Month-old baby with reflux and eczema - would you cut dairy?

[extracrunchy]

DD is exclusively breastfed, has been diagnosed with eczema and mild reflux. Extensive, probably misguided googling tells me both can be caused or aggravated by mum eating dairy so now I'm wondering if I should cut it out. Should I?! Have you? Anyone had any success/experience?

Go to gp. It is v common in small babies. Ask for diprobase - it cleared my daughters exema up when she was about the same age. She still uses it now and she is two.
It is just their skin getting used to a new environment according to my gp.

Yep we've been formally diagnosed and prescribed Gaviscon (cue major bung up!), diprobase and a steroid cream I'm reluctant to use much - so I'm just wondering if it's worth trying anything else that might help.

Ds had this when he was a baby. I gave up dairy and fruit juice and it helped.

Really great to hear diprobase works though

I would. Our very nice and highly-regarded paed said that milk intolerance/ allergy was in his view a prime suspect for reflux/ eczema combos. At a month old it could be other things though - e.g., oversupply/happy chucking coexisting with non-milk-related eczema.

If you are doing it long-term you will need dietician advice (for you) altho a dairy-free diet can be perfectly healthy if carefully considered. We don't need milk but I do need cheese, and cheesecake, having said that . Beware soya as a replacement as it is often an allergen/ irritant for those with CMPI/A.

I NEED cheese.
She's not a particularly happy chucker - it comes with squirming and screaming - which is why I'm considering more drastic measures.
Hmm maybe we'll see a dietician then. Problem is now she's on this other stuff it'll be hard to tell what's working!

Please use the steroid cream, it won't harm your DD. the steroid treats the inflammation, the emollient won't do this. Use at a different time of day to the emollient so you aren't diluting the effect.

My DS has reflux, eczema and a milk allergy so yes it's worth trying but you'll have to give up soya too as you can also be intolerant to that. If nothing resolves I would ask for a referral to a dermatologist, allergist or paediatrician.

That's a really good point about different times of day - hadn't thought of that...

Started dairy free today, will see how it goes. Have been told to use the steroid cream for 3 weeks and then take a break and review. Will definitely be seeing relevant specialists if we don't see results. How quickly would you expect the eczema to improve or resolve with the creams and no soy/dairy?

On a happier note I discovered Oatly chocolate milk today. Properly yummy!

I think it can take 2-3 weeks for milk proteins to clear system. I guess you would expect to see an improvement from then ? Alpro hazelnut drink is nice too. I think it's soy free. Good luck, hope it works for you.

We saw a difference with the steroids the next day, and my DS was covered head to toe with eczema. However our treatment was from the dermatologist, not the GP. We had three different steroids, an emollient and oilatum for the bath and hair.

If your GP has just given you hydrocortisone then it might not work, you might need something specific. For example we have one steroid for small patches and a different one for general flare ups.

Seeing a dermatologist was the best we thing we ever did, along with the allergy team who did all the skin prick testing and treating the milk allergy.

The other thing to avoid is bubble bath, shampoo and wash powder, we use non-bio.

We've seen a dermatologist (5-6 weeks for NHS appointment so went private for first time ever...) who prescribed hydrocortisone and fucidin, which we started yesterday. Fingers crossed!

I wouldn't go near diprobase or steroids. cut out dairt..can stay in your system for 6 weeks. could try goat or sheep or make ghee as alternatives. tahini is full of calcium. manchega and pecorino lovely cheese if desperate! I found seven cream by dr logan the best and used homeopathy which worked wonders...hope you find the trigger. also only use soap flakes for washing.

*dairy

Surfmama why wouldn't you use the creams? Good cheese tips

I cut out dairy when DS was about six weeks as he suffered with colic,and though it took a couple of weeks it did help. Neither GP or HV were particularly supportive though, think they both thought I was talking crap, but the evenings were definitely less screamy. Rice or almond milk is good, and think they're fortified with calcium but took calcium supplements too. I used a dairy free spread from tesco, think it's a sunflower oil spread, which we now prefer so we've stuck with that. I missed cheese but ate lots of hummus and pate instead, and missed chocolate obviously but had nuts and fruit for treats instead. Hope it helps you and your dd.

All mammalian milks - goats' sheeps' - need to be excluded where there is CMPI. These milks aren't suitalble replacements. Ditto cheeses you mention surfmama - sorry .

On the steroids and fucidin, I would definitely use. Fucidin is given if there is infection on top of eczema isn't it? Really, if there is a medical solution I'd grab it with both hands.

You could use homeopathy as well - it won't do any harm as it's just sugar and water and no active ingredient

What Ragusa said especially about the homeopathy

If you have a cmpi, 90% are also intolerant to goats milk so it's not recommended. Fucidin is an anti fungal so there must be an element of infection.

Yep she has some infected bits where she's rubbed/scratched, mostly round her ears.

I'm beginning think dairy or something dietary is definitely involved as eczema/reflux/lots of tummy pain and farting (!)/green tinged very mucousy poos are quite a few pointers.

Does anyone know if it's ok to keep taking pregnacare breastfeeding vitamins? Box says they contain soya.

My son had really bad eczema as a baby and I tried cutting out various things (incl dairy) but nothing made much difference. He didn't have reflux though.

For the eczema though the only thing that got it away was the steroid creams and then the effort was in using the emollients to try and stop it recurring - which was very hard despite using cream 4x a day, wet bandages etc. We were seen at the hospital and given various strengths and told to use the highest strength that got rid of it e.g. If 0.5% wasn't working go up to 1% then 2.5 % etc. they said you are better to do that for a sharp burst and clear it than having to keep using all the time. I was surprised to read your advice to use the steroid for 3/52. Was the idea if it cleared. After a week you were to stop or continue? My understanding is it doesn't prevent it - emollients do that - it is only to clear inflammation that is already there.

Adults with eczema say the itch is excruciating so for the baby it's awful - that's why I personally wouldn't listen to people telling you not to use steroids.

The dermatologist wanted us to use it for 3 weeks then stop and review because he said at her age there's an increased risk of the steroid getting into her bloodstream with prolonged use (as well as the usual risk of skin thinning).

Ours wanted us to use the steroid for a week.

We were also told its better to use a stronger one for a shorter amount of time. I asked about thinning skin to our allergy consultant and he reassured me. He said the children they worry about are the ones that don't react to steroids. We rarely use them now.

Sorry I wasn't very clear - I was surprised they said as long as 3 weeks! We were always told to use it until it cleared up but that was never more than about 5 days. Are you still waiting for NHS as well as private? Our GP was good but seeing dermatologist and attending hospital skins OPD made a huge difference. My oldest son is now 12 and despite him being so bad he is virtually clear now although he does still need to use cream (he uses Aveeno on prescription). My middle some still gets it a little but he wasn't so bad and is now 10.

Oh so we should use it for a shorter time you mean? Hmm maybe we'll stop before 3 weeks if it's much better. I think we're seeing an improvement already today!

Well, I'm not a dr but ... Yes! I wouldn't keep putting steroid cream on once its cleared. I'd switch to emollient and only if it comes back then I'd restart the steroid. That's what we were told and it seems logical but, like I say, I'm not a dr!