Can the HV really not hace a clue???

[MumtoEliane]

I got to the point where I got actually angry.

I though my DD has cradle cap. I looked in a book that I think has got very accurate stuff and pretty good advise and in there it said that cradle cap is not painful at all but a cosmetic problem, but there is some special shampoo to treat it.

So I took DD to HV to a general check up and showed her the cradle cup. She said put some olive oil and then wash it off. I asked her to tell me the name of the shampoo to treat it and she said "is shampoo for cradle cap". Ok. Went to the chemyst and got the shampoo. The pharmacyst told me never to give her oil! The HV also told me that I should treat it as soon as possible otherwise it increases, it gets harder, and it will hurt (???)

I know I should be inclined to listen to the HV but she has told me very strange things in the past. For example: the previous HV told me DD has dry skin in her face and that I should give her moisturising. Now, I didn't see any dryness but I did as I was told. Didn't see any difference in her skin, it was nice and soft. So yesterday I asked the HV if I can stop giving her moisturiser. She said yes, her skin is lovely. And I said, well, thats what I thought but was told it was dry... she said no when its dry it gets a bit like sand paper (!!!!!!) honestly! Sand paper???? I hope not!

So I am now properly peed off with this woman. Is like talking to a victorian nurse, I wonder if they get ongoing training? Why the advice differs SOOOOO much form a HV to a pharmacyst to another HV?

Really angry.

Skandi1 I never mentioned oil to the pharmacyst I asked for "the shampoo fo cradle cap" and she said "use it as normal shampoo, never use oil and certanly not perfumed oil" I said "thanks" that whas the conversation.

But I have learned how not to use the verb "give"

I will try olive oil and if it doesn't go I will use the shampoo.

goodness. mini rumbles breaking out all over this thread.

are you ladies all feeling premenstrual? what phase is the moon in?

SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH FOXYTOCIN

It's good fun actually. I might just start screaming at people on threads randomly

I've been lurking and felt I had to say something as it was bugging me. I know Fearnelinen has exited the thread now but it's not entirely true that Pharmacists do not offer the cheapest solution. I just don't want MumtoEliane to go away thinking this. Unless the Pharmacist is also the shop owner, which is possible but not in every case. They wouldn't be motivated purely by profit surely? But by best advice and hopefully not all Pharmacists who also own the shop work like this either, I really hope?

A lot of Pharmacists are Locum's, so they are self employed and work in a variety of Chemists and invoice for their hours. There are going to be exceptions to the rule of course though.

I've met a lot of kind Pharmacists in my time who have recommended good things to me that weren't costly and were natural as well. As an aside though, Boots Pharmacies seem guilty of recommending the Boots products first of course I've noticed but I suspect we all know why

I don't think Pharmacists necessarily have the knowledge that a health visitor would though on all baby issues, just to say that. I'd personally take the HV advice more than a Pharmacists, particularly on CC. But as others have said, weigh it all up and decide for yourself. There will always be conflicting advice on certain issues.

The other thing I read somewhere on this thread and made me think, is that Pharmacists and GP's are both just as guilty of meeting drug reps who pop in and bring flowers, gifts etc and rave about their product being the best and then the GP/ Pharmacist sometimes suggesting/ prescribing that to the patient instead of other alternatives.

I guess there will always be generalistions and exceptions to the rule. But on the whole I truly don't believe all Pharmacists recommend products that make the shop the best profit. I really don't. Sorry.

Also agree with Sidge, her posts are very wise.

Just had to get that off my chest

I could probably type more but hopefully people understand what I'm trying to say here

Hi MumtoEliane,

Sorry - looks like I misunderstood you.

I used the Dentinox cradle cap shampoo and as I said to wash the olive oil off with. And it worked.

You probably found my breastmilk suggestion a bit erm grim but that worked really fast.

You can also buy from health/organic stores (greenbaby/planet organic) cradle cap oil which apparently is good too but I discovered it too late.

I'm a first time mum and found all this differing advice hard to work out at first and I did get so annoyed when I'd get one piece of advice from HV and then another from GP on same subject. Its frustrating and it makes you worry about whether you're doing the right thing generally.

