Weeping eczema

[Peaceloveandcustardcreams]

DS 7 months has had a red, scaly rash on his chest for a few months, which I put down to dribbling and have really made an effort to keep his bib/clothes dry to try and improve it.
However the rash has now spread to his back, shoulders, face, tummy and elbows, and I strongly suspect that it is eczema. The HV hasn't been too bothered (I've mentioned it quite a few times) but recommended E45 and a bath emollient this week. Well that seems to have made it much worse - very bright red and angry. He is now scratching his chest and it is weeping, poor thing. I don't want to use hydrocortisone without medical advice but is there anything else I can put on it before seeing the doctor?
Thanks for any advice. He is breastfed but has one bottle of cows milk formula a day, and eats cows milk dairy as well. I'm not personally affected but some family members have eczema and asthma affected by cows milk. Could that be a possible issue? I don't want to start limiting his diet for no good reason, though.

Have a read of this on allergy uk and this on kellymom and see what you think.

Both my sister and I have cmpa. I get bloating and an upset stomach, my sister gets asthma and eczema.

I'd also look at his washing powder. I can only really tolerate fairy non bio, dreft or lidl non bio and no fabric conditioners.

Hope you find what the cause is soon.

Lots of people with eczema find e45 aggravates it -I really don't understand why HV recommend it

I would oatmeal bath today and see GP tomorrow

Eczema treatments are trial and error as what works well for 1 may make another's worse

Dd finds a lot of creams that come highly recommended (aveeno etc) feel like they burn

We use dermol 500 lotion as a regular cream and hydrocortisone as an when required

Absolutely don't use e45 for eczema, it's far too drying. Agree try an oatmeal bath and I would definitely cut out the cows milk, it's a common aggravator. Try a nanny goat formula bottle to replace his formula, or increase the breast feed. Is there anything new you've added to his diet recently?

Thanks all, I'm glad I asked because I thought I was being daft thinking E45 could aggravate it! I will run him an oatmeal bath now - don't know why I didn't think of that earlier, I've read about it so often. I will cut out dairy from his diet for a couple of days and see what happens. Will also try the GP tomorrow.
Thanks again.

I think it takes more than two days for his body to clear of cows milk
Maybe a week? If u bf as well u might need to cut it down as well

If u bring it back u can try A2 milk, it's supposed to not have the dodgy proteins that aggrevate eczema
Good luck!

Update: i did an oatmeal bath and got some calamine from the pharmacist yesterday, which helped bring down the redness, and the GP prescribed Oilatum and Zerobase this morning. Thanks for your replies!