I have just discovered your site while searching for cure for my baby. She is 4.5 months old only, but is suffering from eczema over almost whole of her body. I know she feel very itchy and try to scratch her body or face, but since we disallowed it, she cries very often. I want to find a natrual cure for her since I know that steroid is not a long term solution.
Can anyone direct me to the right natural medicines which I can use since she is only a baby?
My nieces suffered severe (total body) eczema breakout in their infancy as well. For them, we used Burt's Bees Baby Bee Buttermilk lotion, the Buttermilk Bath soap, and vitamin E bath oil. This natural skin care regimen restored the moisture in the girls' skin and promoted the skin's natural healing process. In two weeks time, the skin was completely healed. The healing has remained for over 4 years now. This is a natural product; however it contains a natural fragrance that may serve as an irritant to your child's skin. Borage Dry Skin Therapy by Shikai may be the best option for your child. It's a fragrance free moisturizer that comes in adult and pediatric forms. Both of these product lines can be purchased at Whole Foods market (a national health food chain).
In order to have true success in healing the skin of eczema, you will need to address these three areas: internal, external, and foreign. This is why our family has had such dramatic successful results for years now. My recommendation of the product line for cleansing and moisturizing just addresses the external part of the healing process. If you only address one part of the process, you will only get part of the healing, resulting in temporary relief. My goal is to provide you with the wisdom to obtain immediate relief and longterm healing.
Addressing the internal (restoring health to the immune system) is done by cleansing and by adapting a good nutritional diet of water, fruit, and vegetable. Adding a multivitamin supplement is also a benefit to a healthy immune system because it addresses the vitamin deficiencies that may exist. In babies, their main source of nutrition is either breast milk or baby formula. In the case of my nieces baby formula was culprit to the eczema breakout. Each niece was different; therefore we had to find formulas that worked with their systems to promote normal (regular, no constipation) bowel movements. The reason that regular bowel movements are so important is because constipation lends to the toxins being released into the bloodstream and out through the skin. Finding the right baby formulas was different for each niece and key to their healing. To supplement thier vitamin deficiency, we introduced a multivitamin for infants in the liquid form. As they grew into the toddler stage, the introduction of the healthy diet of water, fruit, and vegetable was also key. Drinking water will not only rehydrate the dehydrated skin, but it will also flush the blood stream of toxins. Fruit and vegetable, along with providing the vitamins and nourisment the body needs to function properly, also absorb the toxins in the body and promote their proper elimination through bowel movements.
Regarding the external (rehydrating the dehydrated skin), I've given you the option for bathing and moisturizing that worked for us. I've also cautioned you that it contains fragrance; and therefore, have provided you with a fragrance free option for your consideration. Because the skin is an external organ, it needs to be addressed both internally and externally. Allergens enter the body through these points of entry: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. The skin's moisture barrier serves as the skins protecter (or defense) against the allergens/irritants. In eczema sufferers, the moisture barrier is depleted; thus making the sufferer vulnerable to attack from the harmful allergen/irritant. Moisturizing the skin immediately after bathing is necessary in order to retain the moisture that is lost after a body is saturated in water due to the evaporation process. Also important in the process of moisturizing is to apply the moisturizer to clean skin. It is recommended by many doctors to bathe eczema suffering infants only once or twice a week. Because our water isn't chemically treated and because we used a non-drying natural cleanser for bathing, we bathed the girls daily and applied the buttermilk lotion to clean skin. It was important for us to bathe (or clean the skin daily), because we didn't want to allow days for the bacteria to grow on the skin.
Addressing the foreign (identifying the allergen/irritant), is important so that you can rid the promoter of the breakout from the child's environment. These are some of the allergens/irritants that promote eczema breakout: certain foods (specific to the individual, not general), pet dander, dust mites, stagnat/dry air, pollen, harsh/synthetic fibers (wool, polyester), drying soaps/detergents, household cleansers, paints & other chemical toxins, stress, and in certain cases, immunizations. For my nieces, along with a baby formula that wasn't conducive to their system, dust mites were also an issue. We addressed the foreign (allergen/irritant) by cleaning the house (fabrics) of dust mites and by switching to baby formulas that worked with their systems.
Because we addressed all three of these points, my nieces' healings were immediate and have endured for the longterm. You can achieve that same success. I go into such detail for healing the skin of eczema in the hopes that it would make parents of suffering children less fearful, and more hopeful. In other words, to let you know that you can actually conquer it; as opposed to it conquering you. However, and if you want a quick fix (simply because you're just tired of the suffering), there is a natural option to steroid creams that was formulated for infants and children with eczema called NaturalDerm Skin Rash Cream. You can visit the multistrength website to find out more about it.
