How to treat toddler Eczema?

[OzJo]

Dear everyone, Dd is 22 months and has recently developed eczema, it's fairly mild but I can't seem to get rid of it. My dad used to have it really badly, so I'm fairly sure it's the genetic connection rather than an allergy, as there's been no change in routine/diet or anything recently. Just after some basic advise about how to treat it. At the moment I'm putting the mild cortisone cream on the pink patches just once a day, after her bath, putting ordinary moisturiser on the rest of her ( again just once a day ) I put oil for babies with dry skin in the bath...Should I be cutting down on giving her baths? Is once a day too often? She does love them, and it's part of the bedtime routine. I'm not using any soap, but do wash her hair eaach day ( Johnson baby shampoo & conditioner in one). I let her run around but naked when possible so her skin is getting plenty of air. Is there anything else I should be doing? All advice welcome.

[pixiefish]

The dermatologist told me the other day that it was ok to use the mild fucidin/hydrocortisone cream quite a bit as its very mild. Also you should keep her skin moist- diprobase or aqueous cream- any emollient that you find suits her. Slather this on regularly as it's the dry skin that causes itching which leads to scratching then the skin gets broken and bleeds. i bath my dd every day and either just have water- no soap or put oilatum plus in the bath. wouldn't use ordinary moisturiser though

[misdee]

i'd stop the johnsons shampoo or cut it down at least. daily baths are okk as long as you add soimething to the water (oilatum,balneum etc). then put on emoillants, what are u using atm? i'd put it on more than once a day tbh, probably 4+ times a day. the skin needs to keep hydrated so the itch/scratch cycle stops.

[SofiaAmes]

Stop the daily baths and don't use soap. I found that Aveeno Cream was a miracle cure. I would put it on my dd's eczema at night and in the morning the eczema would be virtually gone. If it works for you get your gp to prescribe it.

[Fran1]

i agree with aveeno cream being a miracle cure for myself.

[logic]

My toddler has it too and I have found that cutting down on the baths to every 2/3 days does help. I use Simple bodywash for babies on his skin and hair and grease him all over every day with asda's own brand baby moisturiser which is excellent...hope that helps. It's not much fun for them is it?

[kinderbob]

We Bath/shower twice a day here and apply moisturiser to soaking wet skin. You have three minutes from them getting out of the bath to finishing the cream. After that any moisture benefit is lost and the skin will become even more dry.

Add oats in a sock to the bath water.

A big no to the shampoo every day. Maybe once a week and do not let her sit in the water afterwards.

I am not a fan of oil in the water, but that's just me.

Flax seed oil added to some cold food once a day.

Probiotics are fab.

But these are just my princes. We've kissed a lot of frogs in the last 18 months.

[shrub]

johnsons use the lauryl sulphates (foaming agent) and parabens which are banned in some countries. i found this info out through www.greenpeople.co.uk . my ds1 had eczema and the following advice from mumsnet worked:
1.no bubble baths, shampoo, soaps etc.
2. use unrefined salt in bath(lots of mumsnetters reported their ds/dd's eczema disappeared while bathing in the sea on holiday)and oatmeal/porridge oats/wheatgerm by putting in sock and holding it under hot tap
3. used sk cream (lanolin free) tel 01526 832491. found out about this through sunday times health columnist susan clarke, she has also written a book called 'what really works for kids'.found this helped immediately.
4. went to homeopath (ds got molluscum with the eczema)and was told the steriod creams thin the skin so went the alternative route and was given sulphur 200c during first visit and pustilla 200c on the second. found one or a combination of the above worked.
hope you find something useful though it may have added to the confusion!

[Potty1]

Shrub - my dd's eczema came with her molloscum (or the other way around) The molloscum went and the eczema stayed

We use Balneum in the bath, Aveeno immediately afterwards and another couple of times during the day too plus hydrcortisone on the flare ups.

OzJo - what works for one doesn't always work for another so you just need to keep trying. Aqueous cream and E45 just make things worse for dd, yet other people swear by them.

[OzJo]

Thanks everyone, I'll certainly stop the shampoo, and grab a bag of oats when next in the supermarket. Her skin gets regularly moisturised here with sunscreen ( for sensitive toddlers) no chioce on that front or she'd burn to buggery. Unrefined salt in the bath may well stop her drinking as much of it as she currently tries to do. I currently put QV bath oil in the bath with her, ( don't know if you get it in the UK )it's specifically for babies with dry skin, so it's pretty mild. Thanks for all the tips.

[kinderbob]

QV makes my son worse! It seems to give him a sweat rash, probably because it stops his skin "breathing".

Which suntan lotion are you using, even some of the sensitive or childrens ones can irritate. I still moisturise ds with his prescription cream and then put on the sun tan lotion (Hawaiian Tropic baby faces) 20 minutes later.

I would definately bath or shower every day if you are using sun tan lotion.

