I just found out that my daughter has..
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive October 2004:
I just found out that my daughter has..
egsama. I've noticed it lately, but thought that it might be heat rash. Yesterday, we went to my Aunts house and we were all outside and Rylee got hot, and Inoticed it was enflamed. I told Chris that I thought it might be egsama. I had to explain to him what it was. The doctor told me today that usually kids under two who get it outgrow it. Has anyone ever experienced this and do you have any good tips for me? TIA.
Dandruff shampoo, like head and shoulders or denorex on the skin with excema. Just use it like soap and it clears right up.
You should take her to the doctor, he/she will most likely give you some cortozone cream.
They said to buy some and to use it only if it gets enflamed, but not to use it too often since it is a steroid.
Heat Rash (Prickly Heat) And Babies
by Dr. Benjamin Spock
reviewed and revised by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Heat rash, often referred to as prickly heat, is very common in the shoulder and neck region of babies when the weather gets hot. It is made up of clusters of very small pink bumps surrounded by blotches of pink skin. Tiny blisters can sometimes form on some of the bumps. When these blisters dry up they can give the rash a slightly tan look.
Prickly heat usually starts around the neck. If it is bad, it can spread down onto the chest and back and up around the ears and face, but it seldom bothers a baby.
Most forms of prickly heat do not need any treatment. The rash goes away eventually. It is more important to try to keep the baby cool. Don't be afraid to take off the baby's clothes in hot weather. After all, there's no evidence that early experiences with nakedness lead to children growing up to be nudists.
If you choose to do something about the rash, simply try wiping off the skin with water and patting it dry. You can also pat the rash several times a day with a bicarbonate of soda solution (1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda to 1 cup water) on absorbent cotton. Another treatment is dusting with cornstarch powder.
The use of talcum powder is no longer recommended because it is very irritating to the lungs if accidentally inhaled.
What is eczema?
Eczema is a condition affecting the skin. Most doctors use the terms dermatitis and eczema to describe the same thing. There are different types of eczema, depending on the root causes of the problem. They all have one thing in common: they result in dry, itchy, red and cracked skin, which can become sore and bleeding through scratching. The areas most affected are the hands, face, elbows and knees. Atopic eczema often runs in families. Atopic conditions, which include eczema, asthma and hay fever, are on the increase but no-one is completely sure why.
Eczema may also be triggered by an irritation of the skin caused by chemicals, such as the detergents in washing powders and fabric softeners. This is called contact eczema. A child with atopic eczema could develop contact eczema as well so the two types of eczema do sometimes occur together. When this happens, try changing your detergent because it may ease the condition.
It is also possible to have allergic contact eczema. This is usually a reaction to a specific substance such as the nickel in jewellery. However, the allergic reaction may spread to affect other areas of skin.
Eczema can be extremely distressing in babies and young children because they find it very difficult not to scratch, which can lead to infections.
What is the treatment for eczema?
The treatment of eczema depends on how serious it is. If your baby has a mild case of contact eczema, you may simply be advised to use a short course of a low-strength steroid cream.
Atopic eczema is dealt with in two ways. It is known that dryness of the skin makes it worse and so preventing flare-ups by moisturising the skin is crucial. There are a huge variety of moisturisers or emollients available and you may have to try several to find the one that suits your child best. These are available as creams, ointments, lotions and bath additives. You may have to use large quantities on a regular basis and your doctor may consider issuing repeat prescriptions once you know which one works best.
Secondly, some doctors will recommend that babies with atopic eczema use steroid creams from time to time. It is vital that these are used sparingly to avoid the risk of side-effects, especially in young children. Eczema may also be complicated by skin infections (often caused by scratching until the skin is broken) and so antibiotic creams are being used increasingly. Oral antihistamines are sometimes used to combat itchiness. The ones normally available for young children often cause drowsiness and so will tend to be used at night. You should seek your doctor's advice before giving young children anti-histamines.
Homoeopathy can sometimes be very helpful in treating eczema and in many areas of the country advice and treatment may be available through the National Health Service — just ask your health visitor or GP. Alternatively, to find a registered homoeopath near you, contact the Society of Homeopaths.
How can I help?
There are other self-help measures you can try:
• It is thought that exposure to some foods can aggravate eczema. Reactions to individual foods can obviously be helped by avoiding that food, but you should not change your child's diet drastically without talking to your health visitor.
• Doctors will usually only advise getting rid of a pet in severe cases but pets can be restricted to one part of the house or an outside run.
• House dust mites are thought to trigger some cases of eczema. You can reduce the amount of dust moving around your house by using a damp cloth rather than a dry duster for cleaning, and in extreme cases, you may want to change from carpets to hard flooring. Frequent washing of bedding at high temperature is thought to help, and there are a number of specialist products on the market such as vacuum cleaners, filters and sprays. For more information on controlling house dust mites, contact the British Allergy Foundation.
