Useful advice for babes with excema?

[NosleepNat]

Hiya
I'm repeating here a lot of what I put on the end of another thread in the hope it might help someone.
My DS is 7 months, at 2 months he developed excema on his head and he began waking every hour/2 hours through the night, diprobase seemed to help the excema but not his sleeping and then the excema spread down his neckand chest. Then the diprobase seemed to make it worse as did several other emollients we tried. He had a bad reaction to an oil I put on him in desperation and ended up in casualty, fortunately he was fine and they suggested hydrocortisone and calamine lotion for the itching. I was reluctant to use steroid creams but put calamine lotion on him and couldn't believe when in a couple of days his excema was clearing up! I looked at the ingredients and came to the conclusion it was the zinc oxide. I spent ages trying to find a zinc oxide cream without parafin (which we think irritates his skin) and the boots zinc and castor oil has peanut oil in (but is listed in the ingredients with its latin name). We used a cream from the co-op but the lanolin in it played havoc with my hands.
LO was now 6 months and still fully BFed, still not sleeping and I was sure he was allergic to something and went to the docs. Would have to wait 2 months to see a specialist so went private and found out LO is allergic to egg (6 skin prick tests each arm). Cut out egg and he started sleeping much better, we're both on hugely restricted diets including cutting out food high in histimines which make him itchy and foods with a high risk of allergy in the hope that he won't become allergic to them. I had to stop using the co-op cream due to my hands but then his excema started to come back all over. Then I found Neals Yard nappy cream, all natural, got zinc and beeswax to seal in moisture and smothered LO one in it twice a day, in 2 days it had cleared up, it's very thick and greasy but it was a miracle for us and I'd REALLY recommend it (I believe zinc oxide is what is in the expensive wet wrap bandages so it is good stuff for excema!)
Anyway that is my experience maybe it will help someone,
Natxxx
PS I have been given a lot of wrong information by GP's, as far as I am concerned they are of NO USE when it comes to allergies/excema I think if you can see an allergy specialist.

Hi nosleepnat. Great that things have improved for you and your lo. I am always on the lookout for natural creams so will give this one a try. DS has to have steriod cream on everyday but it still doesn't reduce it for him.

I was also interested in what you said about cutting out foods that are high in histamine - is it a massive list of things?

Hiya
The histamine thing.....well we were told to cut out citrus, tomatoes, strawberries, pineapple and marmite.....the doctor said also not to give him advocado which we had been....I think that was all. But if you google it processed foods tend to be high in histimines, yeast, alcohol and chocolate.... I think it's now easier to list what we can eat than what we can't! and only yesterday I realised baked beans were off the menu....I guess you have to draw the line somewhere though and I just do the best I can.
For any really itchy snuffling children though it's probably at least worth trying to cut down on these foods.
HTH Natxxx

Oh and (I think) the steroid cream should clear your LO's skin in a few days if not then I don't think it will and I would say you either need a stronger steroid cream (better a stronger one for a few days than a weaker one indefinately) or maybe the one funcidin (something like that) that gets mentioned a lot on here that is steroid cream plus ummmmmm plus something else I've forgotten sorry not much use.....not that I'm a doctor or anything of course, but just my thoughts and I hope you find something that helps,
Nat xxx

NosleepNat - why do you not wear gloves when you put on the cream - that will protect your hands. Have you tried Aveeno BTW?

Sorry - didn't read whole post proerly to see that tyou have found a cream that works.

My niece had terrible eczema as a baby. When she grew older she developed asthma and has a nut allergy (almonds). She uses an epipen. Definitely agree about seeing allergy specialist.

Zinc is well know to be good for eczema but you can only get this through the Dermatologist. It isn't readily available from pharmacists at your GP's. Zinc isn't in Wet Wrap bandages, wet wrap is simply a procedure of emollients "under occlusion" with a non-medicated bandage called Tubifast. Zinc is avaliable in a smaller bandages called Zip Zoc which is usually used for localised areas such as a leg or arm and usually for adults. What is good is icthammol paste and this can be used as a paste in bandage which can be applied with Coban ontop and left on for 3days. Hope this helps.

Hello dear,
Have you tried putting oatmeal in a stocking? M&S 40-denier look ones work well. You get coarse-ground oatmeal, put it in the stocking, tie a knot on the top and put it in the bath. Squeeze it to get the creamy stuff out (but don't let the children throw it at the ceiling, as mine did, or you will block the plug-hole with coarse oatmeal) and use it on their skin. This tip came from an Australian midwife, and it's weird but effective. And we have every skin allergy known to mankind in this family...

Sorry - I didn't read properly either (my nocturnal post-children-to-bed glass of wine has stunted my reading faculties). Glad you found something that worked - certainly better than the oatmealy plug-hole.

Tried htis on ddd2's eczema. thanks Nosleepnat. it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to echo nellyraggbags tip about the oatmeal.

My baby has had infected nappy rash fior weeks and we have tried every known cream including steriods.

I tried the oatmeal bath as nelly describes and the effect was immediate! Its a miracle cure which is supposed to be wonderful for eczma too!