3-Month-old with Eczema

I have two buoys (3 & 4) with exzema, we do have a few major flare ups a year, but for all the small ones and the in between times this is what we were told to do by their derm...
Bath them nightly, I have always heard other wise, but as someone else said, all that lotion builds up.
We also use Aveeno oatmeal baths for kids.
Cetaphil everything! The wash and the cream, and I mean CREAM, not the lotion in the tubes but the cream in the jar.
I have tried all the OC stuff and nothing worked on my kids, I had to use the Rx from the derm for major outbreaks, but find that the daily ritual above seems to keep the outbreaks from starting in the first place. Some seasonal changes cause them , but I can not control that :)
Keep nails VERY short, once they start scratching and break the skin then you have to deal with another ray of problems, like infection. And also everything that is healing itches more, so an already itchy rash mixed in with a healing sore is a miserable combination.
Watch also what kind of soap you use on the laundry. I can onlu use FREE everything on all the laundry, if I try to wipe a face with a towel that was washed in bleach I have rashy kids! And most paper towels cause outbreaks and so do baby wipes on the face. This is just stuff that I have learned in the last 4 years, but both my boys are different about how, why and when they rash, but the basics I have talked about seems to work for them both on a daily basis. Good luck

Hi L.,
Congratulations...being a mommy is awesome!
I tried the no bathing theory before I took my 6 month old to the dermatologist(it didn't work). The dermatologist said to:
1. Bath your baby every day with a mild cleanser like cetaphil (the generic at walmart works too)
2. Use the Cetaphil cream in a jar. (pump lotions don't work)
3. At night use a vaseline base like Aquaphor if its really bad.
4. Use a steroid cream prescribed by dr.(only if absolutly necessary--in our case it was)

We liked to give him a bath at night put his cream on and then the aquafor and his skin rash started getting better within days. By two weeks it completly cleared up. Now we bath him every other day and still use the cream. Hope that helps.

Aquaphor is really great for Eczema -- it keeps the area moisturized as well as seals it from outside moisture (like drool), which is generally what causes eczema to begin with.

My children have very dry skin and my son suffered from eczema because he drooled so much, for the first 2 years of his life. We would use a washcloth and water to clean his face after meals, but never used any kind of soap. Now they are a little older, we have begun washing their faces with Cetaphil.

My daughter had it pretty bad when she was a baby too. I found that Arbonne had some great baby products although they were a bit pricey. A lower cost alternative was Cetaphil (with the blue label) - it worked just as well. It doesn't lather, so don't be alarmed. Reapply lotion often and especially after bath time. My girl's skin condition lasted until she was about a year & 1/2 old. She's almost 3 now and only has the occasional flair up. Hope this helps!

we bathed our son daily when he had eczema. you are supposed to re-apply the lotion after your bathe him every day. Not washing off the lotion will trap bacteria and cause bigger problems underneath the loose irritated skin.
the Disney brand baby eczema lotion worked darn near over night with my son, and their cradle cap stuff worked in two days. I now have a 3 m/o 16 lb butter ball gerber baby :)

Eczema usually happens from an allergy-- so watch the outbreaks and see if you can tie it to his diet (or your diet if you are breast feeding).

My kids (and I) have eczema. We've found that the Cetaphil cream (not lotion) helps-- BUT more so than anything....SebaMed Baby works great for us. Their eczema got so much better once we cut out the soaps. You can buy it online and sometimes at Costco (when they have a road show). They have a whole line for babies. It has worked great for us.

Good luck

My son is 5 and has eczema too. His is "just" dry skin that clears with cream. My daughter, however, has exzema that was because of allergies. We finally had her tested and she is allergic to milk, soy, bananas, wheat, peanuts, dogs, cats and mice! The dog thing was hard. We had to clean our carpets and we keep her out of homes where they have pets. With her, Protopic works well. I got samples from the doctor because it's really expensive.

Good luck!

My son is two and was diagnosed with severe eczema at three weeks old. I have tried many things and went to several doctors, including dermatolgists and allergist. No soap in baths, bath only when needed while he is an infant, my dermotoligist said only like once a week, (strange to hear, but it worked), I give him a bath now every other night or more often if he needs it. Also, my son had it in so many areas of his body, still does, but small patches now. I love cetaphil cream in a jar. Also Eurcerin Aquaphor is excellent but thick. A steroid cream was given to my child, I use extremely sparingly and only when I can't get it cleared up, I wouldn't use a steroid cream on the face. Most importantly keep moistened with cream at all times. Don't use regular lotion only a cream, they told me reg lotion drys it out. Again, cetaphil works for us, but you will just have to see what works best for your child. It will get better, and possibly go completely away for your son. My son has spots of it now at times. Also, you will probobly get advice from so many other moms and doctor's, that was the hardest part for me, but I just tried things and figured out what worked for my child. Take care

I use a wonderful lotion by Melaleuca. Here's the link http://www.melaleuca.com/ps/index.cfm?f=ps.productDetail&...

The eczema could be caused by food allergies, so watch what you're introducing too!

C.~

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