Advice on Toddlers Face Rash

Hi! Use only scent and chemical free detergents like 7th Generation or Ecco or maybe ALL free and Clear also do away with all fabric softener which has over 100 chemicals in it! Dryer sheets are the worst! 7th Generation has a mild fab softener which Fred Meyer carries and most health food stores.

Then add fish oils to her diet. Fish oils are wonderful for the skin and work from the inside out! Plus you get the added benefit of DHA brain food in them! K.

Think about some of the foods that you have been feeding her. Is there anything new?
If it is weather related, try auqufore(spelling?) on it. This will help prevent it from chapping more.

My daughter had the same type of rash on her cheeks and chin recently and it was in fact due to the weather. I tried hydrocortisone and it didn't work. The only thing that did was Aveno calming lotion with oatmeal for babies. It even works on my dry skin. The rash went away within 2 days of putting it on 3-4 times a day. It's worth a try. Good luck.

It sounds like an alergy to me. Our family is full of alergies and one of my grand nephews had those same symptoms. It spread all over his cheeks. He suffered with it for some time before they got to to the bottom of the problem. If you haven't found any better answer than this and would like to know what his allergy was, I can find out from my neice and let you know. I'm pretty sure it was from foods. My mother would get excema if she ate too many tomatoes. I got it when I ate too many cherries one year. My baby son got weeping excema from heat.
Ruth Maddy
____@____.com

You should try putting just plain vaseline on her cheeks. I know it sounds strange but it really works. My 8 month old son gets a full body coating before bed and has had no problems with dry skin.

If you have the authority to self refer on your plan, take her to either a dermatologist or a naturopath. My opinion on Peds is that they tend to treat the symptoms, not the cause. If they have a drug, they'll prescribe it. I've also learned that if you persist, you can get them to move if you need them to refer you to a specialist or allergy doctor. You have to push them though.

The thing I like about Chiropractors and Naturopaths is that they consider the whole body and look to understand why something is happening and treat the cause, not just the symptoms. Of course it can be cost prohibitive if your insurance does not cover this kind of medical attention, so you may want to go the traditional route as long as I can.

Hydrocortisone dries the skin. You could try a good Cream like Cetaphil Cream not lotion...if it is in fact dry skin or eczema.

My 2 year old son has had the same thing on his face before and we have always used the hydrocortisone cream on it. We have also had success with with Eucerin cream (the one in a tub). You can buy it in the lotion section at a drug store. It's a super thick heavy cream that is very moisturizing. My doctor actually recommended it to my younger son as a newborn when he had a some eczema. Hopefully it works for you!

My 8 month old has also had a rash and I use calendula cream. Fred Meyer's or natural food stores have it. It is natural and seems to help. I alternate between that and Aveeno lotion. It doesn't even have to be the 'baby aveeno'. As long as it has the colloidal oatmeal in it. Every time she starts to get the rash, I put it on and it helps a lot. Sometimes, after a little while of no treatment, it will get either raw or scaly and dry. I hear cold weather and moistness are what really can cause it. Worked for me. Good luck!

My sister's baby broke out in a similar rash last summer and they found he was allergic to milk. My youngest son also has eczema but breaks out mostly on his arms and legs.
I suggest you have him tested by an allergy specialist (this has helped my son's eczema also, along with Aveeno soaps) but don't do the skin prick test, do the blood drawn one. It shows the foods better.
Good luck!
~M.

R. my grandson had something on this line & my sons doctor called it exzema & its from useing soap so the doctor told them to use a mild soap & very little & very mild baby shampoo & they also did skin tests on him just to make sure. you may want to bring this up to your doctor, I only replyed to you because Iam a Mother of 4 & Grandma of 9 & Iam still learning new things about what babys can get.
Let me know how things turn out for you ok. consurned Grandma Yakima,Wa

J. M S.-email ____@____.com

My kids have the same problem I put presciption medicine on there legs where it is REALLY bad but for there face that is kinda dangerous you could ask the doctor for a 2% cordrotisone which I have used in nthe past but some doctors wont do that or you can use the over the counter one and then put vasaline over that to protect it or aqua 4 works too. Both my children have always had this problem during this time of year so I understand. have you tried either of these?

My 8 month old had a similar rash- that wouldn't go away. Finally we got it go go away, we give him a bath every day, then put calendula lotion on it, and if it starts to look scaly we add vaseline. Also, we are careful to wash well after meals and if he's drooling a lot. These things all seemed to help.