[marj]

My ds had really nasty eczema patches on his back. Ended up using strong steroid cream which did clear it. I am in the UK and have been given a moisturiser called Epaderm. I put it on him 2 or 3 times a day and it has worked wonders. Dont know if you would be able to get any. I heard that aqueous cream actually makes eczema worse - it did for my ds. Also he cant use johnsons as his skin flares up everytime we tried to start using it again. Hope this is of some use.

[shrub]

i would add that most sunscreens have lots of chemicals that may be irritating to the skin - you could try www.greenpeople.co.uk - they do a special one for children or weleda or neals yard.

[shrub]

also if you do use the salt in the bath - make sure she doesn't drink any - boy was poisoned with salt, it was in the news last week and i remember reading a little girl who died after being given weetabix due to the high salt content

[lolliepops]

ask you doctor to prescribe you sun tan lotion i did this last summer and it was much better for dd skin and cheeper for me to

[bids]

Hi, I've used products from a company new over here, Melaleuca, they have a number of products which help ezcema. Has helped my four year old. We used to use oilatum but I never really liked it, it took ages to rub in.
Melaleuca (latin for tea tree oil) have a lovely skin cream which does not stop skin breathing like others do, it has glycerine, allantoin (from comfrey herb, pulls moisture into skin) and tee-tree oil, very soothing and moisturising.
Also oil for bath, soap and shampoo, and laundry products, sun protection.
they are not expensive and you get a 60 day mney back guarantee.
See small ads, health homes, I have loved these products so much that I have joined up with some other Mums to spread the word, we are showing them in venues in east and south from Monday.
E-mail for more info.

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

bids, tried to CAT you, but you don't accept emails from mumsnet. Am interested in the products you mentioned.

[sansouci]

My 2 little ones have both suffered terribly from eczema, which isn't surprising as I had it badly in childhood. I've found that cutting down the number of baths I give them helps (every 2/3 days, although bottoms, face and hands (obviously!) every day), as well as making sure the bath-water is slightly warm rather than warm/hot, not letting them stay in the water more than the time it takes to wash them, using a non-detergent soap (like Aveeno) and then slathering them with non-scented, thick (but not barrier!) skin cream afterwards. I wouldn't apply anything stronger than this without a doctor's advice. Sometimes they need an anti-fungal cream as well as a topical steroid but only a doctor can tell.

[shirleyvalentine]

Where can I get this Aveeno cream?

[bakewelltart]

My son had really bad ecezema as a baby so I took him to a woman with a 'vega' machine. This was done privately & cost about £25. He was 10 months old & just had to hold a metal rod in his hand whilst she fiddled around with loads of different 'substances'. It came back with him being allergic to 127 different things, mainly additives but also dairy, lamb, citrus, etc. I cut everything out stuck him on goats milk & he's never suffered since! I did also go to a hospital dietician who told me it was all rubbish. He is now 8, eats pretty much anything, & only has slightly dry skin, & I just use Bach flower remedy Rescue Cream. Hope this is some help. I also found that homeopathic Sulpher tablets made his skin lovely & soft, but these I did get from a qualified homeopath, although I know you can but them in Boots.

[wavingordrowning]

Have you tried changing your washing powder? We used to use Fairy, and then changed to Filetti and to Ecover - eczema on baby just got worse and worse. As suggested by a mnetter, we changed to Surcare and the eczema disappeared within the week and his big sister's skin is much better too. I would also be very suspicious of your shampoo. In our house, Johnson's products result in instant itching all round. So now we 1)put porridge oats in a muslin in the bath (and use it as a 'sponge' to rub all over) 2) put diprobase cream all over after the bath 3) put diprobase ointment on any stubborn patches 4) slap Aveeno on any other bits during the day (it comes in a useful handbag sized tube)5) no longer use baby wipes 6) stick olive oil in any food that will take it
Good luck

[eidsvold]

OzJo - rather than using the oil - what about the bath wash - I use QV ( ego brand) moisturiser on dd2 and that seems to make a difference. I assume you are in OZ by the nickname - if you go to your local health food shop - they have a cream that a father developed for excema - and it is brilliant - can't remember what it is called but plenty of people swear by it too. Think it is a calendula cream of some kind ( forgive foggy memory) I use sunsense by ego for the sunscreen and it is brilliant.

[rohini]

hi bakewelltart
my son has a very bas case of eczema as well, he is 14 months i have tried everything...
I am very keen on doing the vega testing and was wondering if i can know where it was done by you for your son so I can take him there as well
mnay thanks
rohini

[jimmyjamas]

My DS has severe eczema and has done since he was born. Nothing and I mean nothing seems to work - even the Dermatologist is baffled. Anyway, recently we have switched from Cows milk to Goats milk, and fingers crossed, his eczema seems to be improving. It's early days yet but it's worth trying. My DS is two next Wednesday.

Try it and see if it makes any difference.