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Children's health

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Original poster

Eczema & baths

6 replies

AngelDog · 10/03/2011 13:45

14 m.o. DS has reasonably bad eczema on his face & hands, and a small patch on his leg.

I usually only bath him one a week, or even once a fortnight . The GP said I should bathe him more often, and has prescribed me Oilatum to go in the bath. (Up till now I've been using oats.)

However, DS doesn't sit in the bath - he stands up, throws his toys over the side and gets cross because he can see the sink which he wants to play in. He gets upset if I try to sit him down. Normally I let him stand in it for 5 mins, rub him over with the sock full of oats and get him out again.

I wouldn't think it's worth me getting the Oilatum as only his ankles will be in it for any length of time. Or is it worth getting just to wipe him over with?

OP posts:

ohnororo · 10/03/2011 15:11

The reason for bathing frequently is that it makes skin more permeable and helps the things you use to treat eczema to do their job and it cleans the crusts and irritants that are living on the skin. I've been told to bath baby twice a day. I'd try to get as much of him as you can in the water for as long as he'll stay. Could you get in the bath with him to encourage him to stay?

mspotatochip · 10/03/2011 15:56

As far as I'm concerned baths irritate ds's excema.We use the oilatum to try and alleviate this but still have quick baths max twice a week. obviously not a hard and fast rule as he is 21 months and can get really stinking dirty but you know what I mean

wideratthehips · 10/03/2011 21:32

can you constantly pour the bath water over his body as he stands up to get the bath additive all over his body?

i have eczema and have a shower to get really clean/wash hair and then a shallow bath
which has dermol in it (you can see it sort of coating the skin)which for me does help

Original poster

AngelDog · 11/03/2011 10:18

Well, we managed (just) this morning by me having a bath too, as well as sluicing him down with the water as often as I could.

Does anyone know if Oilatum Junior is safe when small amounts are swallowed? If DS isn't standing up, he always drinks the bathwater.

OP posts:

sugarbea · 13/03/2011 16:21

My DD is 14mo and has quite bad excema. I give her a bath before bed and just a wash down in the morning. She also only stands up in the bath but I just use the duplo bricks that she plays with in the bath to pour the water wih the oilatum in it all over her. I don't think it's that harmful to swallow the bath water. :o
I do find the bath at night helps the doublebase and hydrocortione to work better at night.

WhereamI · 18/03/2011 13:13

can you get him to stand up and busy himself with those sticky bath cutouts (letters, numbers, etc) on the tiles while you wash him in oilatum - (though this brand didn't work for me). Try Aveeno - they do a bath cream and a moisturiser. You need the 24 hr one that has colloidal oatmeal in (this is the only one that works for my dd). We get it prescribed from the dr but you can buy it in tescos..think last week they had buy one get one free in Tescos.

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