My son has the same thing, and if I let it go, it can get scabby. My son's is eczema, but it only flares up on his face. We tried everything, and nothing worked. We used U-Lactin on it for two days and it cleared up right away! U-Lactin is a special kind of lotion with urea in it. It is sold behind the counter...ask your doctor if he thinks it might help.

Hello R....So, a couple guesses for you...my kids have had dry patches on one cheek or the other (not both), but in such cases, it turned out to be a sign of pinworms..so you could check for that (go online if you don't know how)...Also, skin rashes are sometimes food allergies; so you could get an allergy test done, or do the food elimination diet. Either way, the skin is an elimination organ, and rashes, etc are usually an outward sign of an inner condition, so I would recommend investigating until you solve it...and trust your intuition. Good luck.

all 4 of my kids have had this same rash at some time or another....there is a cream that helps waaaay better than hydrocortisone....it is called asorbase...it comes in a jar..and should be available at a pharmacy. we get ours at our clinics pharmacy...my kids usually got this rash when the seasons are changing....skin gets extremely dry..i also have the same problem with my own skin(and scalp) so my recommendation is just moisturize, moisturize, moisturize....

You might try cetaphil. It's gentle but does wonders on dry skin. Both my kids get really dry skin (rough, red patches) and after a few days of using the lotion - their skin looks much better.

My son gets something similar and it seems to be set off by having his face cleaned so often after eating. We use Aveeno Baby Lotion on him at night time and avoid using wipes on his face. Seems to help. The weather also seems to play a part. We also were told to use hydrocortizone but I didn't want to. You can also try Eucerin Aquaflex, which is actually a diaper ointment but works well at night time when they leave it alone.

My son had the same thing (still does - he's 2 now) along with a host of other problems...and no topical ointments ever helped at all. After taking him to 6 or 7 different doctors to find out what was going on with him (he also ran fevers regularly, had joint swelling, hives, and diarrhea), we finally found out he has allergies. He is allergic to gluten and dust mites. When I changed his diet, all of those symptoms went away and his skin cleared up! Most regular MDs don't know much about allergies. Even OHSU released him without a diagnosis because they didn't know what was wrong with him. We ended up seeing a couple different naturopath Drs, and they are the ones that finally helped.

Maybe that's more info than you wanted but that's our story! :) Good luck!

My son is three and he has eczema on his cheeks in the form of a ichy rash that can end up bleeding, it seems to be seasonal as well.
Exama generally runs in the family, my grandmother had it on her hands so did my mother and now I do, eczema can come in many forms but it definitely sounds like your little girl has a case of it!
The only way to try to control it is to use bag balm on it as often as possible and trim your daughter's nails often. It may come and go for the rest of her life. I didn't get eczema until I was 20, my grandmother hasn't had eczema for over 20 years.

R.
2 of my 4 has had this little issue too. A few things that I have found that helped id NOT using soap or lotion on their faces at all. My older son needed a Rx cream to clear it up. Sounds like the same thing which my Dr told us it was eczema. Hope that helps! Good luck!

J.

Lower cheeks? Could be from drool. Periodic, frequent moisture like that on the lower face can cause skin irritation and eczema. Dryness in the air exacerbates this. I would try a skin protectant moisturizer type product. Vaseline or even that Miracle Butt Balm would probably work. You need a protectant to coat the skin and keep moisture in. I have a child with VERY dry, eczematic skin and I ultimately purchased pure shea butter. It is grainy but melts right into your skin and leaves a protective coating and works absolute wonders. Fairly cheap- 6 bucks a pound www.theafricanstore.org. Will last forever! There are other sites too if you don't want to purchase from them. Just google shea butter. I do want to clarify I have not seen the rash thought- your doctor has.

my daughter has excema and the best thing for the dry skin rashes is aquaphor, or vasaline. RIGHT after her bath make sure you are lathering her in her lotion and put the Aguaphor or vasaline on the rash this helps lock in the moisture. I just use aquaphor all over my daughter but thats because we deal with this all year not just winter. i have found that aquaphor is the best thing for diaper rash prevention too lather her lil bottom in this before her diaper! Hope this helps also there is a excema bath soap a lil expensive but works well it has pooh bear on the front in a blue bottle

My son started getting that when he was a bit younger than that. I found out through the doctor that he had eczema. That was because he was having strange rashes show up that were scaly. If it is just dry skin and not because she had an allergic reaction to something, you could try Gold Bond lotion. Which is what I use in conjunction with the medicine that my son's doctor prescribes him. If it's cold weather that is causing her skin to dry, you could even try using Lanolin. Pure Lanolin works better than Vaseline. It doesn't just sit on top of the skin to protect it, it also gets absorbed by the skin. Same stuff doctors give to mothers for breastfeeding to protect when feeding. Not harmful to children. Also, you could use it on cheeks, burns, rashes, etc. A little goes a long way.

