Do children with eczema always have other allergies?

[Knackeredmum13]

My five month old has bad eczema and I've been reading up a lot about it. A lot of what I'm reading suggests that babies or children with eczema are very likely to have other allergies or asthma.

I just wondered whether other mumsnetters had found this to be true?

No, ds1 just had eczema. Only in the first year or two, and then he grew out of it. It's reasonably common in tinies, I think. Kept under control by hydrocortisone mostly (and the usual array of crap bath products foisted on us by gps).

Not always but if the eczema is atopic eczema (which is quite often genetic) then it's not unusual for other allergies to appear (hayfever, asthma, hives). Having said that everyone in my extended family has eczema but noone has asthma so try not to worry.

Couple of tips:

• a lot of people I know (my family included) have found Oilatum bath additive makes the eczema worse. Try Cetraban bath oil instead.
• keep baths short and not too hot.
• use a cream such as cetraban or diprobase immediately after bathing
• don't use any other soaps/non medicated creams
• use a steroid cream if you need to. A lot of people are fearful of using them but if your baby has eczema that isn't clearing up it's far better to use a steroid cream for a short while to clear it up before its bleeding/infected.

Most children grow out of it (all of my family have except me).

Well that's reassuring to hear.

I'm a little paranoid that DS will end up being allergic to our cats.

Bumping for anyone else's experiences.

I was once told that there is one gene that is responsible for eczema, red hair, asthma, left handiness and short sight, do if you have any of these genetically, you were likely to have several. My dad had them all!

Ds1 had eczema from the age of about 6 months to 5 years. At it's worst it needed regular steroid cream to keep flare ups under control, but fortunately was confined to his legs with a small amount in his elbow and armpit creases.

As I said, it petered out around 5 years old (he's now 7 and absolutely no sign) and he doesn't (afaik) have any other allergies. He's not asthmatic either.

DS1 has eczema. He's 11, and had it from being just 2/3 months old.

Quite severe too.

He's got no allergies.

DS2 doesn't have eczema. He has food intolerances though .

Don't worry about the cats. My sister had awful asthma and was allergic to them. We had 4. No cats in bedrooms, Hoover and damp dust often. Wash hands after handling cats.
I have eczema. Very mild asthma. Both my kids have had eczema but no asthma.

I had severe excema as a child but no allergies (other than to the tetanus vaccine) and no asthma.

My sister got the asthma and allergy side though and all the children have asthma and/or excema.

Thanks for the reassurances.

If DS were to be allergic to our cats then DH would make me rehome them. Obviously DS comes first but I'd hate to have to get rid of my cats.

His eczema is now so bad the dr has prescribed special clothing so he can't scratch. I just want to get it under control as its awful seeing my baby in do much discomfort.

Thats really interesting BikeRunSki dd has eczema and is showing major preference for her left hand (dd is only 3), I also had eczema as a child and I am left handed.

I havn't and neither does dd have any other alergies.

DS diagnosed with eczema when he was about 5 month. Used HC on occasion and diprobase. We we're prescribed Oilatum but did not use.

He has grown out of it!

Age two had couple incidences of 'asthma' which only appeared when had a cold. Used an inhaler on occasion when has a cold since then.

Now age five nearly six he rarely uses inhaler.

During this time we have had three cats and other furries. Like you worried he may have allergy to these but cats were here before his was born and other furries arrived after. No issues I think so far but like you I was concerned.

It is an anxious time when first get diagnosis but no one else in family has eczema or asthma and I think this is a big link from the research I carried out. On both fronts he has got better with age but it was not severe to begin with.

Good luck and try not to worry. X

My dc1 had eczema and no allergies. My dc3 had obvious eczema from before 6 weeks. She turned out to have a peanut allergy.

Something not mentioned is that atopic eczema could be caused by food allergies - dairy is said to be quite a common one www.nhs.uk/Conditions/eczema-(atopic)/Pages/causes.aspx

Paediatrician we saw about DD2's food allergies reckoned that there was a connection, but on a family/genetic level as opposed to an individual level.

e.g. I have psoriasis, there's asthma in my maternal family, I'm allergic to penicillin. DD1 had eczema very young. Paediatrician was not remotely surprised that DD2 has eczema and food allergies.

My DD had bad eczema when she was little. It gradually got better as she got older, particularly when she was old enough to take an oil supplement as well as using creams etc. She is 11 now & tends to have slightly dry skin with an occassional little eczema spot if she lets her skin dry out too much. She has had no problems with asthma or allergies generally. The only issue has been sensitive skin & a need to use gentle stuff in the shower, sensitive sunscreen, unperfumed moisturiser. She did however have a bad reaction to Emla cream put on in hospital before a canula was put in, huge blister inside each elbow where the cream was.

dd1 had very mild eczema as a baby grew out of it by 18 months and now at nearly 5 appears to have some degree of asthma which wasn't apparent when she was younger.

Dc3 had eczema from 3 months old. No allergies thank goodness. She is 2.5yrs old and wewere struggling to keep it under control until we tried the magic cream AVEENO. Since then the eczema has cleared up completely .

Thanks for all of the responses.

I wet wrapped DS last night and not sure who cried more me or him.

I had bad eczema which was eventually found to be caused by cow's milk and citrus fruit allergies.

I'd advise anyone whose child has bad eczema to find a sympathetic doctor and at least explore the possibility of a link (any doctor who tells you that eczema is never caused by a food allergy is talking *p.)

I'm asthmatic and have terrible hayfever plus several other food allergies (but no eczema since age 10) - just drew that genetic short straw, I guess.

Are you seeing a dermatologist? GPs often don't know how to treat.

My son had eczema from birth to round about 5, no more allergies until this year he now has asthma, really not sure if theres any connection or just coincidence or dodgy damp student accommodation

I had bad asthma and excema as a child that improved when our cat died.

Even now if I visit a cat house I take antihIstammines. If I don't I soon itch, eyes run and asthma soon follows.

No amount of hoovering makes any differrence if it's a strong allergy. My grandparents were very clean, hovered before I came etc and I still reacted, although maybe not as badly.

I really can't have a pet and need to take antihistamInes and inhalers when I visit a housecwith one.

Yes to damp . My daughters excema cleared up when we left a nasty damp flat.... I'm paranoid about damp/airing house now!