Urgent excema advice needed

[naturopath]

Hi, my 4-month old ds has woken up screaming because the excema on his neck/chest area has suddenly flared up and he has scratched it to shreds.

I had already put hydrocotisone on before he went to bed, and have gen used hydrcortisone / cetraben all over his body.

Question is - what can I do with the area that is bleeding? I have just put scratch mitts on his hands so he shouldn't do any more damage, but can I put anything on the bleeding area to ease the pain/itching? Obvouslt don't want to irritate it further.

(am picking up presciption for various other creams etc. from dr. tomorrow)

Thanks!

Just a quick update - saw new dermatologist who prescribed two different steroid ointments (yes, I know they are potent/scary/dangerous etc etc - have weighed up risks and benefits under expert guidance) and the eczema has pretty much cleared in two days. Have to treat quite aggressively now in attempt to ward off recurrent flare-ups. Also using Cetraban and Aveeno now in between steroid applications to keep his skin nice and soft. I must say I am very impressed!

Also

• bathing twice a day, using Oilatum Junior and Dermol lotion

• scratch mitts / socks on hands at night (haven't got any of those special sleepsuits yet, but not sure if they'll be required now)

• washing clothes in Surcare

• might well try some of the alternative suggestions (eg probiotics (as soon as I remember to do so!) ; chickweed ointment) when eczema has well and truly cleared, as a preventative measure

Still waiting to hear instructions for growing an aloe vera plant! (or was that in another thread?)

Can't not post on here. My son has always suffered terribly from excema, to the extent of him going to A&E with weeping/bleeding excema patches on his face. We have found what for us is a "miracle" cure after years of trouble.

If you put 1 tblsp of bicarbonate of soda into their bath, the itching/irration (for us anyway) clears immediately.

Worth a try?? And we have had all the usual.

Diprobath/diprobase/ultrabase/fucidin/fucibet/eumovate/hydrocortisone/epaderm.

HTH!!

Thanks Pinions! We have also tried your whole list of stuff and none worked until the pretty potent steroids. I didn't know about the bicarbonate of soda - will definitely try that one next time I see him itch.

Also!!

Sorry haven't really read through the thread and am knackered, but, of course look out for food allergies.

DS was lucky enough to be tested at the hospital. And he is allergic to any EGG WHITE and highly allergic to PEANUTS, in addition to hayfever.We also once switched to a different brand of squash once(suphites) and he broke out head to toe in a huge excema outbreak, which took about 2 months to clear.

If anyone reading this has a baby with excema, (you might be completely opposed to the idea anyway), UNDER NO CIRCS GIVE ANY FORM OF POWDERED BABY FOOD, ie baby cereal/savoury/custards/desserts etc etc. PLEASE!!

Sorry rant over and out!!

Interesting............

(1) Started weaning ds about 3 weeks ago - on baby rice (i.e. powdered).. I can't remember but that may have co-incided with flare-up (actually, I think flare-up preceded the weaning, but it certainly was getting worse); and

(2) I think I might participate in the peanut allergy study I mentioned
(Evelina Children's Hospital doing a study into peanut allergy and are looking for babies who have been diagnosed with eczema or egg allergy to participate) - the study includes allergy testing. Not sure yet though.. waiting to ask researchers some questions.

SAY NOOOOOOOO TO ALL POWDERED BABY FOODS.

THEY ARE EVIL.

Stop the powdered foods. Full stop.

Bath in bicarb.

Cut nails and scratch mitts.

Antihistamine is doc/chemist will "allow" it, not sure of age.

Lots of fluids to cleanse skin from within.

Wow! ok!
He's def getting lots of fluids as bfeeds rather a lot!

Theo is a cutey by the way

Try not to worry too much about using the steroid creams. I've had ecxema since I was 18 months old and have used them all my life without any problems. When it was really bad in my teens I saw a dermatology nurse who advised how to use them the most effectively.

She said to start using the weakest cream at the first sign of a flare-up (hydracortisone), if it got worse move up to something stronger (eg betnovate) then once the rash disappeared keep using it for a couple of days and then step back down to the weaker cream and then back to just a plain moisturiser (aveeno or diprobase). If you suddenly stop using the stronger steroid thinking the eczema's gone it will come back quicker than if you keep going with the ointments. I found this worked well for me. But the most important thing is to keep the skin moisturised, even if it looks fine. You can't cure it but you can manage it.

