What Is the Best Way to Treat/control Eczema in a 3 Month Old?

I wish there was a miracle answer, but it is an ongoing fight. My daughter who is now 5, still strugles with it, but the Doctor has found a cream that works for her and can be used every day as it doesn't have hormones in it, the cream is called "Mimyx".And best of all she likes to put it on herself and reminds me when it is timer!

Best of Luck, M.

My son is 3.5 months old and has the same thing. I don't believe in giving babies any oral medication, so I have just been using Aveeno products on his skin. The rash seems to be going away and I haven't even been using this product for a week. You might want to try Aveeno baby wash and lotion. It says right on the bottle that it can be used to treat eczema. My son also had it on his face, so I wash his face with the product also.

Hello. I read that eczema stays for a months or years, I guess depending on numbers of factors. My 4 month old has eczema all over and I put on Aquaphor and hydrocortisone 1% on top of the Aquaphor after it dries up twice a day, suggested by her pediatrician. It doesn't clear up but it does stop her from itching.

Hi there. I am an acupuncturist and herbalist and I specialize in the holistic treatment of children. The best way to treat eczema is to treat it from the inside out. The far majority of skin issues are a manifestation of something happening INSIDE the body. Eczema has a direct correlation to allergies later in life and is a form of allergic response on the skin. Unfortunately, western medicine only has symptomatic relief, typically with steroids, which have very serious side effects and do nothing to prevent future episodes. Antibiotics are an inappropriate and unusual prescription to give as it is not typically a bacterial infection.

Eczema is one of the most common things that I treat in my office and we are actually able to treat the condition and help prevent this from coming back and from becoming a life long issue. To treat eczema we start with diet (of mom as well if breastfeeding) because eczema in the body is an allergic response, often including sensitivities to certain foods. We also use supplements like omega 3's and other gentle anti-inflammatories and immune builders in the correct therapeutic doses. Often just a few supplements and diet change can be enough to rid the body of this type of response. In other cases we can also add herbs and stimulation of acupuncture points (with or without needles).

Treatment of this kind actually helps the body's immune system to become stronger, often preventing allergies & asthma at a later time in life. I hope this helps & good luck.

J. Stevens, L.Ac.
www.yourwholefamilywellness.com
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My son had the same problem. We used aquaphor when he was that small which was recommended by our peditrician. It comes in a blue and white jar in the cosmetics sections.

It never seems to bother him even now, he's three. However, my husbands cousin has it and it's very itchy for her, but she is older than my son

it usually clears up pretty quick if you're consistant with the meds & ointment.

Good luck!

We've had this from the get-go with both our young kids. Our 3-yr-old still has it bad, but thanksfully our daughter outgrew it around 3 yrs old. I wish i had some magic cure. My best advice is to be really careful what foods you feed them and hold off as long as possible before introducing solids. Also, don't bathe them too frequently and when you do, keep it short and apply a very mild moisturizing cream (we like WEleda). Also consider not using disposable diapers as we discovered the chemicals irritated our children's eczema.

Also, use the steroid creams really sparingly; they usually just make it come back worse. But it's good for those nights when they're uncomfortable and can't sleep from scratching.

There is an Eczema Assoc and they have a conference in San Diego coming up in July if you're interested. I'm sure you can find it on the web. ok, take care, and good luck to you.

Hi D.. I have a suggestion that came to me some time last year because my niece suffers from eczema and had a constant patch on one of her cheeks. The person that gave me the advise works for a pediatrician, and by no means is medically certified, but eczema is a common occurance in her place of employement. The pediatrician that she works for always initially recommends that parents try using the mild lotion, Cetaphil, that you can buy at any drugstore, and I have even seen it in Costco. She told me that using it twice daily should clear the patch in up to 2 weeks. Well, I mentioned it to my sister. She began using it that evening and the patch cleared up in 3 days!
So, I am a BIG believer and actually keep some around the house "just in case".
Best of luck!