Try using a little bit of Vaseline on her checks.

Hi!
This sounds similar to something my daughter had at one time. Have you investigated Fifth Disease? Try this link and see if it sounds right.http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_vir... or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_disease . It seems to me that there was nothing we could do about it and it didn't really bother her...it just looked awful. The biggest concern is to keep her away from anyone pregnant- it is very dangerous for developing babies. Good luck!
J.

you know I have always had grat luck with.... well I can not remember the name of it. However you can get it at Babies R Us or I believe Albertson's. It is in a purple tube, it is actually used for cracked breasts. My son licks his lips all the time and gets cracked lips (ring around the mouth) or a runny nose sore under his nose and I use it all the time. It starts with a L and it is in a purle tube, with tuquoise writing. I believe it is kept by like the ointment for the babies.

Hi, It could be eczema which is very itchy, especially at night. (The fact that the doctor recommended cortizone cream makes me think that.) My son had eczema around his mouth and chin until he was about four, we found that it was much worse when he had citrus or tomato based food. Perhaps you could see if food exacerbates it and then eliminate that food.
C. W. mom of 10 year old twin boys

My 3 year old daughter has had a rash on her cheeks off and on, for most of her life. Just not as bad as what yours sounds like. I have tried a lot of different things, but the only thing that really works is Aveeno 1% Hydrocortisone Anti-itch cream (even though the rash doesn't seem to itch). I have tried other hydrocortisone creams that didn't work. The Aveeno has aloe and I think vitamin E in it. I think that might be why it works better. I hope it works for you, too. You may want to ask the doctor if they think she could have eczema.

Hi, This sounds like an allergy to me. Rashes don't appear out of thin air. I would look at her foods, have you introduced anything new lately? Perhaps a wheat or lactose intolerance. Hydrocortisone is a powerful compound to put on a small child 3Xs a day. The skin is the biggest organ and absorbs that which is on the surface into the system...S.

both of my children had food and chemical alergies beginning early infancy. at 20 mos you probably are using hypo-alergenic skin care, hair care etc. I would assess her diet carefully, include everything she ingests. strawberries, are a big offender corn syrup is in everything, nuts are a problem for children in recent years. set up a meal plan that fits your families needs. single grain cereal in am w/say applesauce mixed in. dont rely on ready made items if you can avoid them. bland and simple for awhile. she could be dairy sensitive, wheat, gluten, corn, or she could be reacting to pesticides that remain on fresh fruit and veges, or preservatives along the way. if you use a new laundry soap or household cleaner, a new skin care product for yourself. check w/a health professional if the irritation persists. ask for suggestions from the doctor regarding possible allergies.
good luck, I hope she is just allergic to bad moods :)
Robbi

hi R. i am a mother of 6, grandma of 14. a few of my grandbabes have very tender skin and alligerys, we use renewal loition on all of their body. the best stuff for rashes and extrem dry skin. even diaper rash. all natural too.
look it up, www.melaleuca.com you might want to read up on the cream the doc wants you to use, side effects and want it really dose to the sink cells.. god bless lynn

This may not be the same problem but when my son was 6 months, around the time he started teething (does your daughter have her 2nd set of molars yet?) he got a rash on his cheeks. It was also the same time that we introduced him to solids. We went to the doctor and they prescribed Muciprin because the spots on his cheeks ended up having a secondary staph infection. They think the initial spots were from allergies. (These spots on his face did not cause scratching.) She also told me to use Aquaphor as a moisture barrier and I love that stuff. That worked pretty well although he does battle skin issues because he does have food/pet allergies. And they will tend to be worse in the winter because it is drier. It seems like the skin problems shows up as a symptom of something going on inside his body. He gets exposed to a dog: there is the inital hives/ itchy reaction, then a couple of days later his skin is covered in little red itchy bumps that he scratches which just repeats the cycle, histamines - the foot soldiers that just take longer to get to the battle. Run the course of medicine as the doctor prescribed and use the Aquaphor on her face after the medicine to "lock" it in. If it isn't cleared up after that then take her back in because there is something else going on. They may refer you to a dermatogist or an allergist.