Thank you very much for your good and kind advices. I have started to use goat milk and apply an organic oil: Baby Palm. It seems better for the last 4 days. I have also used Neem soap (have you heard of it) for bath. The swelling parts starts to flatten and dry up. I do not know whether it is due to healing, there are scalings on the old eczema area and Christy(my baby's name) will scratch her face, ears and legs very hard whenever she finds a chance.
I will also order the Borage dry skin therapy and oatmeal bath as recommended by Aunty. But since I live in Hong Kong, It may be quite costly to deliver. I wonder if there is any shop you know in Hong Kong which I can check for these organic products. The one I have just learnt does not have Oatmeal bath.
Besides, Chrity has very severe Craddle cap problem. Her head is so dried up and there are terrible flares from her scalp. We use olive oil to soak before bath and apply Camelia(?spelling) oil on her head, but it only helps a little bit.
I really want to help Christy recover because I can't bear to watch her suffering. When I read all your emails, I am almost in tears as you have offered much hope for me.
Dear Aunty, please do not blame the doctors also. My husband is also a doctor and they prescribed steroids because they do not know other more effective methods and not because they want to earn more profit. Now I am really grateful for his support for me to try these natural products now.
Thank you very much,
Jasmine
P.S. I am quite confused if I need to reply the same to Eczema support group as the memebers there have also helps me a lot.
As I have written before, there are many natural options (cleansing & moisturizing) that will bring good results in healing the skin of eczema breakout. Neem oil is one of the many natural products that are beneficial to skin rehydration and healing. Your current skin care regimen seems to be working towards the process of skin healing. Likewise, oatmeal baths aren't the only options for bathing. For us, it was the Burt's Bees buttermilk product line. If you've found a store that provides good organic/natural products for bathing and moisturizing, I am sure that there are other options for bathing that are equally beneficial for the skin, apart from the oatmeal bath. Vitamin E bath oil, aloe & calendula are some of the other options to consider. Personally, I think that you have already found a good alternative for bathing with your introduction of the neem bath product. Basically, I think that you've addressed the external sufficiently. At least give it another week to determine its effectiveness.
Remember that I have said there are three parts to address when healing the skin of eczema (internal, external, and foreign). I'm not clear if you've determined what your child's particular allergen/irritant is. This is very important to discover; in order that the good work you're doing to help the skin heal is not being made counter-productive due to the fact that the allergen/irritant is still in the child's environment.
If I've given you the impression that all doctors are bad, then I've done a poor job in articulating my point. Several of my family members are in the medical field as well (for generations now). In every profession, there are both good and bad representatives of the professions. In America, there are a lot of politics involved in the medical profession. Doctors (too often) are caught in the middle between the pharmaceutical companies lobbying and patient care. Eczema and acne are big business for these companies; thus the longterm approach to patient care (symptom suppression as opposed to skin healing) is promoted and encouraged. This has been the case for my mother's persistent suffering for almost 40 years now. For me to deny this truth, I would be chosing to spare the feelings of the medical community at the expense of continued patient suffering. When my nieces were born, I couldn't remain quiet; nor could I stand back and watch them suffer in the same way that my mother has suffered all these years. I don't hate doctors or medicine. I don't think that all doctors are bad; however I do know that all doctors aren't good. We learned not to blindly trust the physicians and to weigh information given to us with common sense wisdom. In other words, we took from them what was good and threw away what was bad. In order to fix what is wrong in the medical profession, you have to be able to acknowledge that it is not perfect or without flaws. Your husband happens to be one of the good doctors. He understands the origin of modern medicine from its natural predecessors. I consider you to be blessed to be married to what I consider to be a precious gem - a good doctor.
Thank you very much for your detailed note. I am glad that I may be on the right track on internal and external factors. On the forgeign factors, I would appreciate if you give me some guidance how to find out the irritants.
My baby is very itchy whenever she wants to sleep(being held by us because she needs us to curdle her to sleep, and I doubt it is our clothes, but we have also tried to use 100% cotton. Is it because of the washing powder we use in adults clothes? Is it because of sweat? I tend to think that when she is upset or lonely, she will feel itchy, kind of emotional/psycological reaction.
One thing I notice that she is extremely hot and it seems it is due to her internal body, especially when she feels irritated, itchy and crying. When we try to stop her from scratching, the itchiness intensifies. Sometimes we need to use fans to cool her down and it does help sometimes.
I remembered that her rashes comes out the first time when we bath her in excessive Johnson baby bath, and maybe the synthetic clothing we gave her to wear worsen her allergy. We have already thrown aways those clothes.