Hi there,
My daughter has the eczema at 3 months too. The secret is not to let the skin dry out, I used to put lotion on my daughter three time daily, I used Aquaphor or Aveeno for her skin. My advice is to go all natural don’t use the hydrocortisone, it helps for a while but I wouldn’t recommend for you. Try Bach's flower cream, called rescue cream, they do have in whole foods.
Go luck

My daughter has had eczema on and off and she is now 9 years old, but it started when she was around 2 years old. We have never had to take an oral antibiotic, this would bother me for such a young child. We wasted our time going to her pediatrician, they gave us different creams, etc and it didn't go away. I then decided to take her to the dermatologist. When I took her to the dermatologist, he prescribed a cream and it immediately started getting better. It is much easier to control once you have initially experienced it and have the right medicine. Good luck and I hope your son gets better soon.

AQUAPHOR worked and still works wonders for our son, who is now three. He has had eczema his entire life and AQUAPHOR keeps it under control. It comes in a white tub, with blue and red writing, and a blue lid. You can buy it at your local Walmart or Rite Aid. It may seem to be a little on the expensive side, but we find that it's worth every penny spent. It is the fix-all for our family - from daddy's dry hands, mommy's dry and cracked heels, and sissy's diaper rashes. We love the stuff!! Oh, and it makes the best chapstick, too. I hope that you find something that works wonders for you guys, too. Good luck!!

No harsh soaps or baby lotions. I would just use warm water and wash baby gentle with a small amount of Johnson baby soap. They can irritate it more. I used Eucerin cream or Aquaphor for my last 2 babies. The Eucerin cream is very thick so just us a little, but it really works.

Good luck, Trish

Our daughter had eczema very young too. The doctor gave us a prescription cream, Eladel, that we applied twice a day. It was a miracle drug. In just a week it was gone. Later, as soon as we saw the signs of another outbreak, we applied cream. I mean, as soon as her cheeks started to get a little red, I put that cream on. Basically, we applied it twice a day for nearly a year. It stayed away. From age 2-4 we applied as needed. She stopped needing it around 4 1/2.

It really worked.
Stephanie

Hi D.,
My niece and nephew have eczema very badly (to the point of open, oozing sores that itch like crazy) and my sister-in-law took them to an allergist recently that said the latest research suggests bathing them a lot (3xday) in luke warm water (no soap or bubble bath though, just water) and then slathering them with lotion (cetaphil, eucerin, etc). It looks like it's working on them so maybe you could give it a try. Good luck!

Have you tried Arbonne's Baby Care? (ABC). It's wonderful for baby eczema. It's botanically based, no animal products, no animal by-products, it's dermatologist TESTED, there is no mineral oil in it... and the company has been around 26 years, so you know that are reputable.

I can tell you how to get it at a discount, too.

R.
www.arbonne.com

My son seems to have pretty sensitive skin with various patches of eczema popping up at different times since he was about 2 months (9 now). We only bathe him once a week, which helps, and use Eucerin on any dry or developing areas twice a day. Seems to work great for him.
Good luck!

I personally have had great success using Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream. I also take flaxseed oil. I used steriod creams for years and they made it better for a couple of days, but never made it go away. My son would get small patches on his body and I switched his soap to an Aveeno Skin Relief body wash and that has helped. I also wash his clothes in laundry detergent w/o any scent/chemicals. The same with the dryer sheets. I know from personal experience that the slightest scent can cause a problem. Good luck!

Hi D.,

When my daughter was a baby she had eczema and we were using the cortisone creams from the doctor and Eucerin etc., and nothing was really working. (We didn’t get her pictures done until she was 5 months old because she kept scratching her face!)

I started searching and found that a lot of products I was using had chemicals in them and needless to say I was shocked! I started shopping on-line with a company that has over 350 healthier, safer, products and they were very reasonably priced. They have a great lotion I have used on her since she was a baby that has helped so much,(and it has been clinically proven to work BETTER than Eucerin!) They have a line of children’s products that work great and the laundry soap is hypo-allergenic for sensitive skin, (so we can actually wash everyone’s clothes together :)), plus a whole line of eco-friendly cleaning products.

