Advice please on use of steroid creams on 6 month old with eczema

[rainbowweaver]

My son developed seems at 3 months old. We've applied steroid creams (hydrocortisone 0.5%) twice before, the first twice daily for 5 days then once daily for 5 days; the 2nd once daily for 5 days. The eczema subsides while cream is used but comes back with a vengeance after. Are we doing wrong? How do you apply the cream and for what duration each time? Also, eczema is on his face and neck. Many thanks for any insight!

Another question, do you apply steroid cream on skin that is not red but still rough? DS' legs have been in this condition did the past 4 weeks. Should we apply till the skin is smooth?

Sorry thought it didn't go through first time

I'd probably just moisturise rough skin that had no redness or cracking.

No anti biotics here. None in pregnancy and only some very mild eye drops at 6 months when the eczema had already come. My OH gets eczema on his wrists in Winter though so I assume it's part genetics, part bad luck.

No AB's here either. We've also got a genetic component tho, as DH suffers. I would moisturise (lots) rough red skin, and keep steroids for cracked, very sore patches.

Sounds like you should try a different emollient, as the one you've got doesn't suit your LOs skin. We went through a couple til one suddenly made a difference. Then after about a year, we needed to change again. Its trial and error.

I find the dryness comes after the reaction. I get hives from rainwater, and when they've gone down the skin gets very dry and needs moisturising for a few days until it's back to normal. As the poster above said, you have to try different moisturisers until you find one that works for you. If I use one a lot, I find that I start to react to it and have to avoid it for a while. It's the angry redness (and most particularly the itchiness) that needs steroids.

I took antibiotics for a chest infection when pregnant, DS has a milk protein allergy, reflux and eczema. However there is eczema and asthma in the family and DH had a milk allergy as a child.

There goes my theory then :) good point on the moisturiser, I did think that too but when we tried switching DS had a reaction (the intensive itching around the neck). Could be that he needs different moisturisers for neck vs rest of body? Will start testing out a different moisturiser for his legs at least.

Day 7, the redness around one side of neck, under armpits and a large patch of face still there so I've also started applying some fucidic acid topical anti-b on those.

Just adding some links for my future reference

[[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3809588/ ]]

[[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21437065 ]]

[[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK49357/#!po=46.9697 ]]

There's a NICE guideline somewhere about not using aqueous as a moisturiser.

Useful guides on FTUs
[[http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/asthmaandallergy/eczema_managing_003750.htm ]]

[[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21204322 ]]

[[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/11142266/Eczema-expert-defended-by-parents.html ]]

[[http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/atopic-dermatitis-and-eczema ]]

[[http://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/download.php?doi=10.2340/00015555-0389 ]]

Pleased to report the exomega cream is working better than Bria Organics balm on DS' legs :)
But persistent red patches still there on face, arm pits and neck despite anti-bs, though cheek patch significantly improved.
Still continuing steroid cream.

Am amazed with progress on the exomega cream. Just came back from gp's and DS infected patches under control so have been ok-ed to stop anti-bs. Hc to continue for another week only on the red creases and the red patches on face and neck, but his body, legs are ok.

Fingers crossed this continues to improve!!

My 11 month old has had awful eczema since about 2 months old. We've tried it all. I'm at my wits end some days. He has a cows milk protein allergy too.

I've been told by many that 0.5% hydrocortisone is as good as useless, and I have to agree, it does nothing. 1.0% is the minimum to use and I have been told by GPs and dermatologists it can safely be slathered all over them daily including the face. It's an over the counter medicine if you haven't got a prescription. Pharmacies are very behind what the GPs and Dermatologists are advising, they won't give 1.0% to you for under 16s so you have to say it's for you. That said I also find it's a never ending cycle, skin looks great even after one application, completely gone after a few days, then as soon as I stop it's back worse than it was before I used them.

Bleach baths have been quite effective, don't worry everyone, it's a capful in a bath to replicate a chlorinated swimming pool. They noticed children with eczema improved after swimming lessons. Basically those with eczema have higher levels of bacteria living on their skin than those without eczema. I do that every second night, and it makes the raised red patches flatten and go smooth. Then pay dry and cover with a thick emollient (at the moment using unrefined Shea butter that is v thick, need to melt it in your hands first, and therefore stays on for awhile!).
nationaleczema.org/eczema/treatment/alternative-therapies/bleach-baths/

With these two combined I can start to clear it slowly so his back is smooth firstly, then less areas are affected, it takes much longer than steroid creams but it stays that way, doesn't rebound, iykwim. Other thing is nightly piriton to stop them itching.

Bleach baths sound terrifying but H2O2 is a great antibacterial / disinfectant, effective against many difficult to clear infections including Staphylococcus Aureas, often present with eczema.

How you use bleach / H2O2 baths when eczema is on face and neck? Can we just apply? And to what dilution if H2O2? Many thanks!

Do you get the exomega cream.on prescription or are you buying it?

I'm not sure about the H202 concentration, it sounds like the same principle as the bleach in that it kills the bacteria on the skin. The link in my post below has the bleach concentrations, although I have been using Milton, one capful in a large full to the brim baby bath as they need to be submerged so he's almost up to his neck in the water. I read that a lot of the bacteria lives in the nose so older children are encouraged to put their face in up to their nose but not so useful for those of us with babies. My ds cheeks are awful so I run a bit of water over them with a cup.

I bought a tube of the Exomega on Amazon, but I think if you have a nice GP you can maybe talk them into prescribing it, I think a lot have managed to get things like Aveeno prescribed. I think usually they'll prescribe the cheapest product and work their way up unless you specifically request something.

Try the Shea butter, it's a pain to melt but it really coats them, which is what you need to stop the moisture escaping out of their skin.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00C118LQ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1420917589&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

Dead Sea salt and eczema [[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02079.x/abstract ]]

I had to purchase mine. My gp would not even prescribe aveeno... But rather an equivalent formulation instead (zeroguent). But only needs a little to make a difference. Boots sell exomega online for about £10. You can get it delivered to store.