Babies with Eczema

Wasn't sure where to put this, so Mods please move accordingly...

So none of my other babies have had eczema but Levi has it really bad. He's about to begin first foods and I am SO nervous. I use to be excited about starting foods but now I am dreading it. With eczema food allergies are common. He's allergic to SO much already like anything Johnson's, including baby oil, lotion's etc. I was using a little rice in his bottles for spitting up but I have quit because I was afraid that might be contributing. Mom's with babies with Eczema, here is my question... what baby food did you start with and if they had an allergy which food was it with?

Thank you for any help and advice you all can give me!

 

one of my girls had eczema as an infant along with food allergies. We had her on NUTRAMAGEN formula and had to avoide beef, soy, dairy, casing (sp?) and whey . I have to imagine my daughters allergies were not as severe as your sons though because when we started barley cereal and then homemade baby food, then finally milk she was fine and has not shown any food allergies (well except for walnuts in the shell).

EDITED because I wrote the wrong formula name

 

I have 3 with eczema, and none with food allergies. The twins reacted to milk at first though. They outgrew the sensitivity fairly quickly though. We started my oldest on cereal by 2 months, directed by the Dr. He was so huge that nothing was satisfying him. The twins were around 5-6 months when we started with food. We did cereal, then veggies, then fruit. No one reacted to any of it. They all had reactions to most detergents, soaps, lotions, etc. And, my oldest has grown out of the eczema already. He's 11.

Just go slow with the introductions of food. Maybe give a new food by the week, instead of every 3 days or so like they recommend. You could keep a log just in case, so that you'd have a record for the Dr if he reacts to anything.

You know, I just remembered that the twins were on thickened bm for a long time, for reflux. I just totally forgot until I reread your post. LOL

 

That's like Levi, he is almost 17 pounds now and the rice was helping with satisfying him and spitting up. I hated to quit it... now that I haven't seen a difference I don't think it was the problem. They did switch him to Soy formula. Thank you for replying, that helped a lot!!

 

I have bad eczema as do all three of my boys. I skipped cereal altogther, although rice should be fine. Most with Eczema have wheat allergy, not all do, but most. I started with Carrots.

 

I'm not even sure that all babies with eczema have food allergies. We had friends whose baby had eczema, and they rubbed aquafor on the baby, and it helped. The baby was allergic to formula, but the mother was almost exclusively nursing, so she completely stopped formula and even stopped dairy for a while, but those things didn't seem to be the problem.

 

I forgot to say my stepson had it, and his mother kept claiming it was incurable. We lotioned him with vaseline every night or every other night, and we were always able to get rid of it by the time we sent him back to her. He may have been misdiagnosed, but I don't think he had just run of the mill dry skin.

 

Eczema is incurable BUT it can be controlled to the point where it can clear up. All three of my boys are pretty clear at the moment, but I cream them twice a day and they are bathed in a special oil every night. They do have flare ups around allergy season and when it gets hot out.

 

I have had eczema my whole life (although it goes and comes), but I have zero food allergies, so it is definitely possible to not have food allergies. I do have horrible seasonal allergies, though (mold, mildew, pollens, etc.). My mom said she started me with carrots.

For what it's worth, my kids had problems with milk and still have problems with soy. You would be seeing way more symptoms than spit up if the milk or soy was a problem.

 

This is very reassuring, thank you all so much!!

I was using Aquaphor before the really bad break outs and it helped everywhere but his head. It's the only place we've had to put the bactroban on, so far. Vaseline also helps him as well!

 

My girls had it but also had no food allergies. I'm allergic to tomatoes and beans/peas but not peanuts. I am broke out only on my chest which is a very hard place to air out to get rid of it :umm:

 

Rubbing olive oil on his head before his bath and letting it soak for about 10 mins will also do wonders. I know it sounds weird, but it works!

 

I agree that there is no definitive link between eczema and food allergies. Eczema is an auto immune response, but it's not necessarily to food. I have eczema as does one of the twins. Neither of us have food allergies. However, we are allergic to perfume and chemicals in soap, detergent, etc. A's eczema was so bad that he had to be on a prescription cream (can't remember the name but we stopped using it after concerns linking it to skin cancer). He was also allergic to some disposable diapers. He'd get a bleeding rash that was so raw and red. At age 5, he was diagnosed with an auto immune disease, and the eczema as a baby was probably linked to that.

Here's what worked for us:
1. Put the baby in only all natural clothes. Cotton or wool. No polyester.
2. Bathe with water only. Use soap only on his tush.
3. Moisturize.
4. Don't use anything with perfume. Look for perfume free (not just unscented which can still have perfume to mask other smells :blink. Forget about baby products like Dreft or J&J. That was the absolute worst on his skin.
5. Talk to the doctor about using hydrocortisone on the worst part. Eczema itches something fierce.

 

Really Wool? That's the first time I have ever heard to use wool for eczema. It makes me scratch like a mad women. lol I personally stick to cotton and light colours.

 

My son had eczema as an infant. He's three now and has not had any food allergies. But he does have awful seasonal allergies, especially in the spring. His eyes and face will swell up when exposed to certain tree pollen. I don't know that there is any link between that and the ezcema. Our first food with him and my DD was carrots after the rice cereal.

