# Toddler severe eczema



## TanyaMT (Dec 17, 2003)

I didn't know whether to post here or in the health related items but I started here because treating eczema in babies/toddlers if often different than adults.

My son has had eczema basically since birth, never free of it. We are very fortunate to have a great pediatrician. We have done different things including topical very mild steroids in the beginning with Benadryl so he didn't rip open his skin when it was very bad. Use of Dove, Cetaphil, etc ... mild cleansers without fragrence. And lots and lots of lotion without fragrence to keep his skin as hydrated as possible. The ped and I feel continued use of topical steroids is bad (thins the skin, etc). So we went to Protopic after he was 2. New findings on Protopic make us worried (skin cancer possible correlation), and honestly it wasn't helping all that much. So we are back to steroids short term topically due to a bad outbreak, but hoping to get off those as soon as we can get the open sores controlled.

We also use Bactroban cream (prescription antibiotic cream) to prevent skin infection and therefore avoid oral antibiotics when he has open wounds that are starting to look infected.

The newest thing starting this year (he is almost 3 by the way) is systemic Staph aureus infections coming out in huge pus-filled blisters all over his body requiring oral antibiotics to clear. Staph aureus is all around us but the opening in his skin from eczema allows it to enter his body and colonize easily. Recommendations are tub disinfectant (Lysol spray on the surface of the tub before bath, etc) to try to keep his contact down, and the Bactroban on any open wounds. And of course trying to heal any open wounds from his eczema.

Sorry this is so long-winded ... to my question ... have any of you treated a severe condition similar with effective milder/nonprescription remedies for maintenance? The new thing I'm trying is a little tea tree oil in his baths to try to help disinfect that way. My concern of course is overdrying but some dermatologists actually recommend very weak bleach in the tub with him! (I gasped at that honestly and ped didn't think we needed to go there yet). I'm hoping the tea tree oil will help prevent another one, been using it a few weeks.

We continue with fragrance-free moisturizer, pure lanolin at night when he will let me with socks over his hands as those get the worst dried out and sores. He takes a multivitamin to try to support his general health as he is a picky eater. Doesn't seem to be food related even when I did elimination diet when breastfeeding (and nearly starved! haha) and then avoided common triggers in his diet. I considered children's echinacea to help prevent infection (immune support) but eczema is also an immune reaction so I don't want to further inflame that while trying to prevent the systemic Staph.

We are already very chemical limited, meaning I have eliminated a lot of harsh skin chemicals in the house because he is labeled as "atopic," meaning with a lot of allergies, mild asthma, peanut allergy and the eczema. We use Doc Bronners, baking soda and water, etc for cleaning. Fragrance-free on laundry and trying soon to make my own laundry soap. We have always cloth diapered to prevent rashes (he got rashes with any temporary disposable use). Doesn't appear to be seasonal such as pollens/grasses, same year around.

Ideas?


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## Messac888 (Jan 24, 2005)

My ds had excema too, though not as severe as your babe. I used all the topical steroid creams, etc, none which worked. I switched to cloth diapers (which I saw you use, good for you!) and then started using Calndula cream. Worked like a charm. I don't know about using it on broken skin, but maybe once you'r babe's skin is healed up you can just apply some every night, kwim? Also, I read that you can add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract to water and it works like a natural antibiotic; can't help but wonder if all the junk the doc is giving him isn't making things worse. Just my ideas- good luck with it all!


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## Vick (Aug 15, 2003)

My son's ezcema isn't as bad as yours but what helped was taking fish oil capsules. There are some for kids that are yummy strawberry flavored. He has been taking them since he was about a year old. Let me know if you want to know the brand, etc. It was recommended by our naturopath as a safe source of fish oil. Also, my son's ezcema is directly related to what he eats. He is allergic to eggs, dairy, and gluten. If we keep those out of his diet, which we have for the past year+, then he just has a baseline of ezcema but nothing awful. At the pool people still comment on it but really it's a lot better. Oh, and something that helps with the itching is a nice soak in an Epsom Salt bath.

Good luck!


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

DD's eczema is also related to what she or I eat (she is still bfing). It took me many months of eczema to start exploring the possibility of allergies, an elimination diet did not work for us because of the vast multiple of her allergies. The few things that were supposed to be "safe" to eat, she ended up being allergic to. DD is undergoing NAET treatment for her allergies, and after several weeks, I am starting to notice a difference in her eczema. There are many threads about eczema on the allergy board of health and healing. good luck.


