Is it possible to be allergic to a carseat? UPDATE -- yes, it is

[*MamaJen*]

I just got to thinking that all the spots where DS's eczema flares up are the spots where he rubs against the car seat -- the back of his legs, the back of his arms, his cheek where the harness cover rubs, and really bad on the back of his head.
I've never heard of a baby allergic to a carseat -- is it possible?

Update: I realized it's contact dermatitis from the carseat -- there's a link in the last post.

[Mosaic]

You're in TX, so I'm guessing it's a combination of the irritation and probably sweat making his eczema worse there.

[mtn.mama]

Yeah, its possible. My little girl gets rashy from polyester, carpet, new unwashed fabrics (they're manufactured with formaldehyde) etc. And the heat in conjunction makes it really bad.

[joybird]

It is possible, but the spots you mention are also classic places for eczema to flare. If you haven't washed the cover, I'd do that a few times and see what happens. Car seat covers are made with loads of nasty flame-retardant chemicals that can't be good, whether they're exacerbating the eczema or not.

[*MamaJen*]

I don't think the cover comes off -- it's a Chicco keyfit. I'm looking for a cotton liner than might help.
I wish there was a magic way to know what was triggering the flare-ups. I hate seeing my LO all itchy and uncomfortable.

[mommydancer]

I think they don't recommend you wash them ever...it lessens or eliminates the flame-retarding properties. You may be between a rock and a hard place. I like your liner idea.

[MamaMamaMama!]

Antimony, which is a really dangerous heavy metal, is the main thing they use to make material flame retardant. It is all over most car seats. It is in your best interest to wash the heck out of your car seat covers (five times in borax washing powder on the hottest setting is recommended) along with any other clothing your kids wear (pajamas are the worst).

http://www.healthycar.org has a lot more info for those who are interested.

[matey]

I looked at everything my ds touched looking for an answer other than food. BTW, his flare up spots are about the same as your ds. DS had it on one side of his head the worst, the back of his head was kinda bad, and the other side of his head was clear as could be. So I kept looking for things that the one side of his head was touching. I washed the life out of my ergo insert and was getting ready to do the car seat cover, but couldnt fogure out how to get it off.

Anyway, in all that mess, I dropped out dairy, and he has been pretty clear (occasional flare up, but only lasts 1 day at most) for almost a month.

I say see what you can do with the car seat, sure would be great if that is all it is. But, also keep in mind that that it is a consistent eczema pattern.

[*MamaJen*]

Well, just to update, it looks like he is allergic to the carseat. We started lining it with a cotton sheet, and the eczema has totally cleared up on the back of his head and his legs, where it used to be really horrible. His elbows still rub against the carseat, and he still gets flareups there.
I think we may have found the main trigger. That's such a relief.

[matey]

Lucky you. I wish mine would have been that easy.

[*MamaJen*]

We had a cotton liner made for his carseat, and his rash has totally cleared up. I finally found a reference to car seat dermatitis in some lecture notes. It's on page 7 of this pdf, and that's exactly what the scabs looked like -- bright red with a yellow tint, kind of oozy, but scaly as well.
I am so, so glad he's better. Now, I'm just kind of horrified realizing what goes into car seats.

[changingseasons]

Ugh. Poor baby. That's what DD's cheeks look like when she has a bad food reaction.

[beadmama]

Originally Posted by *MamaJen*

We had a cotton liner made for his carseat, and his rash has totally cleared up.

Can I ask where you got a cover made? My dd is allergic to polyester which the car seat is made of! Right now I cut up a receiving blanket and put it under any skin contact point.

[*MamaJen*]

Wow. Just wow.

I wrote the company telling them what happened, and they sent me back a one-line response a week later offering me a new set of soft goods. No, "Sorry we hurt your baby." No, "Thanks for letting us know and we'll see what we can do to fix it." Just, "Here, have some more of the thing that made your baby's body break out into raw red oozing scabs."
So I went and wrote a bunch of reviews. That's about all I can do.