't it stay bad all year if that were the issue? Why does it get better in the summer? I would say 90% of the rash is on exposed areas of her body. Would that indicate a contact allergy and NOT a food allergy? It's mostly on her head, wrists, a tiny spot on her neckline and a bit at the tops of her legs. (Where her leg warmers get pulled down sometimes.) I know I'm rambling on. I'm hoping some of you that have been down this road awhile could offer advice. Thanks for reading...

[Theloose]

I'm not sure on the specifics - we don't really get rash reactions, but...

Dairy (cow, goat, sheep...) and gluten (not just wheat) are probably the two most common trigger foods. I would try cutting out all traces of both - both for her and you (assuming you're still breastfeeding) for a couple of weeks, then reassess.

The summer/winter variable that jumps out at me is vitamin D. You could try supplementing that to see if it helps.

[ASusan]

At 9 mos, DS tested positive for wheat (not dairy - but I had already eliminated it), and when we gave it up (along with eggs and peanut), DS's skin improved SOO MUCH. We were just looking at photos yesterday where his cheeks were so red and inflamed.

You can give it up, see if it improves, and go from there (trial it).

[danielsmommy]

I'm going to an herbalist who does have me on vitamin D for her. I'm also taking fish oil, a blood strenghtener and flora-balance. As of yesterday I eliminated all wheat and dairy from our diets and we're trying not to be around dogs. Cats is a tough one...I have 2. I'm having a hard time coming up with things to eat, dairy and wheat are such common ingredients! So if she tested positive for wheat do you really think I should eliminate ALL gluten??

[tanyalynn]

I'd go with all gluten, gluten and dairy are very common. It _is_ quite the transition at first, but we've been gfcf for more than a year and a half now and it's working well for us.

A few meal basics we use (but really, most of the flavors that were familiar to us I've been able to slowly morph over time):
Breakfast: eggs (in various forms) almost everyday, sometimes leftovers (we love chili, we put corn tortilla chips on top instead of the saltines I used to crave)
Lunch: dinner leftovers or soup when I'm organized (homemade stock makes great soup)
Dinner: a combo of meat, some veggies and an optional grain (we mostly use quinoa and brown rice)

There are lots of gfcf people in Traditional Foods, I got lots of ideas and support there as well.

[kjbrown92]

Are the cats out of the house more in the summer? My DD1 and DH are both allergic to cats. I don't know that it would cause the cradle cap/eczema but it would definitely have something to do with her allergy load. And when I asked the allergist about the chances of it turning into asthma, he said it most likely wouldn't unless we got cats and exposed DD1 every day, and then it was much more likely. So unfortunately, I think it's something you might have to think about.

gluten is high, but so is wheat. I'd personally avoid wheat first. And then if that wasn't helping, then go for all gluten.

And just remember, there could be food intolerances on top of the food allergies, that are causing the eczema. I have recipes on my blog, searchable by allergen, if you need ideas. We're gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and a whole bunch more.

[danielsmommy]

The cats aren't oustide more in the summer, but WE are. Could be a factor.
Thanks for posting your blog, I'll be checking it out for sure!

[Chinese Pistache]

Check this out and read all of Matey's posts. And check out the picture of her baby now. I think dairy turned out to be the big trigger, though there could have been others: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=868682

[Ophelia]

My personal experience with cradle cap and eczema

My son's reactions turned out to be from wheat. I don't know if it's all gluten or just wheat so we have been off all gluten just in case. He was a newborn, and at about 2 months of age I cut out wheat from my diet and 6 days later his cradle cap, eczema, and tummy issues went away.