[Ana01]

Eczema is not something that get's cured. Eczema is a skin condition that can be controlled. Most children out grow their eczema. However, some will have lingering affects throughout their life.

If your child has eczema, you should see a pediatric dermatlogist -- they are different than just adult dermatologist.

Generally, the treatment for eczema is a mild cortico-steriod cream like Desonide or 1% hydrocortisone a coupletimes a day to the affected face areas and a higher strength cream to the body.

Baths should be limited to 3 minutes. We recommend to bathe with CeraVe cleanser or Cetaphil cleanser, pat dry followed by CeraVe cream or Cetaphil Cream (cream not lotion). If the skin is very dry -- hydrate the skin several times during the day with the cream.

Use mild detergents or baby detergents -- fragrance free. cotton clothing.

Since this is something that is controlled and not cured, your child may have a flare. When this happens, hydrating the skin and using a mild steriod cream like a hydrocortisone should control it. Sometimes, that isn't enough.

Also if there is itch... keep nails short and claritin.

hth

[susmjones]

My DH is a dermatologist and our DD has eczema- krafmatic had great recommendations. Cooler, short, baths less often are really important. DH recommends Eucerin or Triple Cream in the morning (Triple Cream can be more expensive). At night, right after bath or right before bed he uses Aquaphor (or sometimes Triple Cream) before he puts her PJs on. It works well to keep it under control.

[guatparents2be]

Originally Posted by JillnChris

How did you know to do these things? Do you have to get an allergy test done first?

you caught me. i'm a naturopathic physician so this is what i do for a living. i never offer advice here as it's not appropriate, but i do share what i do with my child and what i have seen others do that work!

re: allergy testing, it will not catch sensitivities, and often eczema is a sensitivity not an actual allergy.

the most common food sensitivities are dairy, wheat, soy, corn, sugar, and artificial colorings and preservatives. for julian we knew he had a dairy allergy/sensitivity as he was diagnosed in guate. the soy and the corn we figured out as we stopped needing to use topical treatments when we stopped his formula! the gold standard for determining sensitivities is elimination (6 weeks) and reintroduction.

and to the poster that said it can't be "cured" but "controlled" i would add that in many cases there are triggers that cause symptoms and that when the triggers are removed a condition can all but disappear. and know in jules' case that that he has not outgrown it because when he eats the foods the rash comes back. is the elimination of his sensitivities a "cure"? no. is it addressing the cause of the problem instead of just treating a symptom? yes!

[sak9645]

Continued use of hydrocortisone will actually cause worsening of some skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, and can also cause permanent changes in skin texture.

For mild eczema, the best choice is lots of moisturizer -- the greasier, the better. Aquaphor is considered the best, but it's as greasy as Vaseline. If you don't like the texture and don't want it all over the furniture, my recommendation is Cetaphil Cream (not the lotion). It's white, unscented, and pleasant in texture.

Some doctors recommend tar or salicylic acid shampoos for scalp flaking, but I would avoid them with children. Also avoid too-frequent shampooing and use a fragrance-free shampoo designed for sensitive skin. For young babies and toddlers, a little mineral oil can be rubbed into the scalp.

For bad flareups, you really need to take your child to a pediatric dermatologist. He/she will prescribe steroid creams that work better than hydrocortisone, but will counsel you to use them for only short periods of time, till a flareup subsides.

Bathe your child in warm, not hot, water. Use no soap, if possible; if your child gets very dirty, then use one of the hypoallergenic, unscented kinds. Pat dry, without rubbing, and then apply Aquaphor or Cetaphil. Never use fragrances, scented lotions, etc.

Wash clothes, bed linen, and towels in mild detergent and DOUBLE rinse, just as you would for a newborn. Wash new clothes before putting them on your child. Try to avoid clothes that bind or chafe -- stay away from tight elastics and such.

Some people believe that food allergies play a role in eczema and psoriasis, but I have never found that to be the case, and I have psoriasis. Check with your pediatric dermatologist and see what he/she says. And if some foods seem to cause flareups, skip them for a while.

Sunlight is good for eczema and psoriasis, but sunburn will make things worse.

Sharon

[c.a]

Originally Posted by sak9645

Continued use of hydrocortisone will actually cause worsening of some skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema, and can also cause permanent changes in skin texture.

Please be very cautious with hydrocortizone - or any cream which contains steroids. They should be used sparingly - and only for limited periods of time. Prolonged use of steroid creams will make the problem worse, not better.

