eczema is typically itchy.

I think anything that is going to work really well is not going to be good to ingest. We use a cream called Florasone that we got at Whole Foods and it works really well. The back of the tube has the warning about calling Poison Control if ingested, though, so I don't know if that would be any better. The active ingredient is Cardiospermum, in case that helps.

 

Have you tried OMG 3 fish oils?

It should help out a lot to get some healthy oil into him. Are you breastfeeding? If so, you can take it and he'll get it that way. If not, you can get some for kids.

I like the brand www.nordicnaturals.com

Good luck,
Caring Touch

 

You didn't mention it in your original post, so I thought I'd ask: have you tried eliminating common allergens from your/his diet? Eczema is a very typical food sensitivity response. If you are breastfeeding, you might try eliminating dairy (or soy, citrus (also remove tomatoes & strawberries), wheat/gluten, eggs, etc.) for a few days each and see if his eczema improves. You might consult with a naturopath or do some more research about how to test and watch for food sensitivities in a baby. If you are formula feeding, try switching to a different based formula (milk based if using soy or vice versa).

sending your babe soothing vibes...

warmly,
claudia

 

My older son went through a bout of very severe eczema. Yeah, it itches a lot (he'd scratch till he was bloody, poor guy).

I'll second what Caring Touch and TurboClaudia said... there is good documented evidence supporting both of these. However I'll add that eczema is not really well understood, and food may not be the answer (but if I were you, I'd hope that it was, because it's just about the easiest answer).

If you have access to a pediatric allergist, I'd see her/him instead of a regular pediatrician. In my experience, the generalist (the ped) doesn't always have all the info that can help. A lot of what we have learned which has helped a lot we got from the allergist, and a lot of it has nothing to do with drugs (eg, we learned to give our son frequent tepid baths and then "seal" him with something greasy immediately after the bath... anything you can do to keep the skin gently moisturized and not irritated helps). The biggest risk of hyrdocortizone is that overuse/prolonged use can cause thinning of the skin (which isn't going to help the eczema situation).

Some other things you might think about... eliminate any personal care items (shampoo, lotion, detergent, soap) which have any dyes or perfumes. Double rinse your laundry. Avoid sunburn and overheating (they can exacerbate the eczema). Go very, very slowly with introduction of solids, and stay away from foods which are common allergens (wheat, egg, dairy, soy, nuts, corn, berries, etc.).

Good luck!

 

i second what kk mama said, it isn't always allergies. my ds gets it every winter and sometimes when he is fighting something and his body is stressed.

 

The two best things I have found for skin conditions are omega-3 fatty acid supplementation (I start giving small amounts to my babies around 6 mo., not before, and I also take it myself); and calendula cream (weleda makes a great one). Good luck, that is a really frustrating condition.

 

My dd's eczema flares up with most soaps, scented stuff, certain detergents, dairy and grass pollen. So for some kids it's allergies, some food some not and some kids just have dry skin.

Just becareful, frequent hydrocortisone use lightens the skin. My dd has splotchy spots on her legs from when we overused it before I knew that.

I hope your ds feels better and it heals up soon.

 

We got rid of my dd's eczema by

(1) switching the whole family's laundry to free and clear detergent

(2) making sure anything we use on the baby is hypoallergenic (should say it on the label)

(3) putting her on hypoallergenic formula*, but you can do the same thing by following the elimination diet, then slowly adding foods back in until you find the trigger. Most commonly it's dairy

* my dd has feeding problems, see sig line below

I had her eczema cleared up within 2 weeks by making these changes. Not sure which one it was that worked. The cortizone cream is good to clear it up when it gets bad, but try to find the source of it if you can. Oatmeal works pretty good, try Aveeno products. Aquaphor will clear up the dry skin that can aggravate it, while still allowing the skin to breathe (unlike most heavy creams).

Darshani

 

Eczema is different for each baby. Some will get it because it runs in the family. Others will get it because they have an allergic reaction. And still others will get it for no apparent reason.

First, when you apply the hydrocortizone, make sure you use it sparingly 2-3 times a day. As a previous poster stated, it can lighten the skin. Our Ped said overuse can thin the baby's skin.

Aside from trying to remove naything allergic, you should also try to prevent it. Eczema can be dry and flaky w/o the redness or it can be a flareup where it itches and is red (that is when the hydrocortizone is needed).

Both of my kids and myself have this condition. Per our Ped, we soak the kids in an oatmeal, milk, soy bath made by Aveeno for Babies. It is in a beige bottle w/ a pink top. It helps to cleanse and moisturize the baby's skin. As soon as you remove baby from bath, apply a good lotion to seal in the moisture, such as Eucerin, Aveeno or Cetaphil. Re-apply the lotions several times a day to the areas where eczema is.

Here is an informative link-http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081800.asp

Jenni
Helon 2 yrs
Phillip 7 mos

 

i haven't read through all the posts, so hopefully this redundant and you've already gotten your copy...spring 2004 'compleat mother' has a nice article on excema by a mama who has seen it through to the other side. i highly recommend it!!