My 4 month old has fairly bad eczema. He will have flair ups all over his body, which we've mostly been able to stay on top of with a combination of moisturizing, mustela body products, and using dreft newborn detergent. However, the worst spot is covering his entire right cheek. About a month ago we had to go into the pediatrician for an antibiotic, because he scratched it, and it got infected. Since then it will get somewhat better and then flair up again. It is really difficult to get him not to scratch it - especially when he's at daycare - and he essentially rubs it raw. It has been particularly bad lately - it looks awful and I feel awful about it 
. We file his fingernails daily and have him wear scratch mittens at night, but not all day since he's at an age where he loves grasping things. We are taking him back to the pediatrician in the morning, but I would love any tips on what has worked for others...
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We haven’t had as bad a time with our LO but my DH has awful skin and swears by aquaphor on his toughest spots. I’d also see if you can get a referral to a pediatric dermatologist who might been more aware of the best treatments for severe eczema than a standard pediatrician.
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My derm did triacimolone for 5 days past when the spot cleared up, then jus heavy moisturizer. She said that if you can clear the spot up it’s less likely to come back as an adult
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I get eczema and dreft makes it flare really bad, it's full of fragrance and lots of other allergens. I'd try a free and clear detergent over dreft any day. If you've tried others and this works for you ignore this part
Coconut oil helps for me sometimes so might be worth trying -
Yes, to dreft it made DS flair up!
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@MamaBear87: @FaithFertility: Ugh, I was using a fragrance free detergent and the pediatrician told us that newborn dreft is much better, so I washed like every item of clothing and linens in our house with it. His eczema did get better, but we also changed several other things at that point, so it is possible that the detergent is actually making it worse.
@MrsBucky: @gotkimchi: We will ask about a referral to a pediatric dermatologist. We've had somewhat bad luck with referrals before (there are really long waits within the medical group that our insurance offers) but we will definitely push for it.
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Eczema like that can be a sign of a dairy intolerance. You could trial eliminating it and see if that helps. That helped clear up the worst of my daughter's patches, but we also use Aveeno Baby Eczema lotion now, too. Our pediatrician recommended vaseline on her face because it's a bit more heavy duty, and that has helped a lot. Good luck!
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Are you BF your DS? For us my kids' eczemas were tied to food intolerances. So basically whenever I had orange juice (and a couple of other triggering foods) my kid(s) had flare ups of eczema. Maybe there are some foods that he doesn't tolerate well as well?
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My LO’s excema isn’t that bad. We switched Dove sensitive soap to wash him and I’m almost through the Vanicream samples she gave me- ointment, lotion, and lite lotion. I like these better than Cortizone and Aveeno that we were using.
How often are you applying creams? My ped recommended any chance we get, but it’s still just twice a day.
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I haven't dealt with this with DS, but for myself...I switched to Molly's Suds detergent and wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I also use them on DS's clothes. DH doesn't like it because his clothes don't "smell clean" (he likes the dryer sheet smell), but I know it works because there's no poop on the clean clothes! (I use Molly's suds version of oxiclean and cold water to soak any blow outs)
Cream wise, Aveeno products usually contain oats. If your child's eczema is related to a wheat/gluten allergy, that might make it worse (it did for me). I'd try aquafor first
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If it son his cheek, could it be from the sheets at daycare? What do they wash in?
When DD had impetigo on her forehead, we used one of those huge bandaids (like 2"x3") to cover the spot with the ointment. We did this while she was awake, and took it off while she was sleeping. (I was afraid it would rub/fall off while she was sleeping and she would inhale/choke on it.)
Could you do something similar to clear the spot up?Also, our pediatrician recommended Cereve cream (not lotion!) which worked wonders.
And for detergent we use Tide Free & Gentle, I wanted one detergent that I could use for everything from adult clothes to cloth diapers.
Good luck mama!
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@periwinklebee: Ask for a referral to a dermatologist. My youngest has pretty bad eczema too and the only thing that works is a prescription ointment to clear up the really bad flare-ups.
In the meantime though, use a hydrocortisone ointment and vaseline. Ointments are absolutely the BEST for eczema, so start with an ointment and then once the flare up is gone, you can switch to a cream instead if you want to. For my youngest though, we ALWAYS use an ointment on his worst spots (fingers, toes, elbows, and knees for our guy).
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Thank you all, this is super helpful! We got an oral antibiotic from the pediatrician this morning because the infection where he scratched it isn't clearing up with the topical one. I hope it isn't too hard on his little system...
@starchild: @Pumuckl: I do breastfeed. I haven't noticed flair ups tied to any particular food, but it's been in the back of my mind that this could be the problem and maybe keeping a food log could help. I found another thread about this and all the possibilities of things that people had found to be food triggers were a bit overwhelming, I'm not sure where to start on eliminating possible triggers since there are many but i guess dairy is always a good place to start....
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I put on vanicream and aquaphor in the morning and after daycare, daycare puts on aquaphor whenever they notice him scratching, as it seems to reduce that.
@MaryM: I hadn't heard of Molly's Suds, thank you! My husband had the same reaction about dryer sheets after I first started doing our laundry. I won't use them because I have sensitive skin too.