My son gets something like that. I use the Exzima cream for babys. He is 6 but is nice and gently. I get it at Target. The bottle is white with a green lid and has pooh bear on the frount. I hope it helps

Hi R.:
Yes remembering back 27 years my oldest had a red rash on her checks. Rudy complexion runs on my side of the family so I didn't think to much of it. I remember trying a number of different creams. If you have tried the hydrocortizone cream and it is looking a bit worse I would try a creamy diaper rash cream especially at night. It tends to coat a little better and stay on the affected area. Give that a try for 4-5 days and see if that helps better. Sometimes these kind of 'rashes' just take a while to clear up and don't be afraid to try different creams you'll find the right one. If it doesn't clear up after or look a whole lot better in the next month go ahead and ask the doctor again tell him what you have tried and any changes worse or better. It may take an antibiotic cream to clear it up. Your daughter will be fine.

It sounds a little like what my nephew had. The Hydrocortisone didn't help, but washing it with Selson Blue did help. Sounds strange, but it worked.
Good luck!

My children also have eczema and very sensitive skin (even to bath soaps and laundry detergent), and the cold weather here does make it worse. The only lotion that we have found that works, that doesn't burn their skin and keeps it moist, is by Clinique and is called Water Therapy and comes in a tub (they also make a body butter that is a little thicker for the winter). It is a little more expensive, but there is NO alcohol in it and there is no smell or perfumes in it, it's hypoallergenic, and the tub does last a very long time. If you're able to shop at the BX on post, it is cheapest there. Lotions such as Aquafor and another that starts with a C (Cepaphil?) contain alcohol and would burn their skin and make it worse, and my oldest daughter especially, would cry it burned so bad. Since using it, they don't break out and have the problem nearly as bad, no trips to the doctor for eczema for over 3 years! Hope this helps, I know it was a life saver when a friend suggested it to us!

Have you introduced any new foods? Or have any foods become more frequent? A rash to the lower jaw can sometimes be wheat intolerance or I have even seen apple juice do the same thing. Watch her diet and limit all juices (especially acidic) and eliminate one food at a time and see if it makes a difference. Some Naturopaths can test for foods allergies or intolerances. good luck!

Hi I;m a neonatal/pediatric nurse practitoner and it sounds like it might be ezema. My daughter has it and it gets worse in the winter. I use Arbonne skin conditioning oil and their rejuvinating cream. I have friends that have had great results with it also. Does she have any other spots or is it just on her face. you can also check with a dermatologist if it doesn't clear up. Sincerely, M.

my daughter had the same thing and actually went away on its own. if anything we used pure aloe gel on it but mostly it just went away by itself after a few months. it didnt bother her so i didnt worry to much.

It's very possibly allergies. My son is allergic to eggs and peanuts and that shows up as a rash, which is better than breathing problems, but still difficult to deal with. It took the doctors and us a while to figure this out -- he's the only one in our family with food allergies. It's worth exploring the option.

R. hi i am the mother of 4 adult kids and 10 grandkids.
My boys didnt have skin rashes but my daughter did. She had eczema, on her face and in her hair.hydrocortizone creams work well but you may have to have perscription strengh. If it looks worse to you trake her back to dr and assk him to maybe do a skin scrape to look at it closer .then ask him for something stronger than otc med. Good luck and she may out grow this . My daughter still gets it in her hair and she has 2 girls that have the same thing ! Oh yea i do to !!

It sounds like Eczema my husband & 30 mo. old son have it. My son got it at about a year old. When it is real red we put hydrocortisone on it, otherwise we put Eucerin Calming creme on after he get's out of the bath daily. That is the best time to apply it. But don't apply the Eucerin if the rash is real red it could burn.

Hello R. -

I would recommend two things for eczema and nearly all skin conditions - make sure her bathing water is chlorine-free, as that dries the skin and can cause rashes. And put only petroleum-free moisturizers on the rash, which means using Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, or Aubrey Organics products. All the stuff in the major retailers contains petroleum-based preservatives and causes drying, not moisturizing. For immediate treatment, while the rash is bad, I would use Balm of Gilead from Earth Pharmaceuticals in Denver. ###-###-#### Owners name is Heidi. Cheap stuff, but heals everything!

Be well-
D.

My daughter also has the dry patches on her body and they tend to get red. What she has is a form of exema(sp?) They get worse from time to time. Our dr suggested using cetophil lotion and soap. Its all purified and has no scent or coloring to it. I know that sometimes if she's gone swimming or been in the hot tub it makes it worse. Just soemthing to consider. Anyways, good luck. BTW, Cetophil is an over the counter lotion & soap.