• Breastfeeding exclusively for at least four months helps to protect against eczema and other allergies. Some babies and children who develop eczema may be allergic to cow's milk but it's important to talk to your doctor before removing cow's milk (or cow's milk formula) from your baby's diet.
• Cotton or cotton mix clothing may help, whereas woollen and synthetic fibres may make it worse.
• Overheating can make eczema more severe, so you should keep bedding and clothing light and layered, in order that the temperature can be easily adjusted.
• Keep your child's nails short to help prevent skin irritation from scratching. You can also buy cotton mittens to help babies who scratch at night.
Will the use of steroids harm my baby?
Many parents have heard about side effects from overuse of steroids, and are reluctant to use them, particularly on babies and young children. 'Steroids are very safe if used appropriately', advises Collette Hoare from the National Eczema Society. 'Their main side effect is thinning of the skin, but there is no evidence that this is permanent. It is very important to use the correct strength, depending on the severity of the eczema, so steroids should always be used under the supervision of your GP.'
When using steroid cream, keep usage to a minimum by only using on the affected areas, and remember always to use plenty of emollient cream. Whilst some steroids can be bought over the counter, it is recommended that when treating babies and young children, you always seek the advice of your doctor.
Olivia had this as well.
I give her a bath with Aveno when it flares up. I only bathe her every other day & lotion her with Aveno lotion. It works great. Also if you breast feed, stay away from peanuts 
Both my kids have eczema, although now that they're older it's doesn't flare up often. It can be linked with allergies. In our case, since switching over to perfume and dye free soaps and detergents, my kids have been doing much better. They use soap sparingly and bubble baths are a No-No. Baths every other night instead of daily. Eucerin or Cetaphil often, especially during winter months.
National Eczema Association
dd has had eczema. I got it under control and it is gone. Many times it is from a need for Omega fatty acids. You can get some flax seed oil from your local health food store and put a little in a smoothie and some lecithin granules to go along with it. Cod liver oil is good too. You can even rub the flax seed oil on the itchy patches. I also use Aveeno oatmeal bath soap.
My kids have all had it. It's really not a big deal as long as you keep it treated.
My DS had it quite badly on his cheeks when he was a baby. I didn't realize how bad it was until I looked back on baby pictures.
We have a drawer full of creams that we've collected to treat eczema.
My nicholas had it and they told me dandruff shampoo also but i wasn't going to put that on a child so my mom took him to my doctor of 20+ years and he said the cortisone cream and it cleared up within 24 hours..
I have had eczema since I was a few months old and still have trouble with it every day. Aveeno is a godsend and cortizone may help. It didn't help mine at any point and never helped my dks. All of my dks have outgrown it. Cetaphil is really good too. Use fragrance and dye free laundry and bath soap. Head and SHoulders is really harsh for a baby's skin. I don't know that I would try it all over. Maybe just one little patch to see how she reacts. Quick (10 minute) cooler baths without bubbles and Aveeno lotion right after can prevent a lot of breakouts. I'm allergic to most soaps (Ivory and Dove are OK) and heat and stress cause mine to flare up. So does most jewelry, if I wear it for a long time. Even my glasses cause it to flare up behind my ears sometimes. More than likely, Rylee will outgrow it soon. I've heard that 75% of all children outgrow it by the age of 2 and 90% of the children that still have it will outgrow it before age 5. Good luck.
BTW, where does she have it?
Over the counter hydrocortisone cream on inflamed spots works well. If that doesn't get it, take her to the dr. There is a prescription cream called Elidel that is wondeful. The hydrocortisone cream worked minimally with my dd, but the Elidel was great and no steroid worries. You can put it on her face just not too close to eyes. At 3 1/2 dd has less flare ups than she use to but still has some. If you don't get the inflamed spots early, they can get infected and become pretty nasty.
That elidel is amazing stuff. I keep some in my house for emergency skin problems.
Is elidel ok to use on infants? Is it over the counter?
I've heard elidel stings a bit. I would try it on myself before I put it on Emma just to make sure. Emma sometimes gets little dry spots on her skin, but not all over. Our doc told us to put cetaphil lotion on her and to bathe her with dove soap. I didn't like the dove soap just in case it got in her eyes with all the splashing, but since I've been using cetaphil lotion she is fine. Just be careful with all the prescription meds bc they can burn. Good luck
I personally would try to get it under control with over the counter stuff before prescription. You may be able to save money that way.
My oldest ds has eczema. It was much worse when he was a toddler. He is now 6 and only has occasional flare ups. We keep it under control by using a good lotion on him after each bath. I use cortizone cream for flare ups and I also have elidel for bad patches when the cortizone doesn't help. I do use dye free detergents and we don't use bubble bath. I also limit him to a bath every other day, unless he is really sweaty. His eczema usually flares up more in the winter when it is really cold and dry and in the summer when he is swimming a lot. Chlorine tends to make his worse.
My ped. said that most children outgrow it. I am hoping that ds will eventually.
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