Hiya everyone. My DD has very, very mild eczema on her upper arms and it's spread a little bit to her cheeks. The doctor gave some steroid cream but it really doesn't do anything - it gets a bit better and then as soon as I stop using the cream it comes back again. It really isn't a big deal, it isn't all that red or itchy, just bumps on her skin really.

But I do want to know a bit more about eczema and thought anyone who has more experience of it than me might be able to answer a few questions. What causes eczema? The doctor told me it wasn't diet related - is that right? I thought I'd heard it was. And is it okay to just leave it if it's not irritating my DD?

Thanks heaps! grin

hey there, excema is digestion and at the very least your little one needs a probiotic, i would go and see someone natural as it could go further tan just needing that. my son had bad excema and i went and saw a holistic lady and with probiotics and the right cell salts he was gone within a week and had never come back..hes now nearly 5yrs. creams will take it away but it will always come back if the prob is not dealt with. steroid creams used enuf over time can cause asthma as it surpresses the immune system.

Hi

Both my boys have exczema. There's was worse as a baby, went away and then flared up on both around the time they were 6 on their knees and bellies

I personally found the steroid creams did minimal for them. Given you have to be extremely careful with cortisone use I ditched the steroid creams entirely and found a great natural alternatives.

A cream that I found made the hugest difference with their eczema was Environ Professional AVST. I use the treatment gel. It was $80 but its lasted me over 6 mths and has worked wonders with their skin if I apply it morn and evening on the flare up areas.

Good Luck

Eczema is an allergy and is related to Asthma. I was born with it and still get it at 27. Cortisone cream works wonders but you need to be careful with how much you use, especially on girls as it can effect the reproductive organs. Most often I just used a sorbelene/glycerine cream, but these days I used Animine lotion which you can pick up from a chemist. Is a mixture of calomine and some other stuff, cant find the bottle right now or I'd let you know whats in it. But it works wonders. Also try to use unpurfumed soaps etc as they tend to make eczema flare up.

hey there, excema is digestion and at the very least your little one needs a probiotic, i would go and see someone natural as it could go further tan just needing that. my son had bad excema and i went and saw a holistic lady and with probiotics and the right cell salts he was gone within a week and had never come back..hes now nearly 5yrs. creams will take it away but it will always come back if the prob is not dealt with. steroid creams used enuf over time can cause asthma as it surpresses the immune system.

Totlly agree, my husband is a naturopath and eczemea is commonly a problem with gluteen and dairy, Can also be an irritation from the soap you are using or the washing poweder, have you changed anything in there diet recently or cleaning products? could also be dust mite, grass or pollen

A probiotic is a great start but even better than that is a really good childrens fish oil this is more imporant than the probiotic but if you can afford both then they both is best.

The hard thing with eczema is it can look like it is going or totally go then flare up again out of no where and can get worse really quickly if gets bad can be itchy and sore not nice.

hope you find a solution, good luck smile

Thanks so much everyone - this is exactly the information I was looking for. I thought it could have to do with dairy and I just can't believe the doctor told me it had nothing to do with diet. Sometimes I wonder about doctors but that's another subject I won't rant on about.

She drinks the recommended amount of milk and has a bit of yoghurt and cheese but nothing over the top as we have cut back as she was a bit addicted to milk LOL! But the thing is, she's had it since she was 6 months when she didn't have any dairy at all, just breastmilk. NOthing else has changed to make it flare up - no different soaps or anything like that. I wonder if it's just her skin rather than diet or other stuff.

Anyway, I will take on board your comments and I will definitely stop using the steroid cream considering what Pigleme says - OMG! It's doing nothing anyway, no point risking it. Thanks again for all your advice.

Eczema is a skin condition. Its exact cause is not known but it is exacerbated by things like:
- allergies to pollen, mould, dust mites, or animals
- dry skin
- exposure to environmental irritants, washing powders, soap, lotions etc
- exposure to water
- feeling hot or cold
- stress
- certain foods
- rough fabrics/animal hair

It is not a digestive disorder and a probiotic is not gonna help. Steroid creams do not give you asthma!
Here's some accurate information about eczema - http://www.rch.org.au/derm/eczema.cfm?doc_id=4596

The key points of eczema management are: keep your child cool, well moisturised and in loose, light cotton clothing and avoid irritants.
There are different moisturisers you can use - from something as simple as sorbolene (fragrance free) to Dermeze (which is specifically formulated for children with dry skin or suffering from eczema). It's a trial and error process until you find something which works for your child.
If your child's eczema is not clearing up ask for a referral to see a dermatologist.

