Eczema newbie - can I survey your thoughts?

[NoviceKnitter]

Hi there, DD is 5 months and a small patch of red and dry skin on her temple has now spread to the front of her scalp where her cradle cap was (the cc has recently cleared up thanks to shea nut butter.) I'm fairly sure the new patch is eczema, as she's now started scratching and the skin is scaly and broken. The onset of winter seems to have been a trigger.

I've just spent an hour searching old MN posts - incredibly useful but a bit of a minefield in terms of all the creams etc out there. So thought it might be useful to do a simple survey of what's worked for you - for me and other new mums like me?

We've moved on from olive oil and shea nut butter to (today) calendula oil, oats in the bath and dead sea salts. I've also been prescribed oilatum junior for the bath and Cetraben cream.

I know it's different for every child, but which of these have worked for you what would you try next?

The shortlist (or long list) seems to be:

Aveeno Cream
SK Cream
Dream Cream from Lush
Adermo Exomega Cream
Calendula cream (not oil?)
Epaderm
Dermal 500

Am fully breastfeeding - anything I should do dietwise?

Thanks in advance for any help

oh probably drosophila but honestly I'm not the person to ask. It just seems hell of a lot easier than anything we deal with now and I would swap it in an instant. But our issues are extreme (especially at the moment) so to be honest I can't even place it.

Ds3 has had it for quite a long time and I don't find it hard to deal with, but he's nowhere near as affected as ds1 was. With him its just a case of emollients and occasional HC or fucidin-h.

I thnk we were out of synch in that whole sequence- that was in response to your previous post.

and I have had a couple of glasse of wine so off to bed. I can only imagine what you are dealing with don't think I caught your threads. Night.

you have, but I've name changed!

By the way, drosophila / Yurt, wet wrapping is apparently not the done thing any more as it gives the bacteria in the skin a nice warm moist place to multiply, thereby ecxacerbating the eczema (as far as I'm aware)...

wow themulledsnowmanneredjanitor - and I thought my ds's eczema was severe

He's severely autistic with severe learning difficulties (8 years old, non-verbal). I'm rather pleased he doesn't need wet wrapping now (although he was a dream at 11 months). If anyone's baby has severe eczema (what age is your mulledsnowman) I'm happy to post ds1 before and after photos as his skin is lovely now. I do remember worrying about scarring etc.

In fact will do that in a minute

I'm just uploading some photos to photobox - before, after and now (smooth beautiful skin).
Sounds similar to us mulledsnowman.

here The first 2 were taken a day or 2 before it started. The 3rd one a few days in, the 4th one a few weeks in and the last 2 a month or so ago. I really worried his skin would always be like that!

You have to click on slideshow really or its too small.

Well I feel a bit of a fraud now, asking for advice about DD's little patch. I know people who've had severe eczema as adults and can only imagine how awful it is for little children. Hopefully I can nip this in the bud with DD. I had itchy patches behind my elbows and knees so fingers crossed it's the mild version she's inherited. So glad it's cleared up so amazingly Yurt and MSMJanitor.

well done for persevering - lucky your ds has such a caring mum. Meanwhile i'm all excited cos dd has just fallen asleep lying on the bed for first time ever ie not in sling, bfing, being rocked, but lying down. Admittedly it's after midnight and I've been lying with her mnetting for half an hour, but details, details...

no, no don't feel a fraud. DS3 gets patches and it has to be dealt with or it spreads. My tips would be lots of emollient (different types suit different children so try a few) on the skin and in the bath, and quick use of small amounts hydrocortisone when necessary. Also keep fucidin handy to use at any sign of infection.

ds1's comes back each year (not like the photos!- very mild) and its defintiely related to the central heating....

although it isn't yet proven 100% that probiotics will help eczema the British Medical Journal best treatments website says "probably helps" .

Read it here besttreatments.bmj.com/btuk/conditions/1000596595.html

I can believe that- my 2 eczema boys both have leaky guts- which of course is helped by probiotics.

Yurt1 I think I know who you are now. Those pictures bring back memories. If you are who I think you are then you are no fan of vacs. Did you ever think your DS's eczema ws triggered by vacs?

Glad to hear wet wrapping is a thing of the past.

ds1's eczema started right after the DTP's at 8 weeks. However, ds3 also has eczema (and hasn't had any jabs)- although his didn't start until this year (he's almost 3). Both have leaky guts (and other membranes) though (and its the leakiness of the membranes that has made me cautious of vaccinations unless absolutely necessary).