Looking to Do an Elimination Diet for Breastfed Son with Eczema

I highly recommend www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

they have a HUGE forum (message board) devoted to moms breastfeeding on elimination diets. There's 12000+ parents on there w/ kids with food allergies.

Hi,
I personally get eczema from potatoes and tomatoes. Look up info on the Solonacae plant family, also known as the "nightshades" in relation to allergies/eczema. I avoided them for a long time and now can eat them once a week or so. never fails, when I have too much the eruption starts!
Also, make sure to take Omega-3s and try cutting out sugar, as sometimes eczema is a fungal condition, made worse by sugar. Sometimes it is a dairy allergy.
Coconut oil (Nutiva) helps soothe the skin and is anti-fungal/viral/bacteria as well. Avoid to much contact with water, even lotions as keeping the skin too moist can also make it worse.
Just to make sure, you did have this diagnosed by a Dr.? Some skin conditions can be something else.
Best wishes for healing. I know how uncomfortable it can be. Keep up the great detective work and don't accept the "uncurable" statement.
Also try www.naturalcures.com, www.mercola.com.

Wow, that's a great thing you are doing, but how do you know it's your diet? What products do you use to bathe him with and lotions do you use? His skin is extremely sensitive and many products actually make this worse. Even the laundry detergents that you use still stay on your clothes and can irritate sensitive skin.

I use botanically based products that really work. My kids are older now but just had a friend use the baby care line and her son's skin cleared in a few days. It was what she was using before! So many have been helped just by switching to non-chemical, fragrance free and no mineral oil products. I would be happy to tell you more if you are interested in this line. Not only that, but it has a money back guarantee. Where do you find that with baby care or any other products - including presciptions?

I applaud you for trying to do what you think is best. There are so many great products that me and my family have benefited from that I just have to share our new found health.

Here's to yours.

K.

Contact Bonnie Minsky in Northbrook. Regardless of where you live, it's worth the trip. I can't say enough fabulous things about her. www.nutritionalconcepts.com. She works wonders for children and adults. The success stories are unbelievable. Good luck!

Hi J.,

This probably won't help you now as your son hasn't started solid foods yet, but I read an article in a baby magazine a few years ago that when babies eat yogurt, it can help with eczema. Something with the probiotics in the yogurt. If you find this isn't a topical dermitis and is food related, you may want to google yogurt and eczema when your son is old enough to start eating things like yogurt.

Good luck

Hi there! Sorry, this isn't a written report or anything, but just thought I'd share my experience in hopes to help. My 7 month-old son had huge eczema issues as well, so I eliminated dairy, which helped ease it, but it was still there. Then I eliminated nuts, and it seemed to do the trick. I think those are the two most common eczema factors. It does take some time to clear up after you've eliminated those things from your diet, so give it a couple of weeks.
My 4 1/2 year-old had the same eczema problem when she was a baby- whenever I had dairy, but she has been eating cheese and drinking milk now for a few years. Hopefully your little guy will outgrow it too at some point!
Good luck!

i don't have any book suggestions, just what i have seen other moms try. wheat and soy are the next biggest culprits, both of which are hard to eliminate, as they are in everything (just like dairy). have you tried eliminating chemicals as well? detergents, household cleaners, pet sprays, etc? i have also known children who were allergic to synthetic materials (polyester, rayon), and those who reacted to plastic toys/new plastic (carpets, cars, etc).

Hi J.,
My son is now 11 months. We have been going through the exact same thing. The eczema was terrible right around five months for us too. I went dairy free also with no real results.( It seemed to help a little.) I was in search of an elimination diet also. I have seen two dermatologists. Both said it had nothing to do with food.
I have a hard time believing that, but neither one wanted to talk at all about it. They both prescribed short, daily baths, 2.5% hydrocortisone cream and aquaphor on top of that. The second doctor I saw was Annette Wagner at Childrens Memorial. I am still nursing and still as dairy free as possible. I firmly believe dairy has something to do with it. Both of my other children had trouble with dairy as babies. The cream seems to be working, we only use it when necessary. I think the key is to first get it under control, then treat when needed. I was very worried about using a steroid cream, both doctors said it was perfectly safe. I know this is not what you asked for but hopefully it will be helpful in some way. My baby is sleeping much better now and scratching a lot less! Good Luck
A.

I had to get rid of dairy, all nuts and bananas (strange as the last sounds). I read the book, Is This My Child by Dr. Dorris Rapp who explains the elimination diet in great detail and how I also discovered bananas. www.drrapp.com is her website. I also follow a gluten/wheat free diet for medical reasons, but would eliminate wheat as a last resort, b/c that is the hardest. You do have to eliminate it for at least 7 days before you see may see results.

It could also be detergents you are using, I use organic cotton crib sheets which are not expensive at B'R Us. You can also purchase a chlorine filter for your shower head when you bathe him and would stay away from all mineral oil based lotions and oils for that can clog up the pores not letting the skin breathe.

Let me know if you have more questions, I'm happy to help.