Oh and a nice cold flannel can work wonders when it's really itchy. Good luck!

(Related to my - almost - 4 year old btw!!)

I have a beautiful cotton top with integrated scratch mitts that you might like him to sleep in. a bit like thisI was going to send it to someone who'd bought some off me from ebay but she doesn't need it. It's all parcelled up, would you like it? Free to a good home.

Send me your address to familyleigh at googlemail dot com and I'll stick it in the post in the morning.

We are taking part in this trial which you might be interested in if you live in one of the trial areas...

MegBusset - thanks - I do live in one of the areas and have just contacted them. Should be intesresting..

specialmagiclady - thanks! That's really kind of you - they look great! What size is it?

And Mamadadude - thanks for the advice. Wasn't sure how long to continue with the steroids as eczema has pretty much cleared up (apart from backs of knees etc), but not seeing dermatologist for another 2 weeks. Carry on with the steroids until then? I don't think I asked her during our last appt.

naturopath, glad things are improving for your lo, ours has got a stinking cold on top of everything, so have been up all night.

Am curious about the whole powdered baby food thing (baby rice too?), because we had just started weaning too, and I had wondered if this was why eczema had flared up, so put it on hold.

Pinions, what do you recommend as good thing to start with for weaning? With dd1 I often used baby rice to thicken watery purees, so do you have a suggestion for a substitute?

Mine too - and has passed it to me - didn't go to sleep until 6:30am last night!!! (me, that is). Felt too ill, and then every time I just settled in bed, ds woke up (sometimes itchy, sometimes for no apparent reason).

Yes, Pinion, what do you suggest as an alternative, and do you know what the problem is with the powders?

Poor you!
The dermol seems to be making things a bit better with us, so hopefully we can avoid the hydrocortisone. One thing the Dr said to us was to be really careful about drying her, not to rub, so we just wrap her up in a towel and then pat dry her creases, and also to leave her undressed for a few minutes with the cream on so that its not wiped off by her clothes (by this time our lo is usually screamy from tiredness, so it can be a bit of a nightmare).
Have just done a ton of washing in Surcare, which we have switched to, am missing the fresh washing smell, but hopefully it will make a difference to her (and me, I've started getting eczema since having babies).

Ermm you could always ask in the weaning/food section....but off the top of my head this is what we give to T who is now appr 8 mths but have given from day one:

Mashed up banana (mashed with either water/cows milk/formula/breastmilk)
Organix fruit pots
Fruit pots with weetabix, mixed, soak the wbix first in hot water
ANY puree fruit (apples though are a also a common allergenwary).ANY Puree veg.Carrott/brocolli/cauliflower/parsnip.Mix with mash.
Rusks are usually ok, mix with milk.
We have always been ok with Heinz baby food tins, but just not packets.

HTH!!

my mum has cured her excema with some amazing products that have very few chemicals in them she could give you loads of advice if you want her email is [email protected]

I'd keep on with the steroids on the backs of the knees until it's gone. But then keep on top of it with moisturiser. As soon as you see the slightest red bit use the steroid again.

Also have you tried Aveeno bath oil? I use it every night in DD's bath (age 2). She has eczema but it's not been too bad so far, I'm a bit obsessive with the cream you see!

Another thing is to not let your baby get too hot. Woolly jumpers and cardigans, even if they aren't directly next to the skin can make it flare up.

www.eczema.org is the National Eczema Society's website. I haven't looked at it for a while but I think they have a helpline you can call for advice.

Thanks everyone - this is all really good advice and very helpful.

Mamadadude - we only have the Aveeno lotion -am using Oilatum Jr., but will try out the Aveeno bath oil as well.
HAve already stopped putting him in anything other than 100% cotton.

Still unsure about steroid use on most of him, where the skin looks totally clear (but still quite dry in places). At the moment am applying the steroids twice a day and using Aveeno or Cetraben another couple of times a day in between. Think i'll email the dematolgist to check if this is the right thing. I think she said to keep using the steroids for 2 weeks ?..

Bogie - thanks! - does she know I might be emailing??

she knows i pass her email on and she is featured in the excema uk newsletter so she gets them all the time

ok great, thanks - have just emailed her (and specialmagiclady).

See your email, N'path. It's about the right size. My DS1's eczema peaked at 4-6 months. There are no scratchy labels anywhere on the top so I can't check...