It may be ezcema. My son had that when he was a year old. I began using Renew Lotion from Melaleuca and it took it away. If it starts to get red or dry I simply put the Renew on. I had tried everything before that and it didn't last like the Renew does.

Have a great day!
L. Poulin
____@____.com

Our son has had dry skin on his cheeks and chin off and on since he was a baby -- he's 2 1/2 now. It seems to be worse in the winter, especially when it's dry. Not sure if it's dry skin for you, but the best thing for us has been to put a protective lotion on his face after bath at night. Many people I know like Aquaphor (which you can get about anywhere). We have also used Aloe Vest Protective ointment which we received in the hospital when he was born. If we use the lotion persistently at night, his cheeks and chin are much better. Hope this helps.

My 23 month old daughter has the same thing it sounds like. I do think it is mostly due to the weather. We just put a little vaseline on the spots. It looks a little shiny and silly but she loves it and it really feels good. Our pediatrician swears by it for most skin ailments. I keep a huge tub of it at home!
S.

My baby (now 8 months) has very pale and sensitive skin and with the cold weather and the indoor heat her cheeks got red and very, very dry...they actually started to look kind of scaly and even have tiny little broken blood vessels in them...it sounds gross but really she just looked kind of like a little Tibetan baby. I tried several different lotions and creams made for babies and nothing seemed to help...then I tried a little of my left-over Mustela stretch mark cream and in a couple days her cheeks were peachy and smooth! It's pricey stuff but I think it's formulated to really help skin heal. I'm actually going to buy another tube just to keep on hand for dry baby cheeks because the other (even expensive) lotions just didn't work as well.

You have already gotten some great advice. I think it's probably eczema as well. My son has tons of allergies, asthma and eczema. He has had it since it was a little one, 6 months, he's almost 6 yrs now. Anyone of the products suggested are great and so is a product called Eucerin. It's expensive though. You can find it anywhere, but Walmart has their equate brand that is way less money. If the products seem to work in the begginning and then tend to not work a few weeks later, I have found that that is normal. WE had to rotate several different kinds of natural eczema creams to keep him not itching and keep the rash done. I guess his body just built up a tolerance to each medicine.
Good Luck and I hope this helps.

I agree that the red patches are due to weather (usually wind and dry heat are the culprits). I am not fond of cortizone creams, so I use bag balm as long as the skin isn't broken. This forms a barrier between the skin and the elements. It also allows the skin to heal naturally without the aid of medicine. Good luck-A.

Have you considered food allergies? You may want to elliminate milk or wheat or both for 2 weeks and see if the rash improves.

My son has bad excema on his legs, bum, elbows and chest. We have been using bag balm on the rash right after a bath. We have also just removed wheat from his diet. We are waiting to see if the rash improves.

Instead of cows milk, I give him soy milk. There are also other milks on the market. In place of wheat, I have been using rice, corn, and other grains.

There is a wealth of information on allergies at the library. I am just beginning to look into hidden allergies for myself.

I hope that you are able to determine what it is and help your little one's rash improve.

~J.

it could be allergies, eczema or even rosacia. rosacia is a redness, usually in the face, and often causes dry patches. if you only see it on her face and the cream isn't working, it is more likely a skin condition of some sort. I would go to a dermatologist to have it looked at rather than a family doctor or pediatrician. good luck.

Hi R.,
My 3rd dtr. had something like this, I put a little bit of A and D ointment on it and it slowly went away. Hope this helps.
:)F. W.

Hi R.,

Have you thought of allergies? does anyone in your family or your husband's family have allergies of any sort? My family has several allergies: milk, soy, rice, almonds, dust, mold, and others. What you describe sounds like eczema, which is an allergic reaction. I had eczema throughout my growing up but I never knew it indicated allergies. Now that I know, I can see a direct correlation to an eczema flare-up and milk consumption!
I have found Bag Balm (green tin, originally formulated for cow's udders) helps with our eczema. Then, of course, eliminating the allergen. "Is this your Child?" is a great book for allergy information. Also, I would be happy to share more information if you want to contact me.
Good luck!
C.

It sounds like eczema (the spelling could be incorrect). The hydrocortizone cream should work to get rid of it and then use thik lotion like eucerin or cetaphil after her bath every day. I would say if it doesn't go away in 4 or 5 days to take your daughter in again.