Let me just say once we started shopping with them and got all of the yucky products out of our home, her eczema went away. By the way she is 7 now! She will always have sensitive skin and will always have to watch what she puts on it. In fact, she is camping this weekend with her Brownie troop and I gave her our sunscreen, insect repellent mixture etc and told her not to use anyone else's or she would break out again.

If you are interested in more information, let me know!

Good Luck and just be careful with anything that she comes in contact with!

M.

You've gotten a ton of advice, but I have a suggestion that hadn't been mentioned. My daughter has Eczema (7years old) and I did not like having to apply Cortison, Elidel or steroid creams to her skin. After many different tries, her doctor recommended a skin cleanser called Cerave Hydrating Cleanser. This is what she uses in place of regular soap for showers. It doesn't have any fragrance and doesn't lather up like regular soap, but it works great. A little goes a long way. I have gotten it at Walgreens and Target pharmacy, no prescription needed just ask. Also, we use Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, in the tub not the pump, and use that in place of lotion. It is really thick and works great. I also switched to a natural laundry detergent. I use either Seventh Generation or another one that they sell at Costco, it starts with Ecos, sorry I can't recall the name right now. The one at Costco has a soy softener in it,so there is no need for fabric softener, which I had to stop using. We use this for the entire family, because I did not want her skin to come into contact with anything that would cause a flare up. So if you give it a try, I would strongly recommend using it on everything, since she is probably laying down on different blankets and laying down on or next to you. Also, I stopped wearing perfumes, because these would cause her skin to flare up. They are simple things to change, but they have made a world of a differance. She has not had a flare up in two years, which is great for her. Hopefully something will work. The items that I use are really easy to get, between Target and Costco we are covered. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any more information.

Thy grinding pure dry oatmeal flakes and add to bathing water... that is the main ingredient in AVEENO...but without the chemicals!!!And some Epson salt, small amount like a teaspoon!!! Just do not let her drink the water it may give her diarrhea... Just on the body and the parts affected!!! You can also add a lettuce leaf in the water to make her sleep better ( it has melatonin!!!)all is absorved though the skin!!! Love, G.. :0)
P.S. Mix coconut virgin oil with Nettle (open a capsule)1/4 of a cap and stay away from soy formulas, they have too much aluminum and manganese... which cause eczema!!!Oh and use only organic and environmentaly friendly soaps for the clothes... stay away from chlorine or bleaches that irritate and are absorved through skin!!!

Try Baby Bee skin creme. Here's their website and testimonies:
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Produc...

Hope this helps!

My son's eczema (he gets it on his face) responded well to Cortizone 10 applied to the area once a day. When he was small like your little one I would do it while he was sleeping. Now when it flares us (he's 2) I put it on him at bedtime and by morning it's usually pretty clear. Eucerin cream also helps keep the area hydrated.

Hi D.,

My 3yrs old son was an extreme case of eczema. He was born very clean but within 30days of his birth he developed rashes from head to toe. The best way to treat eczema is keep body clean and moist 24/7. Although, my son's eczema is 90% gone. He only has rashes on his face. I use Citaphil cream atleat 4-5 times every day on his entire body. The best way is to apply citaphil everytime you change diaper. I know it is lot of work but it will cure your kid fast. Sometimes eczema triggers becuase of food allergies as well. Keep a watch on what you feed your child. I never preffered giving antibiotics to my little kid. Instead, I give him anti-histamine twice a day. As he goes to the day care, I give him drowsy anti-histamine at night, so that he sleeps well and don't scartch himself and non-drowsy Claritin (for kids)during the day. It saves my child from scratching. When the rashes are severe, I mix doctor's prescribed steriod with Citaphil and apply to his body it helps immensely.

I really hope my suggestion help your baby.

Archie

I have had eczema my entire life. It doesn't hurt, but it does itch at times. The main thing I learned is not to assume I can use lotions or deodorant soap that other people use without thinking, as I am allergic to most. I have been able to use shea butter when I need a lotion.

