Eczema??? - Saint Paul,MN

My daughter had that for a while too. Her doctor said that it was from sweating. Because babies can't sweat like we can, it clogs the pores and causes bumps. Hers would actually look like welts! Try clothing him in looser clothing so he can get rid of the heat better.

Didn't have time to read all the responses - though you probably heard this one....
My nephew has it - and is allergic to Wheat, Eggs, Dairy. Even a few fr.frys can create HUGE patches of rashes on his legs or neck - from just bumps to legions that look like someone took a cigerrette to him!!

If the PED. isn't helpful go to an allergist.

HI, Please think about Food Allergies. My son started showing signs of food allergies at 2 months old, I just didnt know enough to realize it. The majority of his reactions are seen in his skin, he constantly has rashes and irritations. I had to really push my doctor on allergies, and I am so thankful I did, he is allergic to over a dozen foods, and more environmental factors.
Good luck!
M.

My son was diagnosed with ecxema at 2 months. The major cause was milk based formula. Once we put him on soy, the ecxema got better. We still have to apply lotion at least once a day and sometimes use 1% hydrocortizone for the "bad" spots, but for the most part it's under control.

my son has skin issues, rash, pimple like bumps, cracking and bleeding. My advice is one: use a laundry soap and fabric softener with out any perfumes or dyes. Products with dyes and perfumes can irritate sensitive skin. Switching soaps a lot can make skin problems worse. All makes a laundry soap And Bounce makes a fabric softener dryer sheet both without any perfumes or dyes. My second piece of advice is to switch to Cetaphil cleanser to wash him with. This cleanser has no soap in the product. They have bar and liquid cleanser. I have even started using the product on myself and I love it. Everything in this product line is very gentle, even more so than baby products. They even have lotions and creams. Walmart carries this product in health and beauty by the facial lotions and cleansers

Sounds like the same thing I had with my son, he had little bumps everywhere and itchy in some places, and I did have the doctor check it out, they gave me cortisone cream but I found that keeping his skin from getting dry was a better solution. Whenever I bathe him, I use aveeno bath oil or the powder stuff and lotion him up really good afterwards and we haven't had much of a problem since. I did notice that it gets worse in the winter.

I'm not sure if your son has eczema. I know that my daughter has been diagnosed with it, but she doesn't have bumps. It appears as more of a rash, usually on the backs of her thighs. I think that what your son has may be something else due to the bumps. Sorry I couldn't be more help. :(

D.

Max may need to have all his clothes and bedding, etc. washed in detergent-free laundry water that has had special purifiers like silver nano ions and hydroperoxides added to it. After five washings all past detergent residue is gone. I've been using this unit in my home with 6 of my ten kids still living at home since June this year. I love it. No softeners, bleach, hot water nor pre-sorting of clothes needed...at most a little pre-spray on bad spots. Actually a bacteria barrier forms on all clothes and bedding that is obvious. I love it.
I'd think any skin problems would be greatly affected by such natural laundry washing. Care to know more? Email me at ____@____.com or call me at 877.835.9523 . . . 'cause it really works.

My husband uses vinegar which works for him (no flaking or redness anymore). He does have to do it daily as an adult with adult oils, etc that are on the skin.

C.

My 2 year old grandson has eczema and this sounds exactly like what he has. He gets little bumps all over his back and legs but behind his knees, at his elbows, and behind his ears he gets really red, weepy patches at times that he scratches. The doc gave him Elidel and it works like a charm. Sometimes we use Triamcinolone cream (not on his face) and this works good too. The doc told us that eczema and asthma go hand in hand a lot of time and he does have asthma also. His daddy has both also. They usually outgrow both problems. Good luck.

