Elidel cream for cradle cap

[Sandi102]

my doctor has given me a tube of elidel 1% cream..the info inside the box says its not a steriod..so shud i use it on him? ds2 is 8 wks and has cradle cap on the eyebrows only..also dry skin on cheeks..4 which i;ve been using vaseline and olive oil on eyebrows..is the cream too close to the eyes to use?..

No experience of it sorry, but if it has been prescribed by your GP I would use it and follow the instructions as on the patient information sheet inside the box. As long as you don't get it directly into the eyes I would see that there is no problem.
You could try a search on cradle cap. I am sure that you will have some joy finding some alternative remedies from other mums that have experienced the same if you don't feel happy. Hope this has helped a bit.

Sorry, a little confused... did your gp give you the elidel for your ds? My gp said that only specialists could prescribe elidel for children under the age of 2. It isn't a steroid, but it is also not a totally benign drug.

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No way!, actually I'm very concerned that a GP has prescribed it to such a young boy as Elidel (or better said protopic) has not been tested in children under two, though a dermatologist can prescribe it if the child has not responded to hidrocortisone (DS got a prescription only after 8m of severe eczema and when even HC2.5 was not working at all). If you see the spec page that comes with it you will find that there are many things that interact with it, there is risk of kidney damage if you miss use it (for example if you give your child ibuprofen-which everybody recommends to alternate with calpol in high fevers), you need to stop it 2-3 weeks before the admin of some vacines, etc. This medicine is a heaven sent but it's a last resort for eczema sufferers. I think it is not worth the risk just for craddle cap.

I would go back for HC but only if the flares tend to go out of control. You may also try emollients like Eucerin Lotion and avoid using soap in the bath or add something like oilatum or balneum.

Good luck

thanks chandra..i will persist with the olive oil, although his skin is drying up an hour after putting that on..

twiglett, thanks 4 the info link..

Sandi, if you need to apply olive oil every hour you may need something stronger, you can get Eucerin lotion 10% urea from boots, need to apply it only 3 times a day rather than every hour. It looks greasy but it works. Hope it is a phase and soon he outgrowns it

thanks chandra..i wonder whether u can get eucerin lotion on prescription? i use the shower therapy eucerin for ds1 who is nearly 5..i bought that from sainsbury;s..

i've now put some mitts on ds2, cuz he keeps knawing at his head, scratching the skin..i do hope this doesn't develop into eczema..ds1 suffered with mild excema when baby and it was pretty unpleasant at times, esp. when skin flared up..i suppose i'm better informed this time around though..

I tried for about a year to get rid of dd's cradle cap with various lotions and potions, none of which worked.

Then I found aveeno cream (which was for her mild eczema) and rubbed that in and it disappeared almost overnight. You could try that - can buy in Boots from the pharmacy or get on prescription.

ps Aveeno has nothing nasty in it and smells nice

Sandi, just a thought- you're not using any baby bath products are you? If so, stop right away. Put nothing at all in his bath, not even "mild" or "sensitive" stuff. My dd had dreadful skin at this age and had mittens sewn onto her clothes to stop her scratching- it cleared up when we stopped the bath products. The same applies to wipes- just use water and cotton wool. If you need to remove poo from the bum- atiny bit of soap rinsed off well.

HTH

no tissy, nothing in the bath..a harsh lesson i learnt from ds1..i massage a little after bath with olive oil, keeps his skin moist..i will try aveeno for ds1 who is now 5..

how old is ur dd? I did buy infaderm just in case i needed it, but not used it yet. i probably won't do now.

my dd is 2. She still has a little eczema around wrists and backs of knees, but NOTHING compared to how she was at 3 months!

sandi, some babies need some extra emollients applied in the bath, note that all the things we have suggested so far are emollients, not soap. Aveeno is a good idea, you can also fill a sock with oats and let the bath water run through it.

PS. We get Eucerin in prescription.