Just thought I'd throw something else into the mix. I've battled with my DD2's eczema for months now and tried everything. After missing her swimming lessons for 2 weeks over Christmas she cleared right up. After 30 mins in the pool on her first lesson back the eczema was back. So in our case it was the chlorine. I'm no expert but the Dr's told me that food allergies account for a very small percentage of peoples eczema. So frustrating hey?

Hi there,

My second child has very server eczema all over his body, it started on his head around 16 weeks old then progressively moved to his face and now he is covered in it.
He will not sleep more than 2-3 hours a night, so apart from being very sleep deprived we are so desperate to help our little guy as he is in so much pain often.
He is now 9months and there is a small change on his face but his body progressively gets worse.
We have tried all the medicines that 7 different doctors have prescribed for us and nothing has worked, we have been to a allergy specialist who confirmed several allergies, milk egg nuts and coconut. The cost that we have spent on trying to find some sort of answer is in the thousands. We are now looking down the "natural" road, but I have no idea where to start.

I am very open to any suggestion that worked for others out there. Please if you have time please share what you did as this might just be the answer for us.

Thank you

Hi there,

My second child has very server eczema all over his body, it started on his head around 16 weeks old then progressively moved to his face and now he is covered in it.
He will not sleep more than 2-3 hours a night, so apart from being very sleep deprived we are so desperate to help our little guy as he is in so much pain often.
He is now 9months and there is a small change on his face but his body progressively gets worse.
We have tried all the medicines that 7 different doctors have prescribed for us and nothing has worked, we have been to a allergy specialist who confirmed several allergies, milk egg nuts and coconut. The cost that we have spent on trying to find some sort of answer is in the thousands. We are now looking down the "natural" road, but I have no idea where to start.

I am very open to any suggestion that worked for others out there. Please if you have time please share what you did as this might just be the answer for us.

Thank you

I'm so sorry maleen, that must be awful. I hope you get somewhere soon. I'm sorry I can't help much with ideas.

Thanks everyone. It appears there are some differences of opinions on eczema, including between health professionals.

I am interested in investigating the digestion/diet idea. When you suggest a probiotic happymuma, what kind do you give them? My mum has given her a probiotic on a couple of occasions (mum sells vitamins) so maybe I'll just start with that one. Thanks again.

Hi, my 4yr old son has had eczema since around 3 months old. We too have gone to different doctors & tried different creams for both washing him & controlling flare ups & most don't work. In fact some have fed the breakouts more. We've tried creams that come highly recommended from naturopaths & they too haven't worked. But after spending lots of money & wasting many tubes & bottles of products we finally found that Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream and there bodywash from the supermarket (countdown) which only costs around $13 for the moisturiser is the only product that has helped & finally his skin feels soft like most kids do instead of like sandpaper. It helps keep away the flare ups as long as you use it regluarly. Ocassionally though we do use hydrocortisone on any angry red flare ups if they happen for whatever reason. But nothing like we used to use before using Aveeno Baby.
I do agree that each child can be different & it can be a hit or miss thing but I highly recommend to try Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream & the bodywash of the same name. Its found with the baby products e.g wipes etc. Hope this helps somebody! smile

Hi, my 4yr old son has had eczema since around 3 months old. We too have gone to different doctors & tried different creams for both washing him & controlling flare ups & most don't work. In fact some have fed the breakouts more. We've tried creams that come highly recommended from naturopaths & they too haven't worked. But after spending lots of money & wasting many tubes & bottles of products we finally found that Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream and there bodywash from the supermarket (countdown) which only costs around $13 for the moisturiser is the only product that has helped & finally his skin feels soft like most kids do instead of like sandpaper. It helps keep away the flare ups as long as you use it regluarly. Ocassionally though we do use hydrocortisone on any angry red flare ups if they happen for whatever reason. But nothing like we used to use before using Aveeno Baby.
I do agree that each child can be different & it can be a hit or miss thing but I highly recommend to try Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream & the bodywash of the same name. Its found with the baby products e.g wipes etc. Hope this helps somebody! smile

The Aveeno moisturiser (just from coles) works for us too. We had to use a prescribed cream to get it under control first but since then we've just used Aveeno after a bath at night and it keeps the eczema away. If i miss a day it starts to come back.

Hey ya my 2yr old twins have bad ezcema on their chins drooling or sweat can make it worse, ive fou nd that a cream from chemest works wonders called Hydrozole also curash cream can help it heal as it acts as a barrier, use goats milk soap as it is free from perfum and other additives wash affected areas twice a day should help clear it up.ezcema is simular to a skin allwrgy not related to diet or any other allergy kids with sensitive skin are more prone to getting it, have done heaps of research on the supject Hope you find this useful

as all the other families on this thread my son and i both suffer with eczema/dermatitis.