My 2 yr old son had a spot on her leg that would fade and reappear periodically, but never truly go away, this past summer. We found the times that it would fade the most was when we were outside in the sun for longer periods of time. I showed it to the Dr at his 2 yr check and sure enough, Eczema. She prescribed Triam Cream and it was gone within a week. I only have to reapply when it flares up which has so far been NEVER!!! It was a mild case (only the one quarter sized spot) but I would think that the Triam crm would be beneficial for more severe cases as well. Ask your MD about it. It is safe...some side effects, but I have been informed that they are rare. Not like you typical steroid crms which can have more side effects if used frequently like in more severe cases. It's inexpensive too...through insurance. I am very pleased with the results. Hope this helps. Oh and it does sound like Eczema to me too :)

Hi Jeanna,

My little Alex had some bumpy patches too, she still does, actually. Her doctor told me to use Baby Aquaphor- it's a healing ointment that is non-medicated so its safe for even the most sensitive babies. It works wonderfully, and its uses are endless. We use it for diaper rash, anywhere there are bumps, dry patches on her face, on her sore nose from her cold, and I even use it as lip balm- I love it. My sister's newborn has craddle cap and she said Aquaphor helps it tremendously. You can find it at Walgreens and some Targets have too. They make it for babies and adults, so if you do decide to get some, make sure it is the one for babies.

Also, Aquaphor is made by Eucerin. Her doc said that Aveeno has actually one of the higher incidents of allergic reactions for little babies and adults and to use another brand, which we did and that helped too.

I hope all is well with you and your family other than the possible eczema! As soon as things get less hectic I am going to try to meet up with the local mommies for a baby play date!

Take care and good luck,

R.

I have been through this with my daughter who is now 5yrs old. Every winter starting when she was a yr she has had that same skin reaction as your son, for her mostly on the back of her hands and cheeks. We use perscription hand cream for eczema when it is really bad, other wise just keeping the shin dry, and well lotioned, Vanicream is great.

My daughter is almost 5 and has suffered with eczema for most of her life. We have used low doses of topical steriods when it's really bad, however long term use causes the skin to thin and lose pigmentation (know from experience and as a nurse). I found that once a flare up is starting if you use a small amount of tea tree oil on the areas affected (even face) it will usually go away without having to use prescriptions. Elidel has been found to have some bad side effects for long term use, so check with your doc before using on your babe. Tea tree oil is safe even for one as little as yours.

Hi Jeanna,

My son has had eczema on and off pretty much since birth. When the Dr first diagnosed it I didn't know anything about it. The Dr prescribed a medicated lotion that worked but over the course of his 3 yrs I have found other remedies that are easier and less expensive. I used dreft for laundry and kept my son's clothes separate which worked well for us but my sister had good luck with Arm and hammer. One of the best things I found to work is after every bath use lotion. Make sure you do more than just the affected area or you could get outbreaks in other areas. Rub it in good and then put on pajamas that are warm because it lets the skin soak in the lotion better. You can use it other than after bath but that is when it is really necessary. In his first year I used Johnson's baby lotion but now I use Aveeno lotion with oatmeal which sooths well. Oatmeal baths is an old remedy for itchy skin. You just pour about a cup of oatmeal powder into a lukewarm tub and soak for 10-20 minutes. For really trouble areas petroleum jelly and benadryl cream work well but can be messy. The Aveeno with oatmeal has petroleum in it so if you get on a good schedule with the lotion after baths you probably won't need to use the messy stuff much but with winter coming on you should get it under control if you can. The dry winter weather and cold make eczema worse.
Good Luck!

There are alot of problems in our home with that issue. With my son who has autism and other cormorbid issues, it took awhile to find an easy fix. And in our house it was as simple as changing from regular dairy to organic!

Could be eczema. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do for it and it gets worse in the winter. Eczema can also be brought on by food allergies, but unless that runs in your family, its probably unlikely. Some things that have seemed to help us are :

Humidifier in his room - dry air makes it worse.

Eucerin Cream (not the lotion, but the jar of creme) is the best moisturizer I've found. It really helps. Put it on twice a day.

Hydrocortizone Cream for the bad spots.

About the only thing your doctor can do is prescribe some stronger Hydrocortizone cream, but that's not a long term solution since you can only use that for short periods of time.

Eczema is no fun!!!

My little guy had eczema when he was a baby as well. The majority of it was along his back where his diaper rubbed and on his thighs, too. Those are the only spots that his appeared but because of the location, seemed extremely painful and would sometimes get so red that it started bleeding. I have always been a loyal Pampers mom, but I had to change over to the generic Target brand diapers because they do not have any added fragrances. I also used Aveeno baby soap with no fragrance. We also had a prescription for protopic that we used occasionally. Hydrocortisone may help as well.