 

Any type of allergy can be linked to eczema, so I would say yes it could def be a link

 

My oldest had eczema as a young baby, we had to use a prescription for his, the OTC stuff didn't clear it up....I can't remember what it's called, but yes, it's the one with the cancer scare, however, the itty bitty tiny bit we needed for around his mouth was so miniscule we (with the reassurance of his dr) decided the benefits far outweighed the tiny risk. His cleared up around the time he was 5 or so. He does, however, have severe seasonal type allergies that are year round. Poor kid can't breath outside without getting stuffy, and that's on 2 allergy meds. I believe we started him on rice cereal but he hated it, and we quickly moved onto the typical first veggies, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes.

I have eczema now, on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet, that appeared shortly after I turned 20. It's been a nightmare to control because of where it's located. I bath nightly, it softens my feet up and allows the steroid cream to soak in better, and I moisture during the day as well as use a topical barrier cream on my hands. I also have year long seasonal type allergies, and am allergic to most detergents except for Arm and Hammer Free and Clear.

 

I forgot to add a great topical cream that is non-allergenic, http://www.vanicreamstore.com/brands/vanicream/moisturizing-skin-care-cream-16802.asp You can get your pharmacy to order it in a huge tub with a pump. This has been much better for my son who reacts to things with Aloe. He also used Protopic for the bad spots when he needed it.

 

I use protopic too, does it make his skill sensitive to heat? My sensitivity is HORRIBLE, it hurts to cook, I have to wear oven mitts to cook. Hurts to shower, hurts to wear really warm clothes. However it works, so I just suck it up lol

 

He's actually the one that has outgrown the eczema. His skin would turn red, but we assumed it was due to rubbing it in. He didn't complain about pain with Protopic. He did however cry when we were using steroid creams. The twins prescription cream makes them upset too. I guess it just depends on the person.
This child is the same one that cannot use ANY sunscreen. He reacts to every single one, prescription or not. So he's super sensitive to certain things, including lanolin.

 

I can understand the crying with steroid cream, it burns where as protopic is non steroid and doesn't burn, it does turn my skin red too though. The red spots for me are the spots that are the most sensitive to heat. I can't use any sunscreen either, and I am allergic to quite a bit.

 

That's so interesting that you cannot use sunscreen either! I've never known another person who can't find a single one that works. We actually think it's the chemical that screens the sun that he is reacting to. (Does that make sense?)

Sorry to hijack the thread.

 

It does. I have tried everything! My oldest has the same issue. The only one that doesn't make me completely loose my mind with itch is the l'oreal one, but I still react to it. Sorry to highjack as well!

 

No you didn't hijack! I am reading and taking everything in! He does have a prescribed hydrocortisone cream that I put on him as well. His outbreaks seem to be worse on his back, chest and head. I was using dreft but I noticed it smelled scented so I switched to tide free.

Any other advice, suggestions... keep them coming!!

Thank you!!

 

I know tide free says "free" but tide ias very harsh on skin, especially those with a sensitivity. If you can get the Arm and Hammer essentials, its in a green bottle I would suggest that. If you have an HE machine though, I know the Arm and Hammer all clear is a good one too and I believe they make tat in HE unlike the essentiels one.

 

We can only use tide. I know it's weird

 

lol! Yes, but if that is what they are used to, then that is prob why.

 

For David, we used this too (Elidel?) but remained using it because the eczema was so bad; with advice from his dermatologist. Poor David was swathed from head to toe with Aquaphor and hydrocortisone and the Elidel for the worst areas. We had to put socks on his hands at night or the next morning his head and arms would be covered in scratches and dried blood. I was so grateful when it started subsiding after months and months. Lately only the backs of his legs get it.

He is my asthma/allergy/eczema/reflux boy who slept in a bouncy chair for his first 5-6 months. The chair's fabric was so greased up by the end of this that I had to toss it.

He started on carrots and then the standard veggie lineup. The only food allergy he has is to peanuts. His older sister has a peanut allergy and I had him tested when he was 1. The reaction was severe enough that we have an Epi-pen for him.

 

My oldest is on Atarax to control his itch or else he'll scratch himself raw at night.

 

Yes elidel is what we had too. Tide gives me a horrible rash immediately (and it starts under my breasts and in my nether regions....ugh!!). Arm and Hammer sensitive is the only one I can use safely.

 

I do have an HE, will see what I can find detergent wise...

Nancy, we have to put socks on Levi at night as well. Everyone keeps telling me to just cut his fingernails and I do... but he still manages to scratch the holy heck out of himself if I don't. Some people just don't understand.

Levi's head stays greased up so much I have to wash his swing seat cover all the time!

 

One of my twins LIVED with socks on his hands his first 8 months, day and night. Almost all the pics I have of William as a baby, he has socks on his hands.

 

Socks are so much better than secondary infections from open wounds. I hope you can figure out his quirks so he doesn't have to itch. Jesse still scratches himself till bleeding...

 

I'll be 32 and I still scratch till blood at night.

 

I do sometimes too, I can't help it when it gets insanely itchy