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

I have mild-moderate eczema and what really helps is the Head and Shoulders Intensive Care shampoo. It's mostly on my scalp, eyebrows, and nose. My eczema is because of natural yeast sensitivity and this kills it off.

I'm sure your ds has it more severe and that probably won't help, but I wanted to put the whole yeast idea out there. Esp. with his antibiotics.


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## TanyaMT (Dec 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Messac888*
then started using Calndula cream. Worked like a charm. I don't know about using it on broken skin, but maybe once you'r babe's skin is healed up you can just apply some every night, kwim? Also, I read that you can add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract to water and it works like a natural antibiotic; can't help but wonder if all the junk the doc is giving him isn't making things worse. Just my ideas- good luck with it all!

Thanks. I appreciate the recommendation on the cream and will look for it. I think the steroids are helping; I'm just uncomfortable with long-term use obviously. As soon as we go off them for more than a few days his skin is so bad that he will use his teeth to rip the skin open if we clip his nails short. He is just miserable and eventually has bloody oozing sores. It is so painful to watch him. If we could find something to start with the steroids at first (while skin is somewhat stable) and then go to just the cream that is what I'm hoping for.

Yeast: I doubt this one. His sores and problems come first, antibiotics to treat systemic Staph and then a few months of relative peace before another skin outbreak. He also doesn't have other signs of yeast thank goodness. Course he loves yogurt and I give him plenty with the active cultures. That also does a nice job of preventing the GI problems (diarrhea and so forth) while on his antibiotic courses.

We do use Epsom salts as well. I didn't mention that. He seems to like it and I thought if nothing else salt is reputed to help cleanse and heal. Vick, would you mind sharing the brand/dose of the fish oil? I would like to try that as perhaps that would help. I'm also seeing if my old naturopath would be affordable to us. He actually is a DO I saw for years and years as a young child myself then teen who progressively turned more and more towards natural medicine over the years. Really wonderful and was our insurance until a few years ago. I'm trying to price him for the "out of network" to see.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice.


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## HollyBearsMom (May 13, 2002)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Messac888: then started using Calndula cream. Worked like a charm. I don't know about using it on broken skin, but maybe once you'r babe's skin is healed up you can just apply some every night, kwim?
My son has suffered from extreme eczema since about 2 month. He has gotten progressively better as he gets older (he is now 3 1/2 yo). The breakouts are fewer and less severe with fewer cases of open/oozing sores and/or cracked skin. I highly recommend calendula cream as well. Messac is right not to use it on the broken skin but ones the sores have healed the calendula will soften and clear up the dry/hard patches. Once you have the sores/cracks healed start applying a thin layer 3 times a day to the effected areas and all over after every bath. I can't remember the brand we use but there are a number of fragrance free ones out there.


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## Vick (Aug 15, 2003)

Nordic Naturals makes DHA Junior. Our naturopath said for our ds (2 3/4) to take 2 soft gels twice a day.

Also, ezcema can be flared up by eating sugary/sweet things. The biggest factor in my son's ezcema is his diet and food allergies.

Good luck! I hope your kiddo gets relief soon!


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## nicholas_mom (Apr 23, 2004)

Homeopathic remedies has helped with adjustment to diet. Alot of excema in babies is diet related.

We see a medical doctor that prescribes homeopathic remedies. The doctor says it is the body's way of releasing toxins in the body, that does not follow the usually route of releasing toxins. Excema is a problem internally, and therfore, topical medicnes usually don't work.

Conventional medicine treats the symptoms not the cure. It actually CAN make it worse, as seen in your baby's case.

Also, this site has some great products for excema.....

www.prettybabysoap.com

Good Luck!


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## Owens Mama (Mar 4, 2005)

My almost 4 month old ds just went through a spell of eczema and we have managed to clear it up. It was on his face and very sore and red with some scratches when we started using California Baby's Calendula Cream- it says right on the container that it is safe to use on cuts and broken skin. It worked wonders! Overnight it started to help and we continued to apply it very frequently over the day and are still using it.

Luckily, eliminating dairy has really helped. Also, we made sure he was'nt scratching- even when he had mittens on at night the rubbing was aggravating the rash so we slept with him and kept him from scratching. Sometimes I actually pin his sleeves to his sleeper with safety pins- the old fashioned ones for diapers that don't pop open- or wrap him up so he can't rub his face. It sounds kinda barbaric but really works and he doesnt seem to mind. Although he sleeps either in bed with us or in a co sleeper so we can really keep an eye on him and make sure he isnt tangled up- very important if you are going to restrain baby at all.

I hope something works- it was so hard watching him be so itchy. We are still working through it.


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