If the bumps are over more of his body, you may want to ask to see a dermatologist to see what they say - a second opinion of sorts.

Good luck!

Both of my kids suffer from eczema. My son lost his symptoms around age 1. My daughter who is now 10 months just had a big break out on her right cheek but she has a cold and is getting another tooth and I believe that has caused the sudden flair up from her now almost perfectly clear skin. I used 1% hydrocortizone and the gentle naturals eczema cream on her face. We don't use any scented soaps or detergent either. I use the Purex or All baby detergent, the regular baby shampoo but unscented dove bar soap for baths and mostly cotton fabric clothing and its greatly improved. My kids don't have any allergies and our VERY experienced ped and dermatologist have both said that they don't have to have allergies to have a flair up. Some kids are just more sensitive than others. Good luck!

Well my son when an infant deveolped a rash over his body but not the diaper area and face. There was no fever or irritability. Long story short he was allergic to the detergent on our clothes and to the Dreft and Snowy detergent. I was given a jar of hydrocortizone cream from the doctor and I just wasn't satisfied with that remedy alone.
I later found a pure soap product and the rash went away and remained gone.He is now 11.

It sounds exactly what my Savannah has and it is eczema. Try Hydrocortizone creme. Thats what we were told. My doctor doesn't like giving the higher doses of it at young ages. He said to try the 1% that you get OTC and if that didn't help, they do sell 2%OTC. It helps Savvy!

Good Luck!

My daughter had a problem similar to that I just make sure that I don't use any smelly soaps and no bubble bath, then I lotion her up with lubriderm. It seems to help.

Hi Jeanna,
What products do you use to bath him? Do you use lotion on him? What laundry soap did you switch to? I may be able to help but need more info. L.

Aveeno Baby - Soothing Relief Moisture Cream. Says right on the tube 'Soothes and Relieves Dry Skin, Even Dry Skin from Eczema' I use it on my son. The first time I did, it took 1 1/2 days before it was all gone. Everything else took at least a week before it would go away.

My daughter has eczema which ppears as red raw skin in the skin folds and areas such as elbows and cheeks. Does his skin flare up during extreme cold or heat? That is common with eczema. I have to bathe her in ceptaphil and put vanicreme lotion on her 2 x's a day and dress her in all cotton. Are you using ivory snow detergent. That is very mild. I would consider taking your son to a dermatologist.

If it is eczema, it is dry skin tha appears every time it gets colder outside and appears sometimes in the summer, but mostly in the colder months. I have eczema and have dealt wiht it for years. I use Aveeno lotion after my shower and it seems to keep it under control. There is not much else you can do for it except to apply a lotion. Try the aveeno and if it doesn't help keep trying different lotions until you come up with one that works. Try it for at least a week of two.

My little guy (now 2) had eczema and apparently both my brother and I did as kids, too. There were times it was worse than others, in which case, our pediatrician gave us some prescription cream to use. They never seemed at all concerned about it. We found an OTC cream at Target that almost always did the trick (and is great for hands in winter, too!) It's in a teal-colored tube in the baby section and I think it's called something like, "Gentle Naturals" eczema cream. They have an entire line of baby care products, but I found this to work great!

Good luck!

Hi Jeanna:

My daughter (now almost 3) was diagnosed with eczema at 2 months old. Her symptoms were much worse (bumps on her face that turned into bumps all over her head/ears and eventually crusted over. . .it was really gross!) Our pediatrician had us use Cortaid and when that worked, gave us a perscription for Elidel. With that said, I have no idea if symptoms are different depending on age etc. However, she has had a few outbreaks as a toddler and it mostly just looked like red bumps, kind of raw looking and really only occured in the summer when she would get overheated. You could see if a cream like Cortaid takes the bumps away. You can only use it for a short time (a few days) but if you see results, I'd consult your Dr. about getting a perscription for something you can use long term.

