Rash That Just Won't Go Away

My son had a rash on his tummy for almost a month that wouldn't go away. It finally went away when I stopped using All Baby,and just used the plain All Free and Clear (no perfumes or fragrance of any kind). I also started using Cetaphil for his bath. We haven't had a single spot since.

OK, this might be waaaaay off the mark, but my son had a similar rash that would continue to go away and come back repeatedly. After several vistis to different dermatologists, doctors, etc. as well as hydrocortisone and other meds, we decided to see if it was something he was eating. After weeks of giving him one food per day per week, we found that it was bananas that was causing it. He hasn't had bananas or the rash since. So, maybe it's a food allergy? Just a thought.

what about benadryl? is it an allergy to food? try cornstarch and add cold water, make a paste and slop it on him like bbq sauce! let it dry and later wipe it off, i swear it'll go away!

Definitely go see a dermatologist! They are the best suited to figuring out what the rash it. Good luck!

Wow, I feel your pain, I can understand how frustrating and painful that must be as a mom to watch him suffer and not know what to do. If it is eczema, you'll want to be very sensitive to ingredients in your house... your cleaning products, laundry detergent, even personal care items. There are so many ingredients out there that can cause problems...from eczema to allergies to asthma and more.

I work with a company that manufactures products that are healthier and don't have the harsh chemicals. Many people that I know have experienced great relief from eczema by switching their household products to safer healthier ones. I use a lotion that has helped me tremendously with a chronic skin issue and has helped my son with diaper rash and other rashes here and there also.

I also think what some of the other moms have said about looking at food allergies and that kind of thing is great advice too.

Good luck and I hope he's feeling better very very soon.

L. Peterson
Stayin Home and Lovin It!
http://proud2be.stayinhomeandlovinit.com

Since it goes and comes and there is no fever or any other symptoms, it sounds like he is reacting to something- it could be either food, clothing that is touching his skin, or the type of soap you are using. Try to think back to same day/day before the breakouts.

It would be best to start a journal- the determatologist will probably ask you to do it anyway- day by day, bath with what, detergent used to wash his clothes, any sprays you might use (Febreze, etc), foods/snacks/treats/drinks -
everything that goes in or touches his body.

He is too young to do allergy testing, so you are going to have to start eliminating one by one to see what is causing the rash. It sounds complicated, but once you start the journal its not that bad, just keep a small notebook on hand and jot things down, this way when he breaks out you can see what he was exposed to before the breakout and then start eliminating those things one by one to find the source.

My son used to get a rash on his body also when he was about that age and he was allergic to Citrus(orange, pineapples, etc.) I figured it out by eliminating things one by one. Now he's 4 and he can drink/eat citrus again without a problem. Sometimes it is a stage the body goes through.

In the meantime you could try oatmeal baths, they sell it in the baby aisle, its to sooth rashs, that helped calm the discomfort for my son.

Best of luck to you!
A.

I just read your letter. You must be at wit's end. Your poor baby! This advice may sound alittle odd, but I'm going to pray that it works for you...
I know what I am about to recommend is harmless - and I've known it to work well. Go to the Health Food store and buy a bottle of "Organic, Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil". It MUST be Organic, and it MUST be Cold-pressed, and unrefined - NOT "toasted". Cost: about $13.00 to $15.00.

Clean the baby's rash with some plain, warm water, lightly dry it, and dab about dime-size amount on it. Refrigerate the bottle after you use it (it must be refrigerated after its openned). The oil is very thick and soothing - and feels good when it's cold and applied to inflamed skin. It's non-toxic, completely safe if ingested, or absorbed, and can be re-applied as many times as you want. It has always worked well with any rash I've ever had. It's safe enough for babies, as well as pets. Please know that you and your baby are in my prayers.

Hi B.,
My 10 month old has very sensitive skin. He has problems with contact dermatitis (eczema) he breaks out from his clothes touching him, my clothes touching him, bedding touching him, I guess you get my point. But what we have found is Baby Aveeno gives him some comfort and everything has to be washed in Dreft to keep his skin clear. When he gets really miserable Childrens Dimetap Allergy.Good luck.
A.

few things to investigate. What kind of laundry detergents are you using? (try Dreft) animals in the home? what kind of foods does your child eat? what are the stress levels like in the home? what medications does your child take on regular basis? What kind of cleaning products do you use? Instead of Hydracortizone (which can cause permanent pigmitation) have you considered Barbasol cream? (works wonders on rash, so long as there are no open sores.)

Dear B.!
Sorry for the hard time for you now. Looks like your baby has allergy reaction on some food.
I had the same problem when my baby was 8 month old. Doctor couldn't say anything, that would've help, only gave antibiotics, hormons creams, sent us to a dermatologist( THE SAME PICTURE, LIKE YOURS! ) And finally, doctor said that is seboreia, dermatitis, or something else, that it will goes away itself. Sounds rediculous! It was the hardest time for us.
I found the way out! We changed formula on Soy milk( on that time my baby was already 12 mmonth old). SO, IT WAS ONLY ALLERGY REACTION ON MILK!!! Can you imagine? Doctor couldn't say that? But my baby's body also was in terrible rush. And as soon as we changed formula on Soy milk, she starting gets better. But she was scratchig a lot. And no one of theese creams seems didn;t help her. Even from theese creams skin doesn't breath! Don't use them!
The recipe i found, that helped my baby from rush in a few weeks:
I bought raisin with seeds in organic store.
Take 3 table spoons raisin, wash it in cold boiled water, put raisin in thermos, add 1 glass hot boiled water, let it stand 1 hour.(I usually did it before night and in the morning it was ready to use for whole day). So we got raisin tea( brown color). Let it cool of untill body temperature, then gently sponge whole baby body with this raisin tea 4-5 times a day. And also give your baby to drink this tea as much as you sponge him. Try it! It will help!
And if my baby has some diper rush i use only Eucerin original cream( from Walmart, or walgreens), that cream doesn't close pores.
Best wishes,
V..

