Eczema Advice

[helena handbasket]

Funny enough, we used to use Aveeno oatmeal soak. It came in a box of about 6 or 8 sachets....... don't know if I've ever seen it here but if it isn't on the Boots website or one of the "Drugs4u2day" type websites than probably not. Worth a try though, it's a great old-fashioned remedy that works really well and means you can still have a bedtime bath.

edited to add: I googled "aveeno oatmeal bath uk" and all sorts of stuff came up so yes it's available here.

[The Nappy Lady]

YES - I got it in the Krystal Pharmacy in Nunhead in the baby section, no idea if he's got any more, it was a while ago!

Molly

[prdarling]

Keef if you want to try the natural route, then I would recommend trying Sesame oil. It's been used as a healing oil for thousands of years and is known in Ayurvedic medicine as the 'Queen of Oils.' I know someone with terrible psoriasis who swears by it. You need cold pressed, organic oil - it's anti bacterial, anti fungal and anti viral. It's a very light oil and is easily absorbed so you don't feel at all greasy. Google it and I think you'll be amazed!

[linzkg]

My son suffers badly from eczema - he often manages to break the skin by scratching and sometimes it gets to a stage when it weeps - sounds strange for dry skin but he's got a fat neck.

We have taken the opposite route with regards to the bathing though and I dip my son twice a day now but we do have a sock with oatmeal in it to soften the water (and apparently its nourishing) and I add a tiny drop of Lavender and Tee Tree oil.

I immediately put Aveeno cream on him afterwards - its a fab cream and seems to really work for him.

[Belle]

Yes - have had bad eczema all my life and it went through the roof when I moved to London (! poss change of water and stress? who knows) nine years ago, and it was then that a pharmacist recommended aveeno to me - had tried so many things before to no avail but find it's the nicest consistency and the only thing that helps with the itch, am a terrible scratcher! thankfully baby belle hasn't yet worked out how to scratch and i obsessively trim his little fingernails.

Vince -t hanks for that re your little girl and formula, v helpful. thinking about it, am sure my wee one can't actually have a problem with SMA or we'd be seeing much more regular flare ups etc.

[toomuchchocolate]

ooh the oats idea sounds great as our little boy also has eczema and at the moment he loves to suck the water off the flannel, so i don't really want to put Oilatum in the bath anymore! We're using Epederm at the oment but it sesms to have stopped working so i'll be taking on board all these tips and trying some of the suggested things.

thank you for this thread.

[Gubodge]

Take care with sesame oil, it's a fairly common allergen.

[The Nappy Lady]

For anyone who is interested, I was just sorting my email folders out and found the link to one of the reports on bio vs non bio detergents....

http://www.scienceinthebox.com/en_UK/safety/detergentswithenzymes_en.html

I agree with what some have said about the milder products like Surcare and Filletti (sorry if got names slightly wrong....) I do think in extreme cases they can be a better option, but in more general cases interesting to note the findings of this research...

Molly

[millie42]

Both of my children have eczema to varying degrees. With the older oner it was so bad we were referred to St Thomas' Paediatric Dermatology Dept and have used numerous lotions and potions on the skin, in the bath and laundry - many on prescription and many OTC. Also fitted water softener, used humidifiers, had non-dairy diet etc..... None of them really worked except Fucidic Acid which is an antisceptic steroid cream that I am reluctant to use for long. When my second son was born he was covered in it and I was terrified it was going to develop in to a problem like his brother.

However the only think that has ever worked is Johnson and Johnson cream (the one with aloe vera) in the green packaging. Its weird! I bought it for myself and tried it on them and it works and totally clears up any eczema they get. They still get it but when it gets inflamed and itchy I use it and it calms it down and eventually it does. I also apply pure aloe vera oil to supplement this in bad flare ups!

I am sure J+J have NOT stumbled across a mystery cure but it may be worth trying it on a small patch. It maybe that there is something in it that just works for my two but worth trying and you can always use it on yourself. I use it all the time on my skin and it really works for me so I guess it makes sense that it might work for them.