Hope the cradle cap goes soon.
xx

teandcakeplease: I do hope too that not all pharmacysts just want to make profit. At the end of the day they go to Uni and study a long hard degree, not to be just a shop assistant I hope? Nothing wrong with being a shop assistant, but no need to go to Uni for that. (Just in case)

Ts ok Skandi1 I will do that, in fact I'll start now!

to get the liquid gold

she said "use it as normal shampoo, never use oil and certanly not perfumed oil"

AAAHHH! I think I've got it.

I'm betting the pharmacist was talking about baby oil. Shame if so that they didn;t clarify "never use baby oil" that can be highly perfumed/processed.

Olive oil is totlly different.

Some really old fashioned advice that I got from my gran but worked fantastically well for my now adult children was to wash a baby's head and hair with baby soap rather than shampoo and you won't get cradle cap. Not sure if it is just an old wives' tale but mine were never troubled by it anyway.

Sorry! I didn't mean to add that link! I used {{ as we use that in another forum / sorry!

asdx2 I was using the johsons sleep well bath, and it was fine until now, she is 7 months and got it last week for the first time.

When she was tiny we used normal baby bath and the one with lotion somites.

Got them all in a lot as a present befora you ask me why on earth did I use so many! when they all finish I will have to decide for one only!

"somites" meant sometimes.

A friend of mine is a dermatological nurse specialist, she lectures on the subject she is very knowledgable.

She told me that Johnson's stuff is responsible for many, many babies skin conditions. It is awful stuff.

it really affected dd's skin, I had a load given to me inhospital and dutifully used it.

Why on eart they give it in hospital if its soooo bad? This is the whole point of my post actually! One dermatology spacialist says its bad, the nurses at hopital use it /

earth, and specialist, sorry I do check the posts

Friend is now involved in training nurses. problem is it is only refently that it has been proved to be so bad and research is still happening so ther will be differences of opinion.

A healthcare worker put it in dd's bath in hospital. When I had ds my HV was much more clued up and I only used plain water. Dd has excema and allergies to certin products, ds is totally clear.

They don't in the hospitals round here as they don't want to be seen to be advertising/recommending on brand over another, it's a good policy IMO.

In my local hospital they tell you "A lot of the mothers I see tell me that Johnson's range causes a lot of rashes"

That way, they can make their point without 'advertising' or condemning an brands.

Johnsons babywipes stripped newborn Ds1's arse of it's SKIN when he was 3 days old

ABIBF: so what do they use, just water? every soap will have a brand?

Just water in my hospital, and just water is fine.

I used just water and cotton balls in DD when seh awas a newborn at nappy changes, that was the advice in hospital, but when the poo was too much for a cotton ball i used a wipe. Never had a problem.

Water, or whatever the mum took in her bag if they (the mum) insist on using something.

In mine they used water for nappy changes but Johnsons baby bath for bathing them.

I haven't had a problem using it, but I use very little, it doesen't even make foam, DD eats it otherwise!

Not HV not pharmacyst suggested that the cradle cap was because of the use of shampoo.

MumtoEliane I just used a bar of baby soap on their head. Do they still make baby soap though? If not maybe pears or simple would be sensitive to the skin.
Lovely name Eliane btw

Thanks )

Well, in my Johnsons lot there was a bar of baby soap too! Very scented and with moisturising lotion but I use it to wash my hands as they got very very dry washing them so often when I had DD.

my daughter is 5yo, yes, 5yo and never uses soap or shower gels.

she is not stinky and manky either.

small children, until they start to develop a body odour smell clean when you just use water only.

She had bad eczema as a baby and until she starts to smell I don't intend to start using stuff on her.

DH once or twice used bath gels at around 18 months and her eczema was triggered all over her body.

So OP, you don't any of that stuff you were given as presents. even the soaps. a lot of the lotions also contain nasties unfortunately (parabens and phthalates which strip the skin on a microscopic level and are also hormone disrupters.)

off to weave some lentils.