I think dd2 (4 months) has excema, what should I do about it?

[ijudge]

She has dry red patches on the back of her knees and arms. I suffer from bad excema so I think thats what it is.

Is it worth taking her to the doctor or should I just continue putting E45 on it?

We use Aveeno oil in the bath and aveeno cream ( not the daily moisturiser but the Aveeno cream - it's the only thing that worked for my ds.We used oilatum for ages but it wasn't as good for him. It is expensive but you can get it on prescription but the gp will try you with the less expensive solutions first. You can always buy it and try it for yourself. We still slap the cream on him every night and use the bath oil and he hasn't had a big outbreak since he was 18 months. Touch wood.

Thanks paddy, will do a trip to the doctor then and buy some Aveeno if no luck

Oats in the bath. A handful in a pair of old tights run under the tap til water goes milky. Then use it as a sponge and rub gently on the affected areas. We've been down all the routes of Oilatum, hydrocortisone etc etc and this is the only thing (plus Hydrous Ointment and when itching becomes temporarily unbearable, Piriton) that has helped.

I think that they don't recommend E45 as it has lanolin in it. Apparently it can make things worse.

I use E45, should I not?

When I took my DD to the doctor about her skin, they said to stop using anything with lanolin. Something about it sensitising her skin. But ask your own Dr.

GP gives us a prescription for Oilatum. An oil for the bath and a lotion to put on afterwards. He mentioned that E45 wouldn't work.

Oilatum just drys my skin out

I suffered with excema for years and stopping using e45 or oilatum or any of those things was like a miracle cure! Dd 5 months has it now and the mw suggested olive oil in her bath which so far seems to be doing the trick

What did you use instead sam12? I tried olive oil and I was so dry afterwards

I might get slated here...
My DS1 had excema as a baby (back of knees & elbows etc) - we had cream off the doctor but it didn't help. At about 7/8 months we went to a homeopath recommended by a friend and within a week it had cleared up & never came back.

Avoid E45 it can make it worse.

We use oilatum in the bath, then hydromol (it's like a grease) afterwards.

GP gave my son Hydromol to be applied twice a day and use as soap in the bath. Seems to be working really well so far (for last 4 months). He is weaning and have had to stop giving him yoghurts and cheese as it makes him ten times worse.

I used absolutely nothing ijudge I was just so fed up. I'd been given every potion and lotion for twenty or so years and nothing had worked so I just stopped using them- literally within a fortnight it had cleared up! Now I use neutrogena shower gel but other than that try to avoid putting anything on my skin. I have been clear now for going on 6 years and the only place I get it is my scalp- I blame shampoo but I'm not giving that up!

E45 and aqueous are no-nos now apparently - according to the Prof we see at Dermatology clinic for DS2.

We use Doublebase which seems to work well, we gave also used Diprobase and Epaderm in the past and they worked well too. DS has also used protopic cream but I dont think they recommend that for under 1s.