I think the answer is to try everything you can and I am sure you will evetually stumble on something that works for you.

Good luck

[Mellors]

From that report Molly:

In Mexico, 65% of consumers perform all laundry tasks exclusively by hand

Eeep! i am SO glad I am not washing my real nappies in Mexico!!!

[linzkg]

Forgot to add this to my previous post ..!

We add Camomile tea bags to the bath to sooth our little one and it also really seems to reduce the redness.

My aunt, who is now in her 80s so she's tried everything, swears by Rooibos/Redbush tea - she leaves a bowl of it with a sponge by her kitchen sink and every so often puts it on her arms, especially after washing dishes

[linzkg]

Forgot to add this to my previous post ..!

We add Camomile tea bags to the bath to sooth our little one and it also really seems to reduce the redness.

My aunt, who is now in her 80s so she's tried everything, swears by Rooibos/Redbush tea - she leaves a bowl of it with a sponge by her kitchen sink and every so often puts it on her arms, especially after washing dishes

[sb]

.

[adrianamirica]

Hi,

A very good cream for eczema is made by Bioderma and it's called Atoderm PP. It's a very good cream ...I've tried this for my daughter as a friend of as recommended.....the trouble is that you can only get this cream from France. I've tried lots of other creams given by gp but they were rubies...as soon as I've tried atoderm the magic happened.....very good creme for eczema...my daughter now has no problem any more with eczema ....:)

[sandy_rose]

I've only skimmed through the thread so sorry if I've missed or repeated anything.

If your baby is breastfeeding the first thing the mother should do is cut out all dairy from her diet, as the proteins are carried through to the breast milk. Since there is a history of atopy in your family, try avoiding soy, citrus and eggs as well for a month and see if it helps. Simply cutting down (as I think someone suggested) isn't enough - the immune system is like a radar - doesn't matter how many invaders, the response is the same. Check labels for casein, lactose or other milk derivatives, especially in baked goods. Use oat, rice or nut milks as substitute but avoid soy based formulas.

Nannycare goats milk formula is available for babies of all ages, unless she has any specific digestive conditions your baby should be able to tolerate this.

Also avoid dressing your baby in wool or wearing it yourself, and wash the baby's clothes without any detergent if you can for a month to see if it helps. If the clothes are heavily soiled, put them through a normal wash with an extra rinse cycle.

Make sure the area is kept dry as moisture can aggravate it, especially around the neck area. Most baby shops sell scarves for this purpose that look a bit nicer than permanently wearing a bib.

A herbalist (or nutritionist with basic herbal training) should be able to prepare a natural cream for you without any preservatives. PM me if you would like me to prepare this for you (I'm a local nutritional therapist, have had very good result with my herbal cream where nothing else has helped). There is also a large body of research supporting the use of probiotics in preventing/ treating atopy. Again, a nutritional therapist can advise you on this or pop in to a good health food shop for advice (not Holland and Barrett). Just make sure the probiotics are not cultured in any dairy products.

[hanstands]

We tried every cream and oil for bath that the doc could prescribe to no avail...then we were recommended 'Hope's Relief Cream' - this is the only thing that worked plus not bathing him for weeks [washing the main bits obviously but not in a bath]. Its now cleared up except for a few minor dry patches that come and go on his legs which I just use the above cream and it softens. No more itching. I think you can buy this from Healthmatters and also online for the same price. All natural ingredients too...no petrochemicals or parabens like in most of the prescribed creams. Hope something on this thread works for your wee boy. :'(

[Ko]

hi there. sorry if i am repeating what others have said, but as an adult with bad eczema and someone worried about my baby getting eczema (so have been reading up about it!), i would say the following:

bathing - cut down on baby baths as they don't need a daily bath. contact with water dries out the skin so much, even if emollients are added to the bath water. the skin's natural oils are best.

breathable clothes - 100% cotton, plus avoid wool

if baby gets too hot, that often makes sore patches more itchy, which is why cotton clothes are important

get a referral to kings who have good dermatologists who can do more than the gp

hope baby gets better xxx