Can anyone recommend something for infantile eczema?

[mabel1973]

DD is coming up to 5 months and has suffered with this almost since she was born. It got particularly bad a month or so ago, and looked really sore, so I took her to see my HV about it. Origianlly the dctor had given me an aqueous cream to use, whihc was doing nothing. The HV prescribed a hydrocortzone cream to use short term. I agreed to this, as I had used it on DS1 when he had it and it cleared it up straight away.
I used it on DD and it cleared up over night, however I was told not to use it for longer than a week. As soon as i stopped using it, the eczema has returned, just as bad.
I also have a big pot of Hydromol, which I have to grease her up with before she goes in the bath, it doesn't seem to do a lot though.
I have tried Oilatum cream and also a Weleda one, but nothing seesm to be getting on top of it.
I am reluctant to take her back to the doctors as I don't want a stronger hydrocortizone cream
If anyone has used anything they can recommend, i would be very interested.
Thanks

My friend used to use chickweed cream. Check at the local health shop to see if it is suitable for your dd's age.

My ds is 10 mo and suffered badly with his skin since birth. I didn't know until I read it here that aqueous crema is not meant to be rubbed onto skin like a moisturiser, but used like a soap in the bath. So maybe try that to start with. None of hte creams the GP prescribed for us worked, but I have a friend who worked in Lush and miraculously the Dream Cream and Dream wash from there did wonders. I think they'll give you a little sample as well so you're not stuck wiht a massive pot if it doesn't work. My ds has thankfully outgrown the worst of it now, but I remamber all too well the helpless feeling I had last summer when nothing seemed to help

We've found Aveeno and Doublebase creams best for ours, but slightly older when developed it (3 ish).

Aqueous cream is NOT recommended for eczema sufferers.

You need to try different emollients there are loads available, like Doublebase, Diprobase, Aveeno, Epaderm and find which one works best.

Hydrocortisone is necessary to keep on top of flare-ups it's fine to use on a long-term basis as it's a very weak steroid you will find that the eczema comes back if you stop using it, so keep using it!

Get your GP to refer you to a specialist, they can help with treatment and do allergy testing to find triggers.

can I ask what is the difference between an aqueous cream and an emolliant?
Are the emolliants mentioned available on prescription?

another vote for Aveeno and Doublebase here

We use diprobase. Is doublebase quite greasy? Need to get ds reviewed by gp and not sure dipro is the best one for us.

The hydromol we use is like lard - it is horrible - is that an emoliant?
I don't really like it.

Doublebase is a light cream, not greasy at all. We use it on DS.

You can get all these emollients on prescription.

Aqueous cream was designed as a soap substitute, not for use as an emollient on eczema sufferers, and can cause skin reactions in a lot of sufferers.

Emollient just means a moisturiser. Some are greasy, some are creamy.

Did the rounds with our dd1 at 3 months - of the creams etc.

We are now settled on daily dousing of olive oil or sunflower oil, and a thick layer of diprobase before any water contact. We sometimes use diprobase as soap, but bath infrequently. Mainly showers here. We hardly expposed dd1 to water at all at 5 months, such was her reaction.

Also, we limit eggs, dairy and chlorine. Probably not applicable now, but soon as you will be weaning soon I guess?

Chemicals SLS, SLE, all the parabens and petrolium based stuff are banned.

SLS is actually used in labs to give the symptoms of eczema to the subjects - so the creams can be tested.

You probably know all this though, but its always worth checking the stuff dd is exposed too. Hope she improves, it's so stressful.

We used Sudocrem (zinc cream) on dry itchy eczema for 7 years. He gets it periodically, and it works if we get it on before it really gets bad.

We slap plenty on at night in particular around wrists an ankles where he normally gets it.

We have tried other creams such as Diprobase as well all over his body as he generally has dry itchy skin.

He has not had a bath for 3 years only a shower and mild baby shampoo. As we think baths dry his skin out.