Actually, my little 5 month old has had a rash since he was 2 months old. My oldest did too at that age. For him we went to a naturpathic doctor. It's gone now but he has perpetually dry skin which I put natural oils and essential oils (my own mixture) on after bathtimes to help with that. I am thinking my baby has a form of excema to something I'm eating (I'm breastfeeding still). It got considerably better when I got off dairy products. We are going to an allergenist next week to see if he can help. I wouldn't do any drugs or conventional topical treatments. It only treats the symptoms and not the deeper source. I would check for allergies, chemical reactions, detergents, food additives, everything and if that doesn't work, take her to an allergenist or naturpathic. Good luck!

Sounds like Eczema, my daughter has it on her head. We give her a nightly bath and follow with the cortizne cream prescribed by our doc, not quite the same as the over the counter kind ( not real sure what the strength difference is ) also, we rub her down with a lotion called Aquaphore, its really thick and really helps. Our Pharmasist helped with choosing that. Give it a try, we use the lotion several times a day and the rash has gone away, but we need to keep it up everyday to keep from coming back. Good luck !!

I have a famliy history of excema so the doctors advice sounds resonable.

Is she a drooler? Teeth coming in? My sisters kids cheeks were pink with runny noses every time they were teething.

Avon's Moisture therapy hand cream helps me and my kids alot.

R.,
It sounds like eczema which my oldest son had as a toddler. It could also be food allergies. Try reducing dairy products from her diet and see if that makes a difference. We found that completely eliminating cow dairy from our sons diet and giving him soy milk made it go away. Eczema runs on both sides of the family so both our boys are equally cursed.
Good luck.
A.

Sounds like eczema to me. My son has it too, really bad. We use baby eczema creme; I found it at Walmart. We put it on twice a day. Try to put it on after baths, and leave the skin partially wet so that the creme will trap the moisture in. Do not use regular lotions.

We had this with our son when he was about 15 mo and I finally realized that I had put a new/different crib sheet on his bed and the fabric was irritating his cheeks. Went back to the old crib sheet and voila - the rash went away. So think about if there is something new in her crib that might be causing irritation, or perhaps a piece of clothing (coat?) that rubs that part of her face.

My kids get those rashy patches on their faces too - especially my son, it's kind of red and bumpy. He has more sensitive skin, and also used to have chronic eczema on his neck, it magically went away last summer when he was 2 1/2 and has never returned. I put aquafor on his cheeks and other dry skin - it really helps! I would try other things before using hydrocortisone so aggressively- it thins the skin and is not a great longterm solution.

When my daughter was little she suffered from a similar state during cold weather; we used A&D diaper ointment. Also Aveeno makes great baby products for little ones' skin.

Sounds like the same thing my son used to get. Do you have gas heat/fireplace? That's the WORST! In the winter we just run a cool mist humidifier 24/7 and it helps. If I forget to refill it or shut it off it will show on his face. i am told even wood burning stoves dry up the air enough to do it.

sounds like it could also just be chapped skin. try Eucerin lotion. kind of greasy, but works fabulously. put it on generously at bedtime. if that doesn't work in a couple of days, i would talk to the doctor again.

We have alot of skin problems in our family and I find that the best way to get an accurate diagnosis is to go directly to a dermatologist. That's how we learned that my daughter's rash was a staph infection. It started out as you described. The danger is that cortisone will make a staph infection worse. Another time we found out that her rash was a fungal infection, also requiring a different treatment than we had been using. Once you know the cause of the rash, you can decide what your options are for treatment.

Hi. As a naturopathic doctor and midwife, I see kids and babies with rashes, and they are usually due to food sensitivities and/or a fatty acid deficeincy. I would love to help you figure out the root cause of this (the creams work only temporarily). I have good success with this, so if you'd like, my clinic number is ###-###-#### or you can visit me on the web at alexandrademetro.com
best wishes and enjoy your little one (mine just turned a year),
A.

I would stop by the pharmacy and ask their opinion.

My daughter used to get like that when she was about that age. I took her to the doctor and it seemed it was from the water at swim lessons, I used the gerber face balm. It looked like a huge thing of chap stick and even now I use Aquaphor on any dry spots she gets. But as alwasy the Doc is your best source of info sometimes.

Have you tried Lansinoh Lanolin (if you nursed this was your best friend early on!) It is save this way if your little one rubs it and puts in her mouth

The other suggestion is Bacitracin product. This is one that my homeopathic physician recommended when my son had a rash on his cheeks under the age of one. I found it easily at Krogers under their name brand label in a white container in the same section as neosporin is sold.

These are both great first aid items to keep in your diaper bag as well!

Hope this helps!

