Skin cracks underneath toes and peeling skin on bottom of feet - deficiency?

[Ophelia]

I think around the time DS started walking, or sometime after, he started getting cracks underneath his toes, right where the crease is. I started having to put lotion on almost every day to keep the cracks at bay and have done so ever since (I think there was a short period of a few months last year where I didn't need to, but then it started again).

Now within the last 7-8 months or so, the skin on the bottom of his feet peels quite a bit. I have a really good thick bar lotion that I am putting on his feet nearly every night, and I can't seem to get it to go away.

A doc I took him to before mentioned a particular name for the cracks, but I'd have to dig out the paper with the name. He said it was possibly it but didn't say for sure. DH said he has to put lotion on his feet or he gets the cracks.

Do you think this would be some kind of deficiency? Anyone else or your kid have these feet skin issues? For the peeling, I am starting to wonder if it's just his skin needing to 'harden' against usage (like calluses) and if I should not worry about it? But I still have to put lotion on or the cracks will come back.

Thanks!

[ASusan]

My initial guess is athlete's foot or some other sort of yeast.

[BellaClaudia]

Lotion?.. hm.. did you check the ingredients?
compare with this list of carcinogens and you might find
many from your lotion ingredients on it:.. of course it might
be organic then chances are smaller:...

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?o...CE50709CB4C932

many ingredients are actually a pretty carcinogenous chemicals
if it is just from your avearge drug store.. so they do moisturize
but this is at cost.. make sure you are not swaping a fungus or dryness
for somethign much worse..


instead of lotion try olive oil with drop of a lemon juice or just olive oil
it is healing and it kills fungus as it can't breath in the oil.

lastly.. if it is a fungus.. do read and research number one natural
fungus killer - teatree oil..

word of caution.. ! this is very strong substance and very not safe for the
eyes and so you would need to keep your childs' hands away from it so it won't get into eyes.. I would say do it overnight with socks on?


other idea as to what it might be?..
lack of circulation in this area:
too tight shoes.. my child did NOT have shoes till she was 2..
before that she just had some soft loose sleepres like things
as she would not walk streets anyhow and for the stores and car and home
this was okay

barefoot. or sock-foot as much as possible

socks - beware.. socks actually cut of circulation BEAUTIFULLY!
they are so tight that some brain less designers just have no idea
how much harm they do to the lower body of small and big ones

do not hesitate to buy socks few sizes bigger and also
if you see a red mark on the foot after taking socks off
indicating squeezing a leg by the sock just take scisors
and cur vertical thrrought the tight part making sort of an open
boot.

it is radiculous how tight socks for babies and infants and toddlers are.
just radiculous. oftentimes one sees legs swallen just abouve the sock line
because of the tension. take socks off.. and the swalling gone..


we here use only low socks.. just above the knee and yet it is cut
in front by inch or so to remove any unnecessary tension.

circulation is most important for feet as it brings food to the toes..
oxigen and all...

do massage his foot and do let him go barefoot and sockless whenever
weather permits.

shoes - make sure they are NEVER tight! NEVER! or even snug
never tie them snug either or snap velcro till he puts his eyeballs out..


my husband had all of those problems with feet being undernurished
just because he grew up liking tight shoes, snug socks and this not
only cuts the above mentionned ciruclation but is FANTASTIC
environment for breeding bacterias, easts, fungus..
as it is hot.. sweaty there and oohooo.. tight and snug as a bug..

so airy shoes.. and one size up shoes and few sizes up socks.. does miracles to begin with.

good luck.

[Ophelia]

Thanks! I thought athlete's foot was generally between the toes?

He has barely worn socks all summer, and normally wears airy sandals (except in winter). I am going to get him a new pair of sandals though, as I noticed the insides of the shoes are wearing out which may be contributing to the problem. He doesn't usually get the peeling on the heel, most of it is on the other part of the bottom of the foot, by the toes.

The lotion bar is all natural, no added junk. I think I will quit using it though, since it's not helping but then I'm worried about the cracks coming back.

[AtYourCervices]

I've seen people with athlete's foot extending over the bottom of their feet.

Has he shown any symptoms of juvenile diabetes, btw?

[JaneS]

are his feet cold usually?

[Ophelia]

As far as I know he doesn't show signs of diabetes.

It is not red and it doesn't itch him. Nope, his feet aren't cold whenever I touch them. I may have to take him to a doc. Would rather take him to naturopath but I'm laid off and we are very low on $$

[Mommy2Austin]

I had that, as well as my children for awhile. I discovered it was because our carpet was too rough and tearing up our feet. As soon as we moved to another house with nicer carpet our feet stopped doing it.

[KimPM]

Try soaking his feet in apple cider vinegar and water. If it's fungus, that should take care of it after a few soaks. And if it is fungus and he wears shoes...the shoes have to be cleaned. If he plays on playgrounds with mulch, that may be where he's getting it.

[RiverSky]

That totally sounds like the athlete's foot that my children sometimes get. I buy OTC athlete's foot remedies for them and it disappears immediately. We live in Florida and spend much time at various pools and beaches and all sorts of places where their feet touch wet surfaces.

[mellowjello]

If it is fungus/yeast, it is possible that it is a sign of yeast clearing from within the body. This might be the case if your son had cradle cap for a longer than usual length of time, ringworm patches (can look like excema), and/or red ring around anus, etc. That was the case with DD anyway. Rebalancing the gut is essential in this case.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

My cousin couldnt wear anything but leather shoes or her feet did what you describe. It started when she was a toddler. As a result she mostly went bare foot.

[Jane]

I'd say a type of fungus - usually called mocassin foot.

[JaneS]

Originally Posted by Ophelia

As far as I know he doesn't show signs of diabetes.

It is not red and it doesn't itch him. Nope, his feet aren't cold whenever I touch them. I may have to take him to a doc. Would rather take him to naturopath but I'm laid off and we are very low on $$

Not diabetes but thinking of low thyroid why I asked if they were cold.

I think you've gotten some good advice. I also wonder if it's a fatty acid deficiency. Is his diet high in omega 6s and low in omega 3s?

[deditus]

Zinc and high dose biotin helped us with fungal stuff.

[kittywitty]

IME all kids get this. I always was told it's a combo of dehydration and not keeping the feet dry enough. As soon as those things change, it goes away.

[Ophelia]

Thanks! I was starting to suspect it was related to growth spurt, as it seemed to go away recently for about a week, but now it's back again.

I will try the apple cider vinegar. I got him new shoes and they made no difference.

Dehydration - I really think he doesn't drink enough during the day. I encourage him to when I remember, but he is gone during the day 4 days a week.

Playground mulch - yes he plays on it regularly, they have it at school and whenever we go to a playground.

He doesn't generally wear shoes in the house, we don't have a lot of carpeting.

If it is fungus/yeast, it is possible that it is a sign of yeast clearing from within the body. This might be the case if your son had cradle cap for a longer than usual length of time, ringworm patches (can look like excema), and/or red ring around anus, etc. That was the case with DD anyway. Rebalancing the gut is essential in this case.

Interesting, he used to get those symptoms (cradle cap, eczema, red ring rash) whenever I ate gluten when he was a newborn. We have been mainly GF since then, but I can tell when he gets glutened because he gets the red ring rash. He usually takes fish oil but we have been forgetting lately.