@jennlin821: They told me they use a fragrance free detergent but it is still a possibility. Tomorrow is his last day at his current daycare, so if that's it hopefully it will be solved soon. I hadn't thought of covering it.
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@Adira: Do you by chance remember what you used? I was looking at some different types of ointment on Amazon, but they all say not for children under 5...
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@periwinklebee: I thought Molly's Suds sounded too good to be true and for sure it couldn't actually get things clean, but so far so good!
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@periwinklebee: Just Cortisone 10 Ointment until we got prescriptions for stronger stuff.
http://www.cortizone10.com/anti-itch-ointment.html
I'd double-check with your pediatrician (it says under 2, consult a doctor), but I definitely used this on my babies.
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@Adira: Thank you!
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Other Eczema Tips:
- Bathe in luke-warm water. Pat dry - don't rub, and apply an ointment over their skin IMMEDIATELY after the bath to help the skin absorb the moisture.
- Apply ointment at least twice a day, and more as needed. We used to have our daycare reapply vaseline after every diaper change!
- Run a humidifier at night to increase moisture in the air in his room.
- Launder clothes/sheets/etc in fragrance- and dye-free detergent (We use Tide Free & Clear). Don't use fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
- Limit baths to 2-3 times a week to allow the body's natural oils to build up (Though this can depend on your child - during the winter, we limit baths to twice a week, but in the summer, we have to do it more often to wash off sweat and sunscreen). Always moisturize after a bath!
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DD2 had terrible trouble with her eczema around 6 months and the ped prescribed triamcinolone like @gotkimchi: mentioned - it worked so much better than cortisone on the worst spots! Her skin has gotten a lot better in the past couple months (she's 10 months now). We rarely have to use the stronger steroid now and only use cortisone and a heavy cream the ped recommended called Cutemol when she's having a flare up. When her skin is doing well I just use Eucerin, though, because the Cutemol is messy & expensive.
ETA: We actually used coconut oil (organic cold-pressed) on her cheeks during the day since you can only use the steroid twice a day. It has some antibacterial and antifungal properties in addition to being moisturizing and it's also non-greasy! It may not work while the skin is broken but maybe it could help in the future.
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Our pediatrician did a prescription strength hydrocortisone cream (2.5%) to use on our daughter when she has flare ups and it works great.
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Hugs. I know how hard it is to see your LOs skin all red and flared up. It hurts our hearts so much.
I lightly use dove baby wash but rinse off quickly. Then lather on Eucerin in shower moisturizer. I started using it on her when she was 6 months and our pedi was fine with it so if you’re interested check with your pedi. I feel like it helps so much for that to absorb into their skin while they are in the bath. Kind of like how hair conditioner makes our hair feel awesome. I never let her sit in soapy water or bubbles so I always drain out the soapy water after rinsing her off and refill with fresh warm water while she plays in the bath after being washed. I let the eucerin sit for about 5-10 mins while she plays then lightly rinse. Pat dry after bath and immediately lather on lots of vanicream and some hydrocortisone on spots that are really flared up. Also long sleeves and long pants immediately so the moisturizer has time to absorb into their skin. I also apply vanicream several times a day during diaper changes if it’s realy bad. And on the cheeks if at really bad sometimes I put lansinoh nipple cream right before her nap or bedtime.
Our pedi does not like to prescribe steroid cream but def ask to see a dermatoligist if it’s really bad.
Good luck mama. Hope your LOs skin gets better very soon.
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@peachykeen: @alphagam84: @iluvboba637: Thank you guys, super helpful!
The pediatrician gave the go ahead to use the hydrocorisone 1% cream on a couple of spots where the skin isn't broken, twice a day for the next week. I also got a referral to a pediatric dermatologist for long-term management.
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@periwinklebee: If you can make sure you get the ointment, not the cream - it works so much better!
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I swear by Tubby Todd All Over Ointment.
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I was told stuff for Athletes foot also works well.
My parents just got back from Spain and bought me pure Argan oil. It’s supposedly great and natural to help with eczema.
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DD and I both get flare ups and for her Aquaphor makes it so much worse. Instead we use Aveeno Baby Eczema Nighttime Balm (but not just at night). The oatmeal really helps the itching.
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How often do you bathe him?
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My DS2 has eczema. Based on the pediatric dermatologist's recommendation we use dove sensitive soap on him, All Free and Clear detergent and Hydrolatum as his moisturizer. We also use a prescription hydrocortizone when he has flares.
One thing my dermatologist suggested was actually bathing him MORE. I was shocked but it really helped. We apply the hydrolatum onto his skin while it's still wet. He has been much much better since we consistently started this routine.
Agree with @Ms. RV: that aquaphor makes it worse for my LO. Apparently the Lanolin in it can cause flares because its a wool derivative.
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@Littlebit7: @psw27: We are not bathing him very often now - but I do find it a bit confusing. Some things I read said bathe often because it can actually be cause by allergens that need to be washed off. Pediatrican and other stuff I read said the opposite - bathe as little as possible to avoid drying out. We were bathing him more often initially and switched at the pediatrician's recommendation - I'm not sure it has made much difference, so maybe those two things balance out? But I really should keep experimenting.