I found novsone (cortisone cream) used sparingly when really bad kept it "at bay", but all other times i used a cream called Cetaphil. It's specifically designed for dermatitis/eczema-works absolute wonders!!! only available in chemists, but not that expensive- $11.00 for a bottle-so far lasted me and my son 6mths. Also we only use QV Wash for his hair/body wash. It's rare we have any major probs now.

When my son was really bad/too young for cortisone creams we used unprocessed oats in a bath (about a cup full) let the water get all "milky" and then sat him in there with the oats. Pain in the butt when he'd finished cos the oats would swell and we couldn't let them go down drain, so had to strain the bath! hehe

Most moisturiser creams are water based, and water is not a good combo with eczema. (my GP advised us of this)

My son would break out after his swimming lessons too, even after showing him straight after his lesson, but since we've changed to QV Wash and using the Cetaphil his dry skin/eczema patches are pretty much gone.

Also head good things about goat milk soap-but rather pricey $8.00 a bar and is used within 1-2wks.

Don't use soap on bad skin-try your PH neutral or body milks-much better for you, doesn't dry it out.

Most moisturiser creams are water based, and water is not a good combo with eczema. (my GP advised us of this)

I'm not sure if your GP is aware that "wet wraps" are often used for severe cases of eczema...

I'm not sure if your GP is aware that "wet wraps" are often used for severe cases of eczema...

Wet dressing are applied AFTER putting a cortisone/moisturiser on then putting the wet wrap on top. Therefore, the cortisone/moisturiser creates a barrier between the skin & the wet gauze.

Personal experience is the day i have my hands in water too often means my skin is so dry, itchy, red raw and often bleeding by the time i go to bed.

Another cream which my friend raves about is called "miracle glove" or something similar-only at chemists and bit pricey but that worked for her son.

Wet dressing are applied AFTER putting a cortisone/moisturiser on then putting the wet wrap on top. Therefore, the cortisone/moisturiser creates a barrier between the skin & the wet gauze.

Personal experience is the day i have my hands in water too often means my skin is so dry, itchy, red raw and often bleeding by the time i go to bed.

Another cream which my friend raves about is called "miracle glove" or something similar-only at chemists and bit pricey but that worked for her son.

hmmm... that barrier is still not waterproof though. Water very well may be an irritant in your case - but not in all eczema cases.

Thanks again everyone. Would you believe, DD's eczema has started to clear up and I've done NOTHING different? I'm wondering if it's something in the air (dust or pollen?) as I seriously have not changed her diet or what I use on her skin. It's really strange. I have always used soap-free stuff on DD's skin.

Thanks again for all the advice everyone. It's really helpful and also educational! (Is that a word??? LOL!)

my 5 1/2 month old had welts on her face after trying formula for the first time. thought it was from the formula but tried her with water in the same bottle and the same thing happened - so may be its the teats. now it is trial and error with teats and bottles. the dr said she had a a high histamine level in her body as she has heaps of eczema too. dont really know what it is so trying her with different teats and using goats milk to see how she goes...

My 5 month too suffers from eczema, started after reaction to goats milk amongst other things. We bath her in bath oil each night and then when irritated we lather her in dermese ointment and put a long sleeved with legs body suit for bed. I mean lather her, she goes all shiny! And in the morning we rub moogoo eczema cream all over her (can get in health food shops or on line), it rubs in so she isn't shiny and doesn't go on her clothes. We find if we miss one night her skin goes dry. Good luck, she hs just developed in on her checks due to saliva I think!

Hi I am a Dispensary Technician aswell as a beauty therapist and mother(of child with mild eczema) so have had a reasonable amount of experience with all sorts of skin probs In my experience you should be treating the prob internally as well as externally, flaxseed oil maybe very helpfull not only is it a great source of essential fatty acids but it also helps to strengthen cell walls wich is very important for skin renewal (better that fish oil ), I assume you are using a soap substitute such as emulsifying ointment of aqueous cream to wash? My wee boys eczema allthough very mild has alson responded very to jojoba oil rather than the moisturiser the doctor gave us wich is very thick and hard for his wee skin to absorb - I see someone has recomended supermarket type products but I would def avoid these as they contain all number of irritants in pharmacy we allways recommend less washing of the skin is best as it strips the skins acid mantle wich helps to protect it hope this helps.

Som people have mentioned goats milk soap and others have mentioned moo goo. These ate the only products I can use in my family.