My son had something like this and I was told the same thing about the hydrocortisone but after much investigation we finally figured out is was the fabric softner we used. The hydrocortisone helped after he stopped coming into contact with the source. We slowly had to eliminate things one by one and watch to see if it helped and really if you think about it the softner was in everything that he touched...towels, clothes, bibs,...everything.

Dont know if it helps but its worth a shot.

Good luck!

My daughter had the same thing around 26 months. I went to the doctor 3 different times because it was getting worse, not better. She had red blotches all around her mouth and nose. I finally got a referral to a dermatologist and she had dermatitis- related to environmental factors. I got a prescription and it was gone within a week.
Be persistent with your doc and get a referral if you think she needs one. good luck:)

My 9 month old has very sensitive skin and gets these types of rashes on her cheeks frequently. If it's not too bad (just dry skin), I have found Aveeno and Aquaphor both to be very effective. However, sometimes if she's drooling a ton or whatever the rash gets yeasty and then the lotion won't help. Our doctor has recommended the hydrocortizone cream and then we usually put a layer of Desitin on top of that to seal it in an protect the rash. This typically clears her up within 24 hours.

I would check back w/ the doc again if it hasn't gotten better with the hydrocortisone. It could be any number of things. If it is just dry skin or eczema I have found that Aveeno works the best. My son used to get a rash under his chin when he was teething because of the drool getting in between the folds of skin and he needed an antibacterial ointment. Good luck, T.

I have eczema and this is what it sounds like your child has. My conditions worsens because of what I am eating. I react to foods with sugar in them, but not artificial sweetner for some reason. It is definitely an allergy and can worsen or spread quickly and to other parts of the body. If you are not having any success with the hydrocortizon (Use Cortizone 10 with the Good Housekeeping brand on it. It is all that works for me. Off name brands are a waste of money. Also, do not use the gel; use the cream that will penetrate and soothe.) then you will have to take your child to a dermatologist. They can prescribe something else for her. Also, if you are using anything with perfume in it please stop as it seems to inflame my condition and it stings. I have had my condition since one hour after my 22 year old was born. I thought I had gotten ring worm or something from the hospital. Hope this helps.

My son had this happen to him in the winter time when he was a baby. Hydrocortisone made it worse so I got the idea to put some chapstick on it and it cleared it up. It may be worth a try. -Jessie-

I can't say for sure but my 1 year old started to develop redness and dry skin on his cheeks as well. My sister suggested me having him tested for food allergies since her daughter had similar problems but on a more extreme scale. Long story short, he was allergic to milk, wheat, soy, and peanuts. Since his case was mild, the redness wasn't too bad but if you notice your daughter has flare ups after eating certain foods or tends to scratch her face after consuming things, try eliminating them from her diet. The best way to verify this possibility is to ask her pediatrician to have her tested for food allergies. Hope this helps:)

Using vaseline to keep her skin moisturized usually helps. Once you get the redness under control, keep her face moisturized with vaseline and try to keep her cheeks dry. This helped us and my son's face cleared up nicely.

I would try Lansinoh (pure lanolin) on it. I have found that it works wonders on dry skin that is dry due to the weather. Also worked on my daughters rashy skin due to rubbing her face around on a wet blanket. Cleared that up in one day.

Sounds like it is weather related, she is probably just chapped. I would try putting some sort of Lanolin on it. You can use something like Lansinoh (sp?) used for breastfeeding. Its in a purple container and usually in the baby section of most stores. Not only will it help with the rash, but if you continue to use it during the cold spells, it should prevent it from coming back. The lanolin is pretty sticky, so rub it in real good. I got this tip from a Mommy/Baby group that I went to and alot of the Mom's were real hardcore outside type people. They used it also to prevent frostbite on their little ones faces. I use it for chapped lips. I hope it helps, it can't hurt tho. :)

Have her checked for eczema. Our daughter had it when she was little too. Believe it or not try ponds cold cream, the original stuff(my cousin had it too and my aunt told me to try it). It helped, and she eventually grew out of it. Lanolin(sheep skin has it) can also work(our doctor told me that). If it is eczema, it could just be the weather that's causing it or there could be other reasons, allergies( I know that certain molds can cause it too( I learned that on a T.V. show)). Eczema can get to the point of cracking the skin and making it bleed, so it is important to keep the skin moist. But try the ponds, and some doctors recommend, not to bathe them everyday(ours didn't say that, but from what I've read on severe cases that is one recommendation). Hope this helps.
D.