I have this same skin condition and the first thing I would say is DON'T give the antibiotics. It will clear his skin up while he is on them, but it will come back with vengence when the perscription is done. I have personal experience with this. I was so frustrated that I let my doctor convice me to put antibiotics into my body and then have it come back and bite me. My advice is to keep it moisterized. Find a good quality (more natural) lotion that you feel comfortable putting on your baby a couple times a day and apply frequently. Always moisterize after he is bathed. Also be careful what soaps you use. You can try to find something that is fragrance free. And see if that helps. Good luck.

both my little boys have had eczema. my two year old grew out of it by the time he was about 9 months, but my 8 month old developed it at about 3 months and still gets the odd flare up! i find that oilatum cream and bath emoliant are the best to keep it at bay, eapecially when they are used together. i also found bathing them only about 3 times a week helps, rather than nightly as this only dries out the skin further. if the eczema is really bad, and the skin is breaking down, you could ask your doctor for a topical hydrocortizone cream that can be used for very short periods of time to calm it down. hope this helps! A.

My daughter had it when she was 4 months old and it cleared up pretty quickly. Keeping it under control can be difficult on sensitive skin, but we managed with Aquaphor. They used to only sell it in cosmetic section and some stores have it behind the counter at the pharmacy, but so many people use it for their babies now that most stores have started carrying it in the baby section by the lotions and shampoos. Apply that 3 times a day - one being right after bath.

We also only used Cetaphil (sp) soap for shampooing and body wash. It's very gentle. Don't use any other kinds of soaps or bubble baths...they tend to dry the skin out even more.

2-3 times a week I would add baby oil to the bath. Skip doing hair on those nights or you'll have a very greasy-headed boy.

Good luck!

As soon as my daughters cheeks start getting the pink that comes before the patches appear, I slather her with Eucerin lotion. You need to get the kind in a tub, not the tube, since the tub kind is thicker and for us has worked much better. If I catch it early, it is usually gone within a couple of days. If I don't catch it, it takes a couple of days longer, but we have been able to keep the episodes to a minimum just by using the cream. I use it in the winter time pretty much daily (usually over her whole body), but the rest of the year I only use it when she looks like she is going to break out. We also try to bathe only every other night (in summer, this is sometimes not possible after a full day of outside playing). Keep bath water warm not hot, and apply lotion immediately after the bath. We put lotion on my daughter so often that she now pretends to put lotion on her "babies" on a regular basis.

If your child has eczema it very well can be something that occurs often. My daughter has had it since birth and is now 8 yrs old. We have a prescription for Elidel, which is a cream to treat it. However, it can't be used daily because it's a potent drug. When my daughter's breakouts are mild, I use Vaseline and a moisturizing lotion like Eucerin.

We actually just found out she is gluten intolerant and the dr said that her eczema quite possibly will go away. That it has been an allergic reaction to the foods she's been eating.

If it gets too severe with your child, you might want to see if he's allegic to certain foods. At 3 months, if you're using formula, it could be an ingredient in the formula that he's allergic to. I breastfed my daughter and never used formula so her dr thinks it could have been whatever I was eating that caused the allergy/eczema.

In any case, Vaseline and Eucerin lotion are great over the counter soluntions to daily treatment. Question, though... why was he prescribed antibiotics? Did the rash get so bad it became infected? Excema is not typically treated with antibiotics because it's not an infection, just a skin condition. Hmm...

Good luck.

My daughter had eczema as an infant, and the only thing that cleared it up was Arbonne's all-natural baby products. Nothing the doctor reccommended ever worked for her - only the Arbonne products. I signed up to be a consultant (only $29) just to get the products at a discount and shipped directly to me. She kind of outgrew her eczema, but still has flare-ups from time to time, if she has been washing her hands at school too much and using regular soap. For more information you can email me or go to www.everydaycounts.myarbonne.com to check out the products. Good luck and congratulations on your new bundle of joy!

-K.

Try buying some organic laundry detergent. It is safer for the babies skin. I read in an article that regular commercial laundry detergent, even Dreft has chemicals in them that could irritate babies skin. Try Seventh Generation organic detergent or Mrs. Meyers detergent. Should help.