A few years ago I had an outbreak of eczema. Dr. prescribed a steroid cream - similar to hydrocortizone. He should have, but failed to advise me that the cream could not be used for more than one week. When the eczema became worse, he said that my skin had developed an addiction to the steroid - so every time I stopped using the cream, the eczema would come back with increasing severity. I had to stop the cream cold turkey - and just tolerate the horrible itching until my skin could recover.

I do manage my eczema with shorter baths, using cetaphil or dove soap - or no soap at all. If I have an outbreak, a soak in an oatmeal bath will get my skin clean and I only wash my hair.

I use eucerin, aquaphor, or lanolin based ointments like Purelan (usually found with breastfeeding supplies for chapped nipples).

Good luck.

[akasohappy]

Don't know if any of you seen my post on the 1st page of this thread, but I mentioned DD was going to derm. today for possible eczema.
(Our ped. originally said she had eczema so that is how this all started....)

Derm. said she didn't have eczema.
The fine flesh colored bumps that look like "chicken skin" or "goose bumps" are called keratosis pilaris alba......the white spots on her cheeks pityriasis alba and the long white patch on back of shin is not vitiligo - he said it is lichen something. I can't think of the name. (he wrote is all down, but I am trying to do it from memory because the paper is in the car and I parked at the end of the drive and it is COLD and I don't want to go out)
Basically he told me lotion her up often, and spot treat drier, itcher spots if I needed too.
Try to bathe her every 2 or even 3 days and try not to let her stay in very long or use very warm water (that is just how she likes it too! darn)
Oh, and the scaly patch on her scalp by her ear he said is mild psoriasis. He said to spot treat with a little dandruff shampoo and I could use a little hydrocortisone on it if I needed and that should clear it up.

I thought the "chicken skin" was eczema. I felt silly, but he really took a long time with us and was super nice.

Just thought I would share our results after my post the other day, and just wanted to add that I am thankful that she is fine and none of those things need treatment and will go away in time.


***probably misspelled most of the terms above***

[Ana01]

Glad to hear that your dermatologist was able to diagnose and give you an appropriate treatment plan.

Yes -- atopic dermatitis or eczema is often associated with triggers. In the case of my son, I know what sets him off so I am able to control his atopic pretty well. The moment he gets a small flare, I can address it and it's pretty much gone.

Keratosis pilaris -- those are those bumps you get, often times on the arms. Theres a bunch of OTC stuff that you can use for that. It's more annoying than anything else.

PA -- pitaryasis alba is a very mild type of atopic (as it's been described to me); sometimes characteristic by white spots. A mild cortisone cream if it's pretty bad. But for the most part with my son HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE....

Our office highly recommends CeraVe which is OTC and not always very easy to find but studies show -- as well as the results that I have personally experienced show that the skin retains a great deal of the moisture.

When I first met my son -- his skin was sandpaper. When I returned, I had a package sent to my fostermom including CeraVe cleanser, cream and a cortisone cream. I made clear instructions that the cortisone cream was ONLY TO BE APPLIED to the raised patches once a day. she was also asked to hydrate him several times a day. a month later -- we had baby skin. And to this day...

[joanr]

I posted earlier and thought I would add. OUr little guy has Moluscumcontagiosis. It takes forever to get rid of. He came home with what doctors said was a skin tag. Well it spread all over his side and onto his bottom. I can not believe I missed it. My 8 year had it when we wnet last October for a visit trip and at pick up. It took 9 months for his rash to clear. Now poor Daniel has it. The skin tag was actually the moluscum which we kept at bay by keeping him lotioned.

A month ago a kid at day care had lice. So we have to wash his hair everyday with Tea Tree oil to keep prevent Lice. I believe that is why it is happenening.

My reason for mentioning this is that this rash is nothing major it does not seem to itch for him as it did for 8 year old, but it is contagious and can take (according to my doctor) up to 3 years to clear up. Kids who get eczema are most likely to get the rash. They look like little skin bumps that grow into fluid filled pimples. When they burst that is what spreads it.

I found using organic based shampoos and very little soap and Eucerin and Vanicream to be the best to help Eczema and the rash.

Just an FYI

[Ana01]

Mollescum Contagiosum is a pox virus -- similar to warts. Often times, the mollescum will resolve on their own. You can go to your pediatric dermatologist and they can help the process of ridding them using several in office procedures and medications. I will tell you from experience that they don't go away right away and often times families are a bit discouraged and think that the treatments don't work right away.

And yes, there are sometimes a 'rash" associated with the mollescum.

And yes, they are extremely contagious. Often times, can be spread in the pool. Go figure!