Infant Eczema - West Mifflin,PA

Updated on April 04, 2011
J.J. asks from West Mifflin, PA
22 answers

Hi Everyone! I have a 4 month old who was previously thought to have cradle cap. My pediatrician now says its eczema and says we should put a mild steroid cream on him. I don't want to use steroids on such a small baby, any alternative treatement methods?

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So What Happened?

Thank Everyone! We seem to have it under control. It got to the point where it was weeping, so we did a round of antibiotics and steroids. Now, I have been dilligenty moisturizing him and keeping him cool, esp in his car seat.

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K.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

my 6 month old suffered for 2 months... it was the worst on his head, and he had horrible scabs all over his head and face from scratching. we tried everything!! aquaphor, rubbing cetaphil/aveeno intense therapy, you name it, on his entire body 3 times a day. nothing with fragrance, etc. we even did hydrocortisone....

AVEENO BABY ECZEMA THERAPY CREAM. it is a miracle. In 10 minutes, the redness was noticeably less. BRU has it, had trouble finding it other places. it is absolutely 100% better. we rub it into trouble spots 2-3 times a day. no steroids in it, and accepted by the National Eczema Association. good luck!! :)

1 mom found this helpful
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V.N.

answers from Harrisburg on

I use Coconut Oil, unrefined (it smells like coconuts!) You can also buy the refined version which has no scent. Its the same stuff you cook with but I use it on my dry hands in the winter and on my 3yo and 1yo because they both have eczema.

You need very little to make it work so a jar that costs around $10 will last months and months.

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

There are creams they should be able to give which are non steroidal. Ask the doctor.

M.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

Cradle cap is completely normal. My ped recommended massaging an oil such as coconut or olive into the scalp with a very soft baby brush before shampooing. For the eczema, try cutting allergenic foods out of your diet (if you are nursing). My son had bad eczema and turned out to be dairy allergic. Once I cut dairy from my diet, he cleared up 100% within 2 weeks. Best of luck!

M.S.

answers from Pittsburgh on

We use coconut oil for all skin ailments. My son's cradle cap was gone in a day or two, his baby eczema was gone in under a week, cuts/scrapes are gone in a day. Just apply and massage as often as possible. Its great stuff. Oh, and its also our sunscreen. We get Nutiva from Amazon (a pack of 2 for about $13), one for our kitchen and one for our bathroom, they both last almost a year.

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R.K.

answers from New York on

Aquaphor is good but petroleum based. I have had good luck with triple cream baby eczema treatment.

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T.W.

answers from Boston on

My son had eczema and what looked like cradle cap when he was around 4 months old. It was starting to get bad so I finally ended up putting (half-percent .5) hydrocortizone ointment on his face and head 2 X a day. The half percent isn't always available but the pharmacy can order it for you. It cleared up within a few days. I also used aveeno exczema baby wash and avoided putting lotions on his face. I used Cetaphil creme.

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K.H.

answers from Detroit on

Aquaphor works well. I use cetaphil for myself. If it get really bad, A&D ointment works great.

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E.G.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Any really good moisturizer will help.

I use the steroid cream and my girls use it too, but we use it as little as possible. I understand why you don't want to use the steroid cream, however, it works so quickly that you may only be using it for 2-3 days.

You should then be able to control the eczema with the moisturizer/elimination of the cause.

It's a royal pain if the eczema gets infected.

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D.F.

answers from Lancaster on

i used coconut oil, you can get it at the grocery store w the egular like crisco oils. it didnt really smell but worked in a few days and was so inexpensive. i would deffinately try it befor steroids on such a young child

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D.M.

answers from Denver on

I had great luck with Aquaphor. When it go really bad the only thing that would help was the steroid cream. Good luck!

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L.J.

answers from Boca Raton on

My daughter had really bad skin issues (on her belly, butt). I used aveena eczema body wash. It worked perfectly. However when I switched her back to another friend, the bad skin returned. We think she has bad skin allergies now.

