What Is Going on with My Son's Skin??

Updated on March 22, 2011
M.P. asks from Orem, UT
11 answers

Ok so 2ish months ago I took my son(17 months) to the doctor for an ear infection, and I had her take a look at my son's skin. I was very dry and scaly feeling, but when we lifted up his shirt he had awful red marks all over it that wasn't there before. She said it looked like excema. OK so I changed all of our products to help his excema. I started using method laundry and Aveeno skin products. It helped out a ton. He no longer has red marks on him, but his skin is still dry and scaly. It in fact has spread. Yesterday it was just on his back, today it's on his sides and a bit on his tummy. Is that still the excema? I've never had to deal with it before so I have NO clue. I have tried to lightly scrub it off like a week ago . .. just to see if it was dry skin and it needed help to come off. Did that make it worse?? He's teething 4 molars right now (so much fun). . .does that have an affect? I know skin and teeth don't usually go hand in hand, but if never hurts to ask.
**Oh and I looked at pictures of excema and it originally was slighly pinkish spots, but now it just looks like normal skin. Nothing like what the pictures show me.

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So What Happened?

**Sorry she did say it was excema. Sorry to not use her words. Yeah she told me that it was and not to use anything with alcohol in it. Dually noted not to scrub it anymore.
**We had an allergy test done at 11 months and he's not allergic to anything according to the test, but I know they can be wrong.

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R.B.

answers from Houston on

This just recently happened to my daughter and the doc said it was eczema. She gave me a prescription cream and it went away really fast. She told me I could have tried some over the counter hydrocortisone cream first so maybe try that and see what happens.

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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C.M.

answers from New York on

I would take him back to the dermatologist. My son (13 months), also has eczema. I was given a cream that seems to work, but not completely.I also tried Aquaphor, which I absolutely hate. Its just expensive vaseline LOL. I recently purchased Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Creme from walgreens. It seems to be working wonders. I've only been using it for less than a week, and his skin is getting sooooo clear. :) Its basically trail and era. What works for some, might not work for all. See what the dr. says, and take it from there. I hope it all works out. Keep us posted. :)

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B.C.

answers from Joplin on

MY daughter was diagnosed with eczema, but recently had a horrible break out that we just assumed was a worse one than usual and when we took her in for a re-check they said it was psoriasis. There is no cure for psoriasis. I would definitely take your son to a dermatologist. They put my daughter on a low dose topical steroid cream and also an oral steroid. I do not know what they do for one so young.

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N.F.

answers from Portland on

I hope my answer helps a little...

My son has had eczema for his entire life (14 months). It was such a struggle, and we tried everything to make it better for him with little success. At his four month well check, his pediatrician recommended that we give him a blood test to check for allergens. Long story short, he ended up being allergic to eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, doggies and kitties.

We immediately cut all of the things that we knew he was allergic to out of his diet, and within three weeks his eczema had cleared dramatically. Over the course of the last 10 months we have battled it still, but we have finally found a combination that works.

He gets a bath every night, but for no longer than 10 minutes. After his bath, and before his skin is dry we apply a good dose of Cetephil cream. When he wakes up in the morning, we apply cetephil again before we put his clothes on for the day.

Every time we try a new food, we watch very carefully to what happens with his skin. Usually, eczema will present itself the next day on his tummy, legs and face. We cut out the new food, and don't try anything new until the new patch of eczema has cleared (usually about a week). By the way, his eczema is not alway red and painful looking. Sometimes it just really dry and scaly.

Sorry for the long post, I hope that you can clear up your little ones skin! It is so horrible to see them itchy and uncomfortable.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful

C.C.

answers from Sacramento on

You can use a hydrocortisone cream, which is available over the counter, on the scaly sections. It will clear up right away. Ask your pedi to be sure, but this has always worked for us.

1 mom found this helpful

M.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

My son had such dry skin it was like chicken skin. Don't scrub and don't use anything with mineral oil. Look at botanical products, that's what helped my son...worked like a charm. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

Y.C.

answers from New York on

I would take him back to his pediatrician but yes, eczema doesn't go away fast, many parents actually have to deal with it for years. Scrubbing can actually make it worst. Stop the hard scrubing, get some aquapor, and don't bath for long (fast showers are best for babies with eczema) until you see your doctor. Hopefully it is just a change of clime, I was reading today in a magazine that our skin change with the seasons.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I would take him to a Specialist Dermatologist.

Don't scrub, his skin patches.
Since it is not known, what it is exactly.

Your Pediatrician said it 'looked' like Eczema. But it was not definitively diagnosed.

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A.G.

answers from Denver on

Eczema can sometimes be a reaction to a food sensitivity- you said you had him tested a few months ago, but I've heard of food sensitivities being the cause eczema, specifically dairy. Not sure how common it is, but you should definitely check with your doctor (or allergist??) again if his skin isn't clearing up with the modifications you've made.

We also use Cetaphil CREAM (not the lotion, but the thick cream) and it works wonders. I stay far away from Johnson's baby products and anything else with alchohol in it. Lotions, soaps, etc... My children don't have huge skin problems, but they have very sensitive skin and I've also never been able to use any of those smelly soaps or lotions because they dry out my skin.

Good luck to you and your son!

1 mom found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

My granddaughter has eczema. Sounds like eczema to me. Use a hydrocortisone cream on break outs. Otherwise give him a lukewarm bath daily and smear a heavy emollient cream, such as acquaphor or cetaphil on his skin while it's still damp. Vaseline works well. We liked the Vaseline Creamy. It's less expensive and works just as well.

Several mothers have given you good information.

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