Lots of little dry patches of skin on my 6 month old

[whooshmummy]

In the last week my DS has developed lots of little dry patches on his skin, particularly his back, but also on his tummy, a couple on his scalp and his face. They don't seem to bother him at all and friends have said their LOs have several dry patches too (and are blaming the weather) but I'm just being a paranoid first time mum wondering if it's normal. He's teething so his cheeks are very red and the skin there also seems quite dry, we've also just started BLW and got home from holiday in South Africa a week ago so maybe the temperature change (brrrrr!) also have something to do with it. No changes in washing powder or bath stuff and I've been using aqueous cream the last day or so in the morning and evening. Is it just par for the course or something to go to the Drs about?

Some of mine have sometimes had those and they went away on their own. So I wouldn't worry. I think one HV said it was a form of infantile eczema but not a problem in itself usually.

My dd had patches of red, dry skin on her cheeks when she was a baby. The doctor said it was seborrheic (sp?) eczema, gave her some cream and it cleared up, never (touch wood) to return (she is 11 now). It never seemed to bother her though.

Try a little olive oil. Not so's he looks like a body builder but atiny spot on your hads massaged in after a bath. Sleepsuit on. By next morning t will have soaked in.

Both mine had this as infants. DS did go on to develop a little excema on his face which we use hydramol or epaderm on. Dd still has dry skin but it's no problem and perks up with good old olive oil a few times a month.

Thanks - that's all very helpful and reassuring. Bought some Oilatum before seeing the olive oil suggestion and DP creamed him up good and proper after his bath..if that doesn't do it, body builders here we come!

My dd has just turned 6 months, and has dry patches on her shoulders and cheeks. (We just started blw too - was wondering if it could be an allergy?). We've been slathering on a moisturising cream (Epaderm I think it's called) in the hope that it will clear up soon.

Is he unwell or ok? Is the rash rough?

It could be a reaction to dairy if he's just started weaning.
Or could be the central heating drying his skin out. My ds has had this since a baby - always worse in winter.

No he's not unwell at all and it's definitely not a rash, just lots of small patches, like 1 x 1 cm, of very dry skin, some of which is a but red. I wondered if it might be an allergy to do with the blw, but tbh, so little is going in at this stage I'd be surprised if it was. Think you're right about the central heating though...still it's set to be a balmy 6 degrees tomorrow!

Small patches of dry skin, some of which are red could well be eczema. Keep it well moisturised with a good emollient. Aqueous cream isn't the best.

If it gets more red he may need some hydrocortisone. Get this from your GP so you get the right concentration. If it starts to get very angry or wet it could be infected so again get something from your GP.

My both developed really dry skin at around 6 months, and grew out of it at around 9 or 10 months. In interim deprobase cream from GP, Oilatum bath stuff and a wee bit of hydrocortizone helped, but the best was Sudocreme.