Can anyone help?

[BigBumpBonnie]

DD2 has had terrible skin since birth (she's 6 weeks old now). I've taken her to the doctors twice who have given me creams to use which seemed to be helping a bit. Over the last day her skin has got worse. It's really red and angry looking all over her body and peeling. Her face is really dry and she has scabs behind her ears. It just looks really sore. Now I've made her a doctors appointment for 4pm today but wondered if anyone on here has any experience of this as I don't have complete faith in my doctor. I am wondering could she be allergic to the formula milk she is on (cow & gate)? Any help would be gratefully appreciated!

Hmm, not much to advise, but that sounds horrid for you both. Triggers could be washing powder (would only use non-bio) no fabric softner, hypoallegenic bath stuff, and maybe think about goats milk formula, think its very expensive though. Hope you can sort it soon. Sure others on here have much more advice.

if you're checking this ask if you can have aveeno cream on prescription. They may give you a steroid cream. You only need water to wash babies and don't need to do it that often. Lots of other advice on old threads. You could ask if you could try one lot of Pepti Junior on prescription to see if it helps, doc may be reluctant. Ask if they could prescribe a probiotic (Lactobacillus gg), doubt they will have heard of that helping eczema but it does.

Realistically the most you can hope for is some aveeno or a steroid cream.

You don't mention how long your daughter has been on that formula. From birth? If yes, then I think you have to look at that as the reason that she is having problems with her skin. If you just started it over the last day (when you say that the skin got much worse) then again I think you have to look at the formula as the reason for the worsening. One thing is that since she is so young you know there are only a few things that she is drinking and a few things that affect her environment and skin so hopefully you can work out what is causing the problems. Good luck at your doctor's appointment.

A friend of mine has had the same problem with her babe from birth and she was solely breast fed for 6 months. She has steroid cream and has to wet wrap her every day. Have heard that milk allergies can cause this though. You can get her tested for that.

how did it go at the doctors?

took her to the doctors yesterday who wasn't happy and referred me immediately to the paediatrician at the hospital. Went straight down yesterday evening and two doctors looked at her and both have said it's def excema with the possibility of a milk allergy. The doc said there is no point putting her on soya milk as they don't recommend this any more so told me to continue using the formula and just applying very rich cream. They have given us oilatum and eppaderm. They have put her on a course of antibiotics due to the possibility of an infection and have taken a swab to be on the safe side. They both said an allergy to formula is very very rare and it is more likely to just be very dry skin.

I feel so sorry for her as she is such a cheery little baby and I really hope this is something she will grow out of. I think I've been washing her a little bit too often all be it with plain water and am going to cut down on that.

Thank you for your advice. If things don't improve in a week I will be taking her back!

Also wash her clothes with something like 'surcare' it's really kind to skin. You can get it in most supermarkets. Some of the big named powders claim to be skin friendly but so arn't and most have caused a problem between myself, DH and DS.

hope this doesn't upset you but that's daft. Possibility of milk allergy but allergy to formula is rare is just inconsistent. Formula is milk, just processed, and although a true allergy isn't that common intolerance is pretty common in babies. Still doctors aren't generally well informed about allergy and the comments possibly came from different doctors?

Soya milk isn't recommended any more because allergies to that are common and its been linked to nut allergy. There are also concerns about sugar levels and oestrogen like effects. You could try nanny (goats milk formula) but it is pricey. Boots will order it or you might find it in health food shops. Pepti Junior is also prescribed for babies who have problems with milk, don't know if you can just buy that. There are also nutramigen and neocate but its harder to get babies to take those.

Probiotics have been shown to help babies with eczema, possibly by helping to digest the lactose in milk, possibly by boosting the immune system. You can get them in health food shops but they may only be suitable from 6 months/ a year, there are probably more available on the net. It should improve with the creams but if it isn't a big improvement then you need to ask about probiotics/ a change of milk.

I agree with the comment that many babies have allergies to dairy. Sometimes you really have to push with the doctors as they are reluctant to prescribe a formula like Nutrimagen (no dairy of any kind) because it is expensive. I have two friends that had to use Nutrimagen because their babies couldn't tolerate breastmilk or regular formula (I would say if I know two people just in my neighbourhood then it is definitely not extremely rare to have an allergy to formula).

Don't let the doctors fob you off with a "dry skin in the winter" line. I would definitely change to some kind of non cown dairy formula (Nanny Goat or some of the other mentioned), keep pushing. Good luck.

have to agree with belsize and tatt, formula milk is based on cows milk so allergy to formula rare!?? thats crazy! Def push to get her on another milk if she doesn't improve. U have to be quite bulshy with these health professionals sometimes (sorry any out there!). Don't get fobbed off.

Thanks for all your advice. I am still concerned it's an allergy but not used to being pushy! I tend to take what the doctors say without question. I think that's something I'll have to work on.

How will I know for sure if she is allergic to her formula? Is there a test they can do or is it just a case of waiting to see if there's any improvement with just the creams? The thought that I'm feeding her something that might be making her worse is very upsetting

They can do a test for milk allergies but I don't think they are very keen to offer it until things get really bad! . I think thats because they have to take blood from the baby and thats not very nice. Mind you, seeing as they referred you so quickly to hospital sounds like they are taking you seriously. I would just monitor her and see how she gets on. If the creams help see what happens when you stop using them, I think then you would have a case because it isn't good to use creams long term (I am assuming they are steroid creams are they?).

there's loads of alternatives to soya! Soya is full of sugar so apart from the whole allergy thing, it's bad for teeth (Ds1 has lost some already) but there are a few brands of dairy free hypoallergenic milk available. My DS3 is on a lactofree formula which wouldn't necessarily help (but might - Enfamil lactofree) but nutramigen is a popular allergen free variety I am told

Unfortunately blood tests only work for true allergies and most babies have cows milk intolerance. The only way to test for food intolerance is to stop using the food and see if there is an improvement. As skin problems often improve for other reasons you then have to retry the food and see if things get worse. Its a slow process. She's quite young to be changing her milk but if there isn't much improvement I think you'll have to try something else.

Not something to blame yourself over - you are doing your best by taking her to the doctor.

Some good news, all the creams and less washing seem to be helping considerably. She's still quite dry but nowhere near as sore as before so hopefully she'll carry on improving. I haven't heard back from the hospital yet about whether she has an infection but she's definately on the up!! I have kept her on her original milk so hopefully it isn't that.

Thank you for all your help and support

great that there's an improvement. I forgot to say that if you think the milk may be a problem adding a drop or two of infacol may help. It contains lactase which helps to break down the lactose that often causes problems.

Goats milk is more readily digested and if you can afford it might produce more improvement. Unlike the other "milks" for allergic children babies normally take it quite readily.