You may also want to consider that he may have a dry skin condition which both my daughter and I have (can't remember the name) that shows up mainly on the backs of her arms, backs of her legs and cheeks. This almost sounds more like what your son is experiencing. Unfortunately, from my experience and what I've been told by both my dermatologist and my daughter's pediatrician, there isn't any "cure" for this condition. What has worked so far for me is:
putting baby oil (not the gel) on my skin while still damp from the shower. This has gotten me to the point where the bumps are gone. Now that it is winter, I use Eucerin Healing Cream (not lotion-it's in a white tube with a teal cap and you can get it at any store. . Target, Walmart, Walgreens etc.) It seems like keeping their skin really hydrated (use things like Eucerin Cream-it comes in a white tub) or the baby oil and then the Cream on the days you don't bathe him helps in terms of getting it under control. Lotions don't seem to do the trick, it needs to be thick like a cream.

Good luck!!
A.

After reading the suggestions I do have to agree with one mother by stating it doesn't really sound like eczema, it could be due from the hair folicols. My son has eczema and his almost feel like a tiny little scabs, for example if your little one falls and barely sratches his knee and how there are several little faint scabs a couple days later. That is how his feels anyways. I can rub my hands on my son's calfs and totally feel where the eczema is. My son has also had the pimple issue too. I was told just to use a wash cloth and mild soap and kind of rub hard so they will break open. Its have called filliculitis. Which is bacteria in the hair folicols. And it always seems to do the trick. Just a suggestion!

Does he have Keratosis Polaris (not sure if I spelled it right). My son has it. They're little bumps on the skin (cheeks, backs of arms and thighs). From what I understand, it's caused by the skin not sloughing off and getting stuck in the pores. They don't itch. Just look bad. My ped said she could recommend a dermatologist, but we're going to wait until he goes to school. For now, we wash the areas good (a good scrub) and then put Aquaphor on at night. It seems to help.

Hi Jeanna-
My daughter who is three has I believe the same thing and so did my brother and I when we were young. Our pediatrician verified for us that it was not eczema, basically they are pimples that form in the hair foliciles. My daughter's occur on her upper legs, upper arms and cheeks near her hairline. The best luck we've had it to use a soft loofah to wash those parts of her body and then lube her up with Cetaphil or Eucherin lotion. However, the change was not drastic so we are basically just letting her outgrow it at this point which her Dr assured us she will. My brother and I both did by our preteens and neither of us was prone to regular acne at all. We all have an olive skin tone so maybe that has something to do with it. So the bad news is you'll probably have to live with it and the good news is it's no big deal and should go away on it's own. Also, I now have a one year old as well and her skin is free and clear but much more fair so I finally got to experience that baby soft skin!!! Hope that helps!

We found that our son is allergic to many of the popular baby soaps and creams - even the most mild. We also noticed he has a tendecy to dry skin and in colder months he is more likely to get rashes - similar to the ones you describe. We use a line called "California Baby" that is available online at drugstore.com and also at the coops (including the one in Northfield). Even using the scented bubble baths and liquid soap/shampoo on him from this line, he hasn't had a problem (though they have an unscented alternative). We also use Eucerin Calming skin creme to keep his skin moisturized. A couple of times when he was tiny (< 1 year) we rubbed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (cheapy brand since you don't have to worry about taste) onto patches that seemed particularly bad and it seemed to clear it up.

My son has eczema, he has food allergies and his reaction to this is eczema. He gets rough, red patchy areas around this calves, arms and cheeks. Cold weather also can bring about the outbreak. I was told that when this happens to put, not lotion, but creams on the area to relieve itchiness. Also, Aquafor is a great product by Eucerin that I use, it's really thick clear cream you apply to the area. I am not suggesting that your son has food allergies, you can get eczema by genetics and cold weather. I hop this helps you!

Hi Jeanna, I have twin girls age 2, and they have had patches of exzema on various parts of their body, however not the whole body. I used Melaleuca's Dermacort. Its a cortizone with melaleuca oil in it. No other cortizones in the store have worked. Madeline has a patch behind her knee and Marissa its on the palm side of her right hand, her fingers to be exact. I'm not and expert or anything, but I have read that it is foods that we eat. The Dermacort gets rid of it pretty quickly if you use it 3 to 4 times a day. For us its when we eat yogurt, hamburger or too much cheese. We don't eat these foods as often as we use to, but they'll be all cleared up and then we'll have yogurt for a snack one day and the next day little bumps. So think about your diet and talk to you doctor, but I can tell you from experience that most traditional doctors don't want to tell you its your diet because they want you to have to come in for treatment. Thats a whole other topic. If you want to try the Dermacort, I can order it for you, or if you know of someone that uses Melaleuca they can order it for you too. Also their Renew lotion would be good all over the body. I have used the Dermacort on their face, like just above the eyebrow and cheek. I hope this helps and good luck, Email me at ____@____.com if you want me to order for you, the cost is about $6.50 + tax, I will be making an order anyway so you wont' have to pay shipping on it.