@Ms. RV: @psw27: Interesting, we do have aveeno, maybe I should experiment with that on one patch and aveeno on another to get a better sense for whether he could be sensitive to either of those.
@misolee: Hm, I actually have some argan oil. I use it because it is the only natural/gentle product I've found that helps my dry scalp. So makes sense that it could be good for eczema too!
@Canoli: Going to check this out.
@Adira: Thank you, I wouldn't have even thought of this! Thankfully both the hydrocortisone and topical antibiotic that we picked up are ointments.
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@periwinklebee: my ped. derm basically said not bathing him wasn't helping to wash off the things that could be irritating him and also didn't give us that nice wet skin to lock in the moisture. I thought it would be the opposite but his skin is SO much better since we started doing that.
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@psw27: Thank you - I think we should experiment with this, as clearly what we're doing is not fully keeping it under control!
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I didn't read all the comments in detail but I second food allergies - even through breast milk causing eczema that won't go away.
My son had a pretty bad patch of it on his thighs and we figured out it was from his highchair and what we were cleaning it with!
To get it to clear up though we slathered on coconut oil (refined or unrefined works) several times a day and Lemongrass Spa's Healing Elements Balm twice a day. We limited baths/showers to every other day and immediately afterwards slathered on coconut oil. But we really didn't make any progress on getting rid of it till we figured out the cause and fixed that.
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My five month old only has milder eczema but her pediatrician told me to basically cover her with baby vaseline (target brand is 100%) every day after bath. It wouldn't have been my first choice over lotion but it actually really works for us.
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@RKitty: @2littlepumpkins: Thank you!
I think this post - and some other stuff I've read - really drives home that the triggers are different for everyone. What clears it up for some people exacerbates it for others. So I think we have to keep experimenting with these different suggestions to find his triggers, and just expect that it's going to be an issue at least until we figure things out better... The pediatrician also thought that it would be a chronic issue, and we are getting in to see a pediatric dermatologist to talk about long term management.
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@periwinklebee: Hi! I wanted to follow up with you to see if things are better. My almost-4mo’s eczema started out mild at around 2.5mo, and now it’s definitely gotten more severe. We’ve just been doing Aquaphor, 2 baths/week, free & clear detergent. I agree with you after reading the thread that what works for some doesn’t always work for others. So frustrating! Haha. Anyway, did you figure out something that works for you all?
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I know I only posted about my eczema before, but DS ended up having it awful on his eyelids...made worse by a case of HFM (the doctor thinks he rubbed his eyes to relieve a headache and the rubbing made the skin even dryer and itchier)
This has become part of his nighttime beauty routine. lol. After he's swaddled, I rub it on his eyebrows and eyelids. It really helped clear up the thick scaley skin.
It was so bad before, the skin around one eye is a shade lighter from rubbing it so much. He still rubs his eyes what seems like a lot, but now I think it's more of a tick/habit and at least they aren't as red and sore looking.
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@ineebee: It fluctuates from looking pretty good to really bad. We suspect the root cause is food allergies, but the wait to get in for allergy testing is three months, so in the meantime we are avoiding suspect foods and managing symptoms, with a combination of advice from the pediatric dermatologist and experimentation.
Here's a few things that have been helpful:
1) Lots and lots of moisturizing, and the greasier the better. Pediatric derm said not to use a lotion, because they just don't do enough, to use a cream or a balm. I cover his whole body when he wakes up and before bed. One thing I discovered that does seem to really help is if I put a balm onto his face before getting into the stroller to go to daycare and to come home. I think the heat makes it itchy, he scratches, and this makes it much worse. But really moisturizing right before going out in the heat helps to prevent this.2. Anytime he's really itching, we give him children's benadryl. The pediatric derm very strongly recommended this, as itching is the biggest thing that causes it to flair. We'd rather not give him medicine, but in this case it's necessary and better than him scratching, breaking the skin, and causing an infection. The dosing for kids under 2 is based on weight rather than age and I think you have to ask your pediatrician for it.
3. We only bathe once a week. I know for some people bathing more often helps, but for LO he's always itchier after a bath, no matter how thoroughly we moisturize after, so we minimize it.
4. We got a prescription for desonide, a topical ointment, from the dermatologist. When it's really bad, this is the only thing that can really help to get it under control.
5. We file his fingernails every night to try to prevent him from breaking the skin when he scratches. We used to use scratch mittens when he slept, but he figured out how to take them off so that doesn't work anymore.
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Just chiming in to add that a few friends have had issues with true children and usually were able to control it with a combination of dietary restrictions and lotions/ creams
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I skimmed so this might already be covered BUT about bathing frequency and lotion: For my husband, he showers less and has to moisturize every inch of his body IMMEDIATELY after showering to "lock in" the moisture. He uses Vaseline lotion mostly, but Cerave when it gets bad and has prescription items for rough patches.
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This stuff (neosporin eczema lotion) has almost cleared my eczema up. I had horrible blisters and cracks on my hands and it's almost all gone now. Highly recommend!
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