Eczema...finding the cuplrits....

[starcat4]

So DD was diagnosed with eczema a couple of weeks back, which as I had mentioned in another post has come on since the introduction of foods. My doctor was of little help as BLW isn't really practised here and one of her comments was "I don't know about the UK but here in Italy so many people have allergies that it just wouldn't be possible to do this kind of weaning" hmmm...ok....

Anyway, I digress.....Not really knowing what the causes of her eczema are I've taken out what seems like everything from her diet for now - dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten and all of the most commonly known allergenic fruits. I feel like we've been left with nothing and it's so disheartening I reintroduced eggs last Thursday with, I don't think, any problems but along side them she's also had plums for the last 3 days, a nibble friday, a couple of pieces Saturday and a whole one yesterday and by last night she was in such a mess again with eczema breakouts and an irritated rash on her chest and back. I'm putting it down to the plums rather than the eggs but I'm just so frustrated by it all! I now have to wait until her skin is back to 'normal' again before I can give her anything else new and in the mean time we're stuck with porridge, apples, pears and a handful of vegetables that she's not a fan of at the best of times!

At this rate she's going to be going to school before we've managed to get around to introducing all the foods that I would love her to have!!

I guess I'm just venting here as I can't see any way of getting around this problem but I feel like her diet is sooooo limited at the moment and at a time when she's really enjoying and actually eating things at last!

[gali]

How old is your LO? Are there any other symptoms, aside from the eczema, to new foods?

I remember our paediatric allergist telling me that the causes of eczema are 'only' 40% likely to be food related so there is more chance on paper of malnourishment (without proper guidance) than of 'curing' eczema by following a food exclusion diet. Eczema is so difficult, it comes and goes and you will drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what is causing it ... and sometimes you just don't find out.

If you are not 100% confident on the food exclusion diet it might be worth trying other, statistically more likely, causes first, e.g. detergents, hard water, heat, cold, using no product on baby in the bath, reducing numbers of baths per week, eliminating any contact with pets? There are more too ...

If you feel as if you are being fobbed off by your GP then try to get to see a consultant paediatric allergist privately who will have the expertise to reassure you.

Eczema is essentially dry skin. You need to moisturise like crazy, much more than you'd think. I recommend getting a big tub of Epaderm emollient (not the cream) ... you can get this from the chemist over the counter if you can't be bothered with another trip to the GP. Use the Epaderm 8 - 10 times a day. Get some 1 percent hydrocortisone for the very sore bits.

[starcat4]

Thanks so much Gali. DD has just turned 7 months and the eczema and rashes have started since weaning so although I appreciate that there are factors which may possibly exacerbate it now, like those that you mentioned, I'm inclined to think that food factors are the main cause - although I'm certainly not an expert and feel like I'm very much going it alone at the moment. I've seen a dermatologist but he too said that I'll probably never find out everything that triggers the flareups but I feel like I have to at least try and figure some of them out

Her skin's such a mess after several days of being almost 'normal' again and I just feel like we're back at square one!

[MummaQ]

I'm in the same boat, baby is 7 months, and he's only been getting his rashes since weaning. Before that he had a tiny patch on his thighs that came and went. I too am in trial and error with foods, it's bloody difficult! Trying to figue out what caused it.

I'm rubbish at keeping a diary etc, I tend to keep it all in my head, but I've started writing down what he had in my calendar on my phone! See if I can narrow it down a bit!

Xxxx

[Toasty Crumpet]

Does babies' skin change when they get to 7-9 months old? Not that she has eczema, but Crumpets skin is a lot dryer and rougher than it was when she was littler. Maybe it's because we rarely do massage anymore and the sunflower oil we were using made her skin feel lovely and soft!

[gali]

Eczema is so frustrating, I found it so difficult to not be able to pinpoint what exactly was causing the problems, it makes you feel so rotten that you might be exacerbating their discomfort by inadvertently giving them some food that may make them more itchy or sore.

Definitely focus on managing the eczema if finding the culprit is not obvious and there are no other symptoms. Really moisturise like it's going out of fashion. It may take you some time to find an emollient that works best for your LOs skin but like I said, epaderm is the one recommended by the clever folks at KCH so do give it a try. I used to do it at each nappy change, try for 10 times a day for a few weeks and see what a difference it makes. If there are really sore bits then just use the hyrocortisone intensively for a couple of days. It's not ideal but it does work.

[starcat4]

I had been using the Oilatum Junior which I'd got when I was at home in the UK for a few days, switched to an Italian cream whilst I was waiting for mum to send me some more and have since switched back to the Oilatum - which has also coincided with the flare ups and rashes so that too has been at the back of my mind - maybe it's not rich enough for DD at the moment? God it's frustrating like you say! I'm now back on the Italian one to see if it helps in getting it under control but I've read that switching from creams to creams isn't always the best thing to do either!

[MummaQ]

Oh I can recommend the baby balm on itchy baby website. Only a week and my sons face is nearly back to normal, it's no longer red or flakey. It's just a little dry newly healed skin. Xxxx