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N.W.

answers from Eugene on

I hate using cortisone on myself or my kids. However, sometimes it makes sense to use the mildest non-prescription hydrocortisone, get rid of the rash quickly and give the skin a chance to heal. Once healed, it's easier to maintain the skin with natural products.

I say this because I've tried so many alternative treatments and they are less effective and take so long to work that a few times the rash has progressed and become infected. This requires using antibiotics for the infection AND steroids to clear the rash. So I've learned that catching the rash early and using topical cortisone for a short time can mean using less of the stuff in the long run.

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D.P.

answers from Raleigh on

Eliminate all soaps that have allergens, such as fragrance and dyes. Use a mild soap, and wash all clothes in fragrance/dye free detergents. My ped said 80% of all cases of eczema are caused by allergens.

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K.R.

answers from Philadelphia on

hi
i do sell skin care called l'bri. its aloe based and completly natural. get body lotion and body butter for more dry skin, it works good for eczema, in the couple of weeks you will see improvment in the skin.
my website: www.pureandnatural.lbri.com
if you have any questions about product you can call me ###-###-####

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L.V.

answers from Dallas on

You can try cold pressed coconut oil. It works for my husband's and my eczema. The unrefined kind, still smells very coconutty. Past that, don't know that much about treating eczema.

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C.M.

answers from New York on

Take it from me, depending on what type of steroid cream it is, it may give your child blothches on the skin. My son has had cradle cap and now at 14 months, he has eczema. I am currently using Baby Eczema Cream by Gentle Naturals. I bought it at Walgreens for $9.99 for a 4 oz tube. YIKES!! Lol. Then I searched online and found it for $6. This stuff works wonders for my son. I wish they had a bigger size but unfortunately it only comes in 4 oz. I would suggest that you use it at night so the moisture can absorbs while the baby sleeps. I was using Aquaphor for a while and it really wasn't working for him. I'm glad I found this new stuff. Good Luck

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G.C.

answers from Lancaster on

I used to use Gentle Naturals baby eczema cream. Not sure what age you can start using Eucerin, but I use that on my son too. They both work nice.

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M.C.

answers from Boise on

My now 16 month old son has very bad eczema. My Ped said to use non perscription Hydrocortizone cream only when he breaks out bad or if he seems to be itching. She said its most likely due to food allergy. i have since made small changes to diet and seems to have got better. Usually when he breaks out bad I can thinl back and figure out what I gave him diferent. Sometimes he just breaksout bad when he gets to much dairy. I dont use regular laundry detergents anymore. I get the free all and clear and still only use very little and just wash his clothes only with it and wash in hot water. I also dont use the fabric softer sheets either in dryer. This has helped tons. My Ped said any baby soaps or lotions with fragerance will cause him to break out. So I use Baby Eucerin Aquaphor baby shampoo, Aveeno Baby soothing bath treatments(just packets you pour into baby bath), and Aveeno fragerance free baby lotion, and use Eucerin Aquaphor Healing Ointment when he just has small breakouts. Since I have done this he only has small breakouts where as he would be broke out bad before :( I hope this helps

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L.S.

answers from Spokane on

My baby is also 4 months, and her cradle cap also turned into eczema...then it got infected. Use the cream. It's a 1% hydrocortizone cream and it really helps. We had to go through an anti-fungal cream first to rid her skin of the yeast infection first, but her skin looks SO much clearer and she's not scratching anymore.

You could try something with Glaxal in it. You might have to ask a pharmasist, but it's just a hypoallergetic cream. We used that before the infection with some success.

A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

Cradle cap AND eczema are so common in infants. I would wait it out, not put steroid cream on him. My oldest had severe eczema until she was 3 years old and then it went away.
However, if it gets really severe, just use the cream much less often than prescribed. My daughter had some steroid cream (not at 4 months, she was over 1 year) , and she was supposed to use it twice a day. We put in on her once every several days lightly and it really helped when it got bad.
Use sparingly if you use it, otherwise, don't wash his head too much (dries it) and use a bit of olive oil to keep him moist and comfy.

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S.C.

answers from Milwaukee on

Cetaphil. My daughter's pediatrician recommended it.

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