Hi,
My baby girl is 10 months old, when she was 1 month old she get a really bad rash on her neck, and one of my friend told me to bath her with oatmeal.
Well I went to Walgreens and I found that there is a oatmel bath is a powder. It's AVENO brand and comes is a cream box with dark blue letters and is specific for rash and itchi skin. You can find it in soap and lotion area. I mix one envolope with water and I give to her a regular bath.
She just star to go to the daycare and this week she get rash on her "pompis" and after two baths she's great. I believe in this product.
Inclusive when she was bad the first time I mix a little portion in my hand with less water and I made like a cream and I applied on her neck directly and leave it for some time during the bath and at the end I rinse the area and that help.
Good luck,
P.

I read through many of the responses, I didn't notice anyone mentioning yeast. If it is yeast an antifungal will get rid of it, but if it is you may have bigger problems. Is your baby developing normally with speech and other things? I hope so. I will pray for you to find the right answer. If it turns out to be eczema, it is completely treatable, naturally and safely. My neice had it as a baby and started a regimen of supplements after exhausting the Dr's ideas. She has a vitamin deficiency. She will still get it if she stops taking her vitamins. If you are interested in the supplements, let me know, as the person who helped my neice could tell you what she took. I have no idea, except they were Shaklee products.
____@____.com

Hi my name is Kathy
Well i had a similar situation with my daughter but the rash was on her genitals and butt. I took her to the doctor and they gave her antibiotics and it made it worst. I realized that it was the antibiotics that did it. Before the rash came on she had a lil cold and ear infection and they gave her the meds then after that is when the rash came on. Whatever you do try to do it natrually without meds. Antibiotics are really bad and one of the side effects is rash. Just try to remember when it started and maybe then u can figure out why. Maybe a new detergent or perfume or some kind of change that happened around him. Do reaserch on how to get rid of the rash in a more natural way. Antibiotics are going to make it worst. Trust me. My daughter was miserable for a couple of months and and ever since then she has been good. Thank God. Oh one more thing. Maybe it was one of his shots. Just a thought.
Good Luck
Take care

Hydrocortizone is a steriod cream, and only works w/ inflammation cases. It helps keep itching and inflammation down from keeping the immune system from thinking that it is bad, creating a rash to fix the problem *sometimes our own defense systems get confused and end up causing more harm than good*. If you put that cream on him, and the rash actually gets worse... aka, becomes more red, grows bigger, etc... go back to the MD and ask him to run a test for a fungal infection. The hydrocortizone cream will make it "feel" better by taking away the itch, but because it inhibits the immune system defenses in that area, the fungus doesn't have anything to fight it off, so it grows.

If anything, you can try an antifingal or something along those lines, and if it doesn't work, then at least you are one step closer to finding the true culprit. Also, wash everything in warm to hot water and use detergent that is hypoallergenic... maybe still using or going back to dreft for a bit might help... to make sure if it is caused by some outside source, you can keep it from spreading further. It sux sometimes... I had skin problems growing up, and my mom had to wash my sheets in one kind of detergent at least once a week. We had dust mite matress and pillow cases on everything... it was horrible. Good luck, and hope your little son gets better soon!

I would take him to another doctor. It could be something called Sixth Disease or perhaps even measles. I think you need to get another opinion right away. In the meantime the oatmeal bath is great! Aveeno is the namebrand but you can use Walmart or another generic brand.

Hi B.,

is it in his diaper area??
and does your son drink apple juice???

just a thought:

I used to babysit for my older sister when i was younger and one day I gave my nephew straight apple juice.
(later i learn I was soposed to dilute it)
well he started crying and crying and would not stop and when i took off his diaper his bottom was completley RED...terriable. and this all happened in a few hours.
my sister tolds me it was because of the apple juice (i guess the acid in it)

it has also happened to my daughter before; but not as bad because she was not wearing diaper.

anyways, it sounded like the day when my nephew was screaming
and he had no fever or anything.
I took off my nephews diaper and gave him a cool bath and let him stay without a diaper as much as possible.

well, i pray your son will get better right away,
thanks,
S.

it sounds like eczema, my son got it at 2 months now 2 stills has it, but it comes and goes and it can look a little different on each person. my son's flare up when he is around cats, sun or even milk sometimes, I have it too and my daughter had it and now grew out of it. they say when you get it as an adult you have it for the rest of you life if you get it when you are a kid you grow out of it, and if it is itchy the cream will burn try emo oil you can get it at any health food store it is so gental it can even go in your eyes many people use it for many many things so even if it is not eczema you can still use my son's skin looks so much better since i started using it -- just rub some oil into it then you can let it air dry or wrap it up so he won't bother it---good luck---also if you dont want to try emo oil try any oil even baby oil it helps keep the skin moist- cream makes it dry out and even more ithcy--- take care D.

Hi B.,
It just so happens that my husband developed a severe rash over the past two weeks. We thought it was poison ivy/oak or something of that nature, but the doctor said it wasn't. The one thing we did add up was that the rash began when we switched laundry detergents. We had just switched to a new "ALL" brand, and I had washed all the sheets in it. That night he woke up in a itching frenzy. The next day he had to go to the ER cause his whole body was covered, but only the parts clothing/blankets touched directly. He got a cortizone shot, too, but since I am trying to re-wash all the clothes that I had previously washed with ALL, he still has the rash. Have you switched detergents or are you using a new cleaning solution that he could be allergic too? I hope he feels better!! :( Best of Luck!