I have posted on this before. Our daughter had it bad for 4 months since birth until we found she had food sensitivities that would set it off and the cremes and such we tried did not work (we DID NOT want to use hydrocortizone or prescritions). We have found complete releif by using a line called Daisy Blue Naturals. No mineral oils (they clog pours) no sodium laurels (they are know skin irritants...and make "bubbles") no other fillers that are in most products, even the ones drs. recomend. Daisy Blue is MN based and was founded by a chemist mom a few years ago. I have since become a consultant and I do so because I want to help others with skin problems like my daughter. Let me know if you need more info:)We areable to use all the products for family use at a discount. No more preoblems since. My daughter is now 2.

Try using "Aquaphor" made by the company who makes Eucerin-it comes in a white tube with blue writing and a blue top in the skin care aisle at any drugstore or places like walmart and target. I used it for my son's exzema and any other skin conditions he's ever had,it helped very well-it would be better by the next day.

my 18 month old daughter was diagnosed with eczema at about 9 months old. i make sure in all seasons except summer, to lotion her up really well, sometimes twice a day. the two that worked the best for me were johnsons soothing naturals intense moisture cream, and aveeno baby soothing relief moisture cream. in the warmer months, i'd put a little sun screen on her, and let her get some sun time, it seemed to help.

My daughter had a really bad case of eczema, which our doctor initially diagnozed as mild, and advised us to wash her with just water, no soap. But by 6 months it became so bad, and all over her body, mainly the legs and arms and face, and especially noticeable when I was rubbing my hands over her skin - felt like a really thick crust. Nothing worked - eucerin didn't work, some of the other natural anti-eczema creams didn't work either. Finally the doctor advized us to use the hydrocortizone cream and that was the only thing the could make the eczema go away, although it took a couple of weeks of application in order for it to go away completely. Also, the doctor advized to wash her skin with dove unuscented soap, and that helped a lot as well. We are still using this soap for her. And as far as the eczema, sometimes it reappears in spots, and I apply the hydrocortizone cream, and it goes away.

Something is triggering the outbreak. Find out what that is - dairy, wheat, soap, etc - and you won't need any of the creams. For my kids as infants, eliminating dairy from my diet (while breastfeeding)made it disappear. Focus on finding and eliminating the trigger or instead of just treatment. Most likely they will outgrow the sensitivity by the age of 2.

Hi Jeanna,
Yes I think it's eczema.My youbger son had the same issues when he was an infant.I got the run around also from the dr.We took it upon ourselves to do our own things and they have helped.We used only free baby laundry soap to wash his clothes,for his baths we used the johnson & johnson oatmeal kinds I think it is and the same for lotion.If you can avoid giving him baths everyday that also helps. He is now 9yrs old and we still use free laundry soap and also free dryer sheets and downy.As far as soap for when he showers he just uses what we have.Hardly ever gets anymore break outs. When he does get a break out we use St.Ives extra relief Collagen Elastin advanced theraphy lotion;it's for extra dry skin.
It runs in the family also so, if your grandma or husbands grandma or other relative had eczema its likely that's why your baby has it.My husbands grandma had it and she told us somethings to buy that we could try and that have helped.
Hope this helps you a little and sorry if this is getting to you late I just joined up.

Hi Jeanna, That sounds like what my son has. The Dr. initially called it 'bumpy kids' skin.' When I asked for the technical name of the condition he said 'dyshydrosis pilori'.
I 'Googled' it and the pics and symptoms didn't seem to consisent with that disorder. I happened across this other thing called keratosis pilaris while I was looking up cancer info which led me to a dermatology site that led me to pics and description of Keratosis Pilaris. That's definitely what my son has and the treatment has been daily applications of a hydrocortisone lotion with urea. Here's a link that has links to photos of the condtion.
http://www.helpforkp.com/
Good luck,
M.