My granddaughter also has Eczema and she would complain of it itching and burning, the dermatologist prescribed Hydrocortizone cream. After one of two applications the rash would clear up. Also something you can try to keep it from reoccuring is to use Eucerin lotion. After each bath pat them dry and apply the lotion to their moist body. Cover them completely as eczema can appear anywhere on their body (mostly legs, arms & face). Good luck.

C. H

Frequent baths, warm baths and fragrances can irritate eczema. I would use Dove sensitive skin soap or cetaphil cleaner. You do not need to use only "baby" soaps. This was my advice from a pediatric dematologist. I've found most of the "baby" soaps have to many fragrances. Johnson smelled to strong for me. Eczema is a broad term that just means dry skin. Particularly if your daughter is itchy I would see a dermatologist and a pediatric dermatologist is you were concerned. They can also have flacky skin and patches which are a related condition to cradle cap. Lillian Soohoo at the Stanford Medical center is really good and is a certified pediatric dermatologist.

My daughter got eczema when she was about 6 months old. I also used the antibiotic ointment but at night and in the morning we would use Aquaphor all over her dry skin and it worked great. I only had to use the anitbiotic a few times.

D.,
I have skin problems. My daughter has skin problems. Our whole family has skin problems. Dry itchy, red skin...and nothing has seemed to work. However, I discovered at www.brownbagbotanicals.com a shea butter that is amazing. The owner, a stay at home mom, and mother of two little girls, originally made this butter for a skin condition her baby daughter had that was non-responsive to medication.

Just recently my bonus daughter, a vet technician, had a flare up of itchy, red, dry skin on her hands and arms. The doctor put her on two rounds of Prednizone with the only gain being in weight. She was miserable and thinking she might have to quit work as they thought she might be allergic to something in that environment. I happened to have a jar of the BBB shea butter that I had just ordered, and gave it to her. Within one week the swelling, redness and itching was completely gone and she is back at work.

I'd give it a try. The story of the creation of the product is on the web site.

Good luck.

K.

Hey D.,
Try removing all citrus from his diet- it usually helps a lot!
Also, might try removing pinneaple and strawberries sometimes do it as well. But I know for sure that citrus can really aggrevate eczema.
good luck!

It can itch, and it can hurt when the skin is really dry and sore. All 3 of my boys ranging in age from 6-15 have had it, including myself as well. The dermtologist told me when the outbreaks are bad the best thing to do is give less baths and when you give them a bath right when you get them out of the water (without drying them off) put vaseline in the bad areas to cover the skin and seal in the water. What it basically is, is a shortage of water in the skin that dries out your skin. My dad has always used vaseline after shaving and I never realized why until he told me that if he doesn't he gets a rash too. The vaseline can be messy but honestly it's one of the few things I've found that actually seals in the water and eliminates the rash after using it.

I myself have really bad excema and psoriasis on my face and one of my twins breaks out too! I have found the best cream that will take a couple of days to clear up but works great! Try the Aquaphor Healing Cream it is made by Eucerin can be found anywhere. I use a little bit on my face when it breaks out. I even use that cream on diaper rashes and it is awesome, the rash is gone the next day! As he gets older and if it continues....stay out of the sun and watch diet. Lots of caffine will be bad for his skin. Also get a good dermatologist....

My son who is 3 1/2 was just diagnosed and we were given an oral antihistamine to help with the itching, a mild cortisone cream, and eucerin cream. It cleared it right up. My son's did itch him but it didn't really seem to hurt him or bother him too much. His doctor suggested that we use no harsh soaps or anything with a fragrance until his flare up was under control. That included body soap, lotion, bubble bath, and detergent. The eucerin cream is really thick and a little hard to spread but that is why it works so well. Even though his flare up is over I still put the eucerin cream on him two to three times a day to keep it from happening again and to keep his skin soft. I have never heard of a doctor giving an antibiotic for eczema and I would be reluctant to take that for every flare up.

Dear D.,

My daughter, Anna, began having eczema when she was between three and four months old. The doctor recommended mild cortisone cream, moisturizers, etc, but those just treat the symptoms rather than get at the underlying problem.