We were told that with hydrocortizone, even if the excema clears up over night, to keep using it for 3 or 4 days. And that does seem to work - it keeps it at bay better, even if it instinctively feels wrong to keep using it. It's worth a try.

FWIW Oilatum was terrible for dd, as was E45. Lots of people recommend Diprobase. I tend to stick with epiderm (horrible but effective) and then hydrocortizone for any flare-ups.
Good luck, it's horrible for you and dd.
Have you tried cutting out dairy? That's the thing that worked best for us. DD's excema cleared up almost overnight. (It's come back but that's another thread...!)

we are not weaning yet. she is bf exclusively.

I will try and get one of the emolliants on prescription to try.
I am also bathing her most nights - prob not a good idea?

Opinion is split on the bathing issue. The current medical advice is to bathe at least once a day in a bath oil such as Aveeno or Oilatum as this helps moisturise the skin and prevents infection. Some people swear by an old sock full of oats in the bath.

However, some people find that frequent bathing makes the LO's eczema worse and that it's better only to bathe every few days. So again, it's a case of trial and error until you find what works best.

What's your water like? Ours is hard - so we don't bathe.

As you are trying the frequent bathing - then I'd say very much to try bathing with an emolient as the dermatologists believe works, or back off bathing, which is more of a parents 'I tried this' appoach - if that makes sense?

Bathing with no protection for the skin, or using any 'stripping' chemical [soap, sls etc] will remove the mantle layer and encourage dryness.

oats in bath great I found, also chamomile or calendula flowers. They tend too soothe when there is reddness.

swear by hemp oil

Really? Ohhhh

Jojoba oil is good too - it's close to the sebum the skin produces apparently. Also use the emmolient lots - at least every nappy change for example - to keep the skin really moist.

Another vote for a sockful of oats in the bath, and Aveeno cream too.

If it gets itchy and effects sleep at night you can get piriton prescribed for bedtimes too.

Hi, my 10-week-old dd has just been diagnosed with eczema this afternoon. There's no history of it in the family, and I don't know anything about skin problems, so need to learn sharpish!

Her skin around her chubby little neck, shoulders and collar bone is bright red, like sunburn - dry on the shoulders, and clammy in the folds of skin.

The doctor have me a hydrocortzone cream to clear it up.

When I bath her, should I add some baby oil to the water, and keep it down to 5 minutes in the water?

And what does the sock full of oats do? Just normal porridge oats?

Thanks!

Ps, Sorry, my GP was rubbish and didn't give me any more information. He was playing patience on his PC when I walked in! (After the receptionist told me at length how I was lucky to get an appointment because he's so busy).

Anyway, he did intimate that there are problems with hydrocortzone creams (he said "there can be issues, but don't worry about that" without elaborating). Can anyone tell me what they are?

BTW, dd is exclusively bf, and currently on colief for evening colic. We've already had a saga about her undiagnosed (now corrected) tongue tie; thrush, my bleeding nipples (only just got the hang of bf)... When will it end?

Katie789 whatever you do, don't use bog-standard baby oil like J&J -- it's terribly drying on skin. You need a specialist bath oil like Oilatum or Aveeno which you can get on prescription. Or, yes, just put some porridge oats in a sock, tie a knot in it, put in the water and squeeze. (I think Aveeno is actually based on oats.)

And there is no problem at all with using hydrocortisone cream as long as you don't slather it on and use the weakest strength which is effective -- usually 0.5% or 1% for babies.

Second MegBusset - baby oil full of pefume which is drying. I'd get on top of it with the hard stuff, the prescribed stuff, then tackle it with natural approach.

i.e. baby in a cave. What would have been done? Basically oil from plants!

Hydrocortisone is brilliant for sure, but my dd2 had a skin thinning reaction to it on her nappy area. Skin crinkled up like a KFC drumstick. But thats just one baby.

Poor you - it's a ride this parenthood eh?