Eczema - We think

[fromdownwest]

Our DD is 7 months old, and since 1 month has had quite bad Eczema on her cheek, it has no spread to her other cheek and is getting more and more aggressive. She is not scraping at it, and drawing blood.

The GP has just prescribed us, antifungal, steroids (increasingly strong) and various Dermol products. None of these appear to have reduced it at all.

1. Does it look like Eczema
2. Any suggestions on a product that will tackle it

Check for dairy allergy

Another vote for dairy allergy.

I had excema as a child (still get it but very mildly now) and I think it could be excema. The only thing that has ever worked for me has been steroid cream, sparingly applied during flare ups.

My youngest 2 had this and my son still gets it at 12. However he only gets bit between September and March! I think it's to do with the central heating and being colder outside. None of the creams help us, he just has to walk around with a sore face for half the year!

Hydrocortisone ointment applied for a few days always sorts out mild excema in my experience. You can buy it over the counter. Pharmacists will say not to use on the face but doctors don't always agree.

Agree - I have to use it on my face as that's where I get flare ups and my doctor has said that's ok if used sparingly.

I think it's best that @fromdownwest just follows their doctor's advise and tries the steroids etc for a bit longer before trying other things.

Thanks for you input all. She’s exclusively breast fed, with weaning consisting of vegetables so far
So no exposure to cheese / dairy.
i think a trip to the Gp as it’s flared up again today and looks really sore.
i dont wont to be that parent though, gp twice in a month!

Poor thing … don’t worry about booking another doctors appointment @fromdownwest it seems justified & you’re not wasting their time.

Have you tried eliminating dairy from your diet? Have had 2 children allergic and had v similar symptoms. There are steroids etc which can be used but ideally you need to figure out what’s triggering it

Back to the GP, Fucidin was prescribed, but it was stronger than the last. It appears to be a combination of Hydrocortisone.

Dairy to be cut out for a month, then slowly re-introduced.

GP is unwilling to refer to a specialist until we have attempted the dairy elimination.

Fingers cross, and thanks again for the advice.

We have also started 'Oat' baths to see if that helps.

The most recent application of HC cream has more or less eliminated it! THanks again for all of your advice

You might like to look at this for future use/prevention:

https://scratchsleeves.co.uk/scratchsleeves-blog/can-probiotics-help-eczema-in-babies-and-children-alternative-remedies-4/

so glad it’s all cleared up for now though. What a relief!

The other probiotic that should be very high in small babies is bifidobacteria. Those with higher levels suffer less autoimmune diseases later in life. The immune system seems to be able to be modulated early in life, first three years. After that, the window closes, not completely but it’s much harder to alter after that.

Optibac do an infant baby drops. It’s only one strain - breve. Ideally you’d have bifidobacteria longum or even better bifidobacteria infantis. Human strains if possible as then it colonises. Lots and lots of research on pub med about this if you wish to dive in. The vast majority of probiotics do not colonise the lower bowel. There’s a really interesting one from America called Evivo. I wish I’d got my hands on that 16 years ago for DD.