"just baby eczema" ?

[Ellsiedodah]

Hi all, my 11 mo has had patches of horrible eczema on his arms, back, shoulders, legs since I stopped breast feeding when he was around 6 months. Hydrocortisone helps but the minute we come off it, it reappears. No amount of cream (have tried multiple types and apply at least 3 times a day plus before and after bath which only happens every 2 days). Don't use conditioner when washing. Everyone incl doc says oh it's just baby eczema but I feel there's always something underlying a physical manifestation like this. Anyone else been through the same and got more useful advice? Deliberating on seeing a dietician or dermatologist. Thank you :)

low level hydrocortisone wont hurt him if used following directions and is a low percentage.
my son needed them for his first five years, and stopped needing it from then on. As an adult his skin is perfectly fine.
The use of steroid type creams is highly controlled, unlike my own childhood when i was given very very strong creams, with no moisturiser! Times have changed with regards to treating eczema.

Things like eczema and dermatitis are generally a reaction of the immune system. You said it started after you stopped breast feeding - have you considered trying a dairy free formula?

I suffer with dermatitis on my face which is caused by diet and stress.

We had an awful experience with our GP practice and HVs when DD was a baby (I'm not usually a critic of the NHS):
-"some babies are quite sicky"
-"some babies do poo a lot"
-"some babies get nappy rash"
-"it's just croup"
-"conjunctivitis is normal for babies"
-"it's just dry skin"
-"it's a bit of reflux"

She was diagnosed with CMPA (dairy allergy) at 14 months. It makes me feel sick to this day that her milk was poisoning her for over a year.

If you feel it's something more than a bit of eczema then badger them. Get a referral.

My daughter had a dairy allergy as a baby which resulted in her being covered with eczema all over her body and face. Took ages to realise, always at the docs for different creams, referred to dermatology at the hospital for more creams....no one mentioned allergies. It was only when someone on here said that dairy caused eczema in their child that I cut it out as an experiment and in 2 weeks it had entirely disappeared. Told the dermatologist about it and she said, oh yes parents say that a lot but there’s no evidence for it! She overcame the allergy by the time she was 3 (although she has others still).

My son was hospitalized with eczema, in that he had to be wrapped in wet wraps as it was so bad it was bleeding.
He is now 6, he uses soap and spends hours in cheap bubble baths. His skin gets patches now and then, but it is safe to say that he is free of this now.

The only thing I will say is when we moved from urban to a rural area and with more sunshine, his eczema cleared up. That happened when he was 2 years old. By 2 and a half he was eczema free. I don't know if it would have cleared up if we stayed in London, but he's been back to London and stayed for a month and no flare ups, so I think it would have cleared up.

Really feel for you, it's so heartbreaking!

We had the same thing with red raw eczema all over. Was given hydrocortisone and steroids but I wanted to try not to do them first.

We stopped dairy, oats in the bath ( in an old tight or sock) and homeopath gave calc carb. (But different remedy from child to child I know). And literally not a spot left 2 weeks later. Obvs not sure which one of the above worked but whatever it was am thrilled.

Good luck!!

Thanks so much everyone. Its frustrating - we did allergy bloods and nothing came back. And yet he comes out in hives to egg and melon so there are definitely some allergies there. If you cut out dairy, what milk did you give your baby if you did? Did you also cut out butter? And soy products? I believe the soy protein is like milk? Thanks again xx

My daughter was ok with soya, some kids with milk allergy can be sensitive to soya but not all. Oat milk also good. She reacted to dairy butter and cheese so we gave her pure spread and tried vegan cheeses - violife is the best but she wasn’t keen.

Sunshine and Child’s Farm moisturiser helped here. Sympathies, it is shit.

Thanks for sharing. We haven't tried those creams @EssentialHummus so maybe we'll give that a go. Going to try the no dairy diet for a month too I think.

What I did with DD - which seemed mad at the time, but which actually helped speed things - was try one cream on one hemisphere of her body, and one on the other. So if things improved/didn't, we'd see it faster.

But, yes, out in the sun lots and keep trying different things. DD is now 20 months and other than very light patches here and there you can't see a thing. This time last year she was scratching herself raw.

Following as I could have written the Op post. Have tried everything mentioned and at the top end of the steroid cream but still there. My 18 month old itches until she is red raw. I'm going this week to ask to be referred to dermatology.