R. -- It may be a form of yeast. Often, this shows on parts of the skin where moisture collects (in the folds of the neck, the creases in the arms, etc).. you could try a one-time application of cream (micronazole -- what you would buy for yourself over-the-counter). After her bath at night, just put a light dab on the rash surface. It it is yeast, then you will see a difference by morning!

Have you considered eczema? The hydrocortisone and a very mild moisturizer might help. They have special creams for kids with eczema at the store. Usually if it is on the face this is from an allergy (food). You might want to ask her pediatrician about that.

could it be fifth disease? does she also have cold systems?

Speeking from the same issues. I have supper sensitive skin and so does my 2 year old daughter. The Hdrocortisone is good but tends to dry it out a bit. Get your self some Aveno oatmeal lotion and put that on after the Hydrocortisone. Let the Hdrocortisone sit for a while but then to the Aveno. I think that they may even have the outmeal lotion in Baby Aveno. It will help. It's like chaped lips you just need to keep them moist.

Take her to see a Naturopathic Physician for holistic healthcare, including diet and lifestyle management. Hydrocortisone is a non-natural anti-inflammatory - and even more importantly, it is steroidal (read: hormonal). It works by inhibiting one's own immune system, so that the SYMPTOMS will decrease/ disappear, but it does nothing to treat the CAUSE of your daughter's rash. And by inhibiting your daughter's own healthy response to whatever is affecting her at this time (at her age, there's high likelihood that she's having a reaction to some food or food ingredient), the hydrocortisone will only drive the issue deeper into her body (compare to repressing one's emotions), and the problem will inevitably find another, usually more significant, way to again get her and your attention again. This rash is not the problem; it is merely like a dashboard light in your vehicle: it is trying to herald your attention to what the imbalance or dis-ease is. I hope this makes sense.

A Naturopathic Physician, aka N.D. (Naturopathic Doctor) or N.M.D. (Naturopathic Medical Doctor) depending on which state you live in, can work with you to find the cause, and along the way, educate and empower you to hone your recognition of the uniqueness of your daughter (over, say, 4 other children who might also have rashes; just because they all have rashes, doesn't mean that they all have the same causes; each case should be treated individually) and how to find and maintain what is balanced health for her.

Because some states don't yet license their N.D.'s, make sure that the one you choose has graduated from a 4-year naturopathic medical school (and not simply some online course). A great place to start is:
http://www.naturopathic.org/
This is the website for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Click on "Find a Doctor" and you can enter your city and state to find a Naturopathic Physican who belongs to the AANP. It is optional to join the AANP, though, so there may be other Naturopathic doctors in your area who have graduated from 4-year medical schools and who may not be listed at the AANP website. But this is a good place to start.

Eczma can be hard to get a handle on till you find the right treatment for her. My two girls have the same issue, only they get it all over. When the baby was just starting to get teeth, she was drooling so much, the underside of her chin got so chapped it looked like she was a recovering burn patient!! Constant wetness makes it so much worse. What works for us is to use the hydrocortisone cream then use Eucerin cream over that at least twice a day till it's clear. If the area will be getting wet we put on some Aquafore (made by Eucerin) before hand. Keep on top of it and it will get better. Any time you see the area getting red again use just the cream and that will usually work so you don't have to use the hydrocortisone to much.

If it persists for much longer, you might want to consider visiting and allergist. Sometimes food allergies will cause skin issues.

It sounds like it could be eczema. I believe this can be the case, especially with the change of seasons. My daughter has eczema and it can flare up with too much heat, certain things I eat and pass on to her through my milk, non-cotton clothing, etc. I try to avoid medicine as much as possible and try the natural approach first. You can try switching to a mild detergent (something that says "free and clear") too. Also, what kind of soap do you use on her? We use California Baby or Weleda and they seem to help. Watch the temperature of her bath - try to cool it down. Don't wipe her - instead pat dry. Then put some Calendula lotion (many brands at PCC) on her immediately after bath while her pores are open. Apply the lotion a few times a day, especially if it bothers her.

My daughter, 21 mo., has something similar to this currently, and I've been putting Eucerin cream on it, seems to be improving. Also, in the past I've used Aquaphor cream, which I LOVE!, I just don't have any on me right now, but it seems to clear up anything and everything on her lil' face. Good luck!
M.

Our son (6mos now) had a face rash that seemed pretty bad, dr said it looked like baby eczema, said the same thing- hydrocortisone cream- worked great, but I find if I don't use if for a few days, it starts to come back.... I only put it on at bedtime now, sometimes in the morning. good luck!