Eczema, dry skin, sensitive skin or specific allergy?!*

[MoominMarvelous]

Hi! I am new to mumsnet and have found it most useful looking at previous threads in terms of how to treat my ds's possible problem (and shall be trying oats in the bath, aveeno cream and dream cream from lush all of which have had over four recommendations each) but what I don't know is what the problem is exactly!

My ds has always had slightly dry skin on his legs and face and I was given diprobase and aqueous cream to 'treat' it. Recently however he has developed an awful rash on his chest, back and arms. It first appeared after I massaged him with Johnson's baby oil and a doctor said it looked like an allergic rash and gave me Piriton. That seemed to clear it. However, I have not used baby oil since yet the rash has reappeared several times and whilst Piriton does seem to calm it each time, the rash has never fully gone away.

The rash is on his arms - where it looks dry and sore and seems to be where his clothes touch, on his back - where when it comes up badly it is bright red and looks really angry / dry and is slightly raised with little red spots in between, and then on his stomach he seems to constantly have little red spots particularly high up round his neck line where he drools and again it seems to follow the line of his vests. The rash has never been on his legs although they do get dry / scaly. He's also had dry patches on his face occasionally but both his legs and face have responded well to diprobase. The rest of him doesn't - in fact it seems to flare up the rash if I use it on his chest.

I am using fairy non bio (having temporaily swapped to an own brand but since reverted back and re-washed his entire wardrobe in fairy!), diprobase to cream him and aqueous cream instead of soap. I shall be trying aveeno and dream cream...

But what I really want to know is, is this eczema?! Or is it just sensitive / dry skin or a specific allergy I haven't identified yet?!

My ds is 5 months old.

The only other thing I can think might be worth noting is that when I took him swimming for the first time, he came up in little red spots and it sometimes happens in just plain water in the bath!

Any thoughts or advice from anyone who's 'been here' would be gratefully received!!

thanks moominmarvelous - can you advise where you bought your mattress cover from? My little one is in a cotbed. he wears a growbag as well. when is the nest age to swap to pillow and duvet? he moves around alot so worry about him going under the cover or waking up cold. thank you

Ahhh! I was talking about OUR bed as DS comes in every morning at 7am. His cotbed we havent changed or done anything to. BUT we have a thin quilt that is big enough to completely tuck round his mattress securely so we have him lying on that instead of just a sheet between him and the mattress. He is also in grobags. The lady tested his grobag and 'quilt' and both were fine so we figure his bed is ok.

I am also quite unsure about the whole pillow / duvet thing but think cot death is a worry at 6 months ish when they can roll one way but not necessarily the other. Once they are pretty mobile I THINK it is assumed they are ok. But best to check the cot death association website or look on here for other threads on that point. Wouldnt want to give you the wrong advice!