[Ganesh78]

For you mamas experienced with eczema and babies maybe you can offer me some advice. My firstborn - almost 2 - has no signs of eczema. My newborn - only 4 mos old - started showing signs of it at 3 mos of age. I was shocked as at first his back seemed to show some patchy areas and then it got quite irritated. It definitely looks like eczema - scaly patches and his skin just generally seems more dry than my toddlers. I have changed a few things: detergent, bathing less frequently in lukewarm water, bathing in olive oil/little to no soap etc. And moisturizing, moisturizing. This seems to have helped some what. I was surprised how quickly it came on - it almost seemed overnight. Any other ideas or tips? I am mostly interested in hearing about those who have eliminated certain foods from their diet and if this has helped at all. If so, how long should I trial eliminating certain foods. I am nursing exclusively. so if anyone can give me some advice or what worked for them in regards to diet changes...it would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers

 

[aris99]

Hi,

I eliminated this, that and the other....unfortunately for my son nothing helped

I'm *sure* diet was a factor BUT I found that it was nearly impossible to pinpoint and that other things helped more than diet restrictions. I never used soap on my son, he bathed in sea or epsom salts. I upped his fat intake...hemp oil has been shown to help the skin retain moisture eliminating dry skin that can exacerbate eczema, coconut oil was also good. DHA probably helped as well. A course of probiotics every now and then help keep intestinal flora in good shape...seems to help people prone to eczema...my son take Nature's Way reuteri powder every few months for a month.

As for moisturizers, we use aquaphor....I hate it but no other product works as well (for us). We use soapnuts for detergent....deterg residue in clothes can really irritate esp. in warmer months.

HTH a little.

 

[Biscuits & Gravy]

Giving up dairy has made some difference for my DS. At first I thought the difference was minor, but I've recently had a little dairy as a test and he definitely had big flare ups. Going dairy free has not made the eczema go away completely, but it certainly helped.

 

[kjbrown92]

Corn is what caused my DD2's eczema. Corn-free is difficult but soooooo worth it. Eczema can be caused by environmental allergies or food allergies or intolerances. Elimination diet, allergy testing, food journaling...

 

[flightgoddess]

My lil guy still has a couple patches, but they're really small. I eliminated ALL products with 'fragrance' in our house, his lotion (try eucerin, same maker as aquaphor, but more like a lotion instead of thick cream) his soap, wipes, diapers (i use mostly cloth, but seventh generation disposeables at night and gma's house) all the adult lotion and soap, laundry stuff, hand sanitizer, etc. He still gets those little patches once in a while because other people (like grandma, auntie, etc) take care of him, and they don't have their house 'de-fragratized' I just put some mild hydrocortisone and lotion on for a couple days and they spots will calm down, then I slather on lotion as usual. If you are BF, take extra omega oils yourself, he'll get them through your milk. I tried eliminating dairy early on, didn't make a difference. It has gotten a lot better as he has gotten older.

 

[babycarrier]

Eliminating the nightshades and being really careful about laundry soap and bath soap helped eliminate my son's eczema.

 

[Ganesh78]

thanks for all the replies very helpful.
The only thing is if I try to eliminate dairy how long do I take to do this trial? Weeks, days? Any ideas...