Luckily, I spoke to a mom whose son had severe eczema, and she had learned from a Naturopathic doctor that eczema in infants is usually a reaction to something in the diet. And it CAN come through breast milk. The only food my daughter was getting at that age was my breastmilk. This person recommended cutting wheat and dairy from my diet first, to see whether it made a difference. ("Wheat" means not only whole wheat flour, but anything made from white flour as well--a huge part of the typical Western diet). Anyway, I cut out wheat and dairy (very painful until I adjusted and learned all the foods/flours I could substitute) and the eczema went away. But when I ate a modest serving of pasta, a day later, the eczema was back. So I cut all wheat out of my diet again, and kept on the wheat-free diet until I weaned my daughter at 19 months. We had no more problems with the eczema. The dairy I only gave up for a few months--by around seven months, she seemed to be OK with it.

If the wheat-free diet makes a difference, you can look into spelt flour (a more ancient form of wheat that people who are sensitive to wheat can often tolerate). I also use barley flour a lot in my baking. Health food stores and stores like Whole Foods generally sell these and many other non-wheat flours in bulk.

Good luck!
J.

Let me first say that eczema is so common in babies that the word "diagnosed" seems very odd to use in conjunction with it. Baby skin is sensitive - he may likely just be having a mild allergic reaction to something or he may just have patches of dry skin. My 19 mos. old daughter has patches of eczema (has since I can remember) and I've had psoriasis - similar to eczema - since I was in the 4th grade. I assure you - it is not painful (only in VERY severe case would that be the case). The key to controlling skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis is basic care and attention. In other words - don't ingore it for several days/weeks at a time. Using skincare products like Aveeno Baby (for wash and lotion) and applying hydrocortisone ointment (use the ointment - it's much better than the cream) daily should keep in under control.

Both of my sons (ages 6 and almost 2) have foood allergies that cause eczema. (Actually so do I!) Eczema that is dry and scaley might not be caused by food allergies, but if it is red, raised/bumpy and itchy, I would say there is a good chance it is. And speaking from my personal experience (for all three of us), eczema is itchy and does bother you. It also makes it harder to sleep well.

For our 6 yo, it started at 3-4 months old. It was on his cheeks and sometimes got so bad that it got infected. That turned out to be caused by egg passing through my breastmilk, which we didn't figure out until he was 9 mo. Five days after I stopped eating eggs, the rash on his face went away and never came back. As he got older and started eating more solids, we found that several other foods give him eczema, but none as bad as egg was when he was a baby (and on his torso or arms or legs, rather than his face.)

Our third child developed a rash on his face at 12 mo. It started on his forehead and then spread down to his cheeks. That turned out to be a dairy allergy. He had not reacted to dairy in my breastmilk. Nor did he react to the hydrolysate formula our allergist had recommended (Good Start) if I decided to use a formula to suppliment breastfeeding. The milk proteins are partially broken down, making them easier to digest and less likely to cause an allergic reaction. The rash developed when we switched from formula to whole milk. After two months where the rash grew progressively worse, we switched him back to Good Start. We now avoid all dairy in his diet (other than the formula) and the rash has not returned.

Unfortunately, allergy tests are usually inconclusive in children under 3yo, so you have to depend on trial and error to figure things out. Eliminate the suspect food for two weeks or so and see if things improve.

Good luck!

Hi D.,
My son had it too when he was 4 months old on his ankles and the backs of his legs. I tried EVERYTHING out there. SOme of it even made it worse. I did the cortione 10, all the lotions on the shelf. His dr gave put him on 2% hydrocortione which cleared it up instantly. However, you have to be careful as it will thin the skin. He would have a few outbreaks on his cheeks but nothing serious. I finally tried Burts Bees as my final resort. They make a baby line too. It is sold at Target, Longs and I have sometimes seen it at Walgreens. I threw out all the others once I saw the results of Burts Bess. This product did wonders for my son. night and day. Its a little pricy but what a huge difference. I love the lotion because is not only smells good but it isn't thick like most of the lotions out there. I just started using the Burts Bee's milk bath powerd feels so good on the skin and their prodcuts all smell sweet.

Good luck to you. Yes, they will out grow it.

SAHM, 39 with a super active 2.5yo son and baby due July. Love being a mom.