I do notice when she is put on the bed covers which do not feel so comfortable(may be due to dyes/material although all are 100% cotton), she starts to scratch faster than when we put on more comfortable bed covers. I wonder whether anti-dust mite bedding materials or organic cotton materials is better if I were to try one of these.
We have a dog at home, but we have locked her out in one of the room since arrival of baby most of the time. The dog seldom comes out into contact with the baby at all. When the baby is brought back to my home(Baby stays at mum's place during daytime where the dog is kept), she shows the same reactions and itchness. So I guess it might not be due to the pet.
Besides the above obervations, I can't think of any more possible factors. I would appreciate if you could give me some hints.
You've just proven why I say that parents or guardians are the best detectives in determining their children's particular allergens/irritants. You did an excellent job in articulating your observations. The good news is that I strongly believe that you've positively identified your daughter's allergens/irritants. The bad news is that I believe that your dog (in particular, the pet dander) is a major contributing factor to the persistent eczema flareup.
Animal dander is dead skin that is continually shed. In the cases of animals that serve as household pets, it is referred to as pet dander. Although you've taken the precautionary measures of separating your daughter from the dog, the remnant of the shed skin (pet dander) remains in the air, fabric, upholstery, or carpeting throughout the house. Therefore, even though she's separated from the pet, the pet dander may still be present in her surroundings. Also, if you have a central heating system and even if the dog is kept in a separate room, the pet dander could be circulated in the air through the vents. For people who aren't willing to part with their pets, placing an air purifier system in the effected child's bedroom would be a good alternative. Another precautionary measure is to wash the pet weekly. It may not always be that your child will have an allergic reaction to pets; however because infants and their immune system are at the most vulnerable stage (new to the world, new to the environment), an introduction of a pet at a later point in their lives (as they grow older) may be more appropriate. It's much like the introduction of certain foods or drink; it's a gradual process.
Purchasing the anti-dust mite bedding and mattress covers is a very good option for alleviating your daughter's eczema flareups. Getting rid of the synthetic clothing and changing bath products was a smart move as well. To remedy the overheating problem, it is suggested that infants with eczema wear 100% cotton fabrics and that the clothing and bed linens are layered to adjust to temperature changes. Although it's a lot of work initially, it pays off very quickly and in the longterm when all three factors have been successfully addressed (internal, external, and foreign). My nieces' severe eczema breakouts are distant memories for us; and for them, they don't even remember what the suffering was like. I do believe that this will soon be the case for your daughter as well. We fought so strong in the beginning because my nieces' immune systems weren't able to effectively fight. Because we addressed the immune system with good nutrition (water, fruit, and vegetable) on a consistent basis throughout their growing period, they've developed a healthy immune system; which has taken up the fight where we left off, resulting in less work for us all. I guess the point that I'm trying to make with you is that the fight to heal the skin of eczema flareup will not always be such a frustrating and hopeless struggle. There is no need for you to fear it; but with your gained knowledge, there is a need for it to fear you.
Thanks for your good advice. I have just a set of dehumidifier with air purifier function. Hong Kong weather is very humid nowadays and I hope this will help. We will also try to wash the dog more frequently.
I do not believe that the dog is the cause though, because Christy shows the same itchness reaction when she is brought to my home (where the dog is not kept)during weekends.
She is still showing itchness nowadays. I will just need to wait slowly. I have ordered the borage oil as suggested by you, waiting for the delivery from the US. She is still having serious cradle cap problem after using olive oil. Any suggestion?
Finding the right skin care line (especially when treating eczema in infants) is imperative to the healing process. For us (my nieces) it was the Burt's Bees Baby Bee skin care line. However, and because each eczema sufferer is different, this may or may not be the case for your child. Check out these two websites for their natural skin care options for babies: www.earthwormherbals.com and www.storkbabygiftbaskets.com. Included in both of these (fragrance free) baby skin care options are cradle cap treatments: Eczema skin salve ointment (1st website) and Therapeutic Botanicals Baby oil & Baby shampoo (2nd website).
I know that you're convinced that the pet dander from the dog is not an issue; however I am still not convinced that the pet dander from the dog isn't a major component in your daughter's persistent eczema flareup. Although your daughter spends the weekends with you, a majority of her time is spent with your mother (where the dog is kept). She is still itching when she comes home with you because her system has not yet recovered from the toxins or bacteria in her body or skin. Let me give you this example of why I'm still not convinced the pet dander isn't an issue. I am severely allergic to poison ivy. Last year, I suffered a major allergic reaction (breakout) after coming into contact (clearing brush on my brother's land) with the poisonous oils of the poison ivy leaf. After recognizing and identifying the particular location of the ivy, I was careful to stay away from further contact with them. When I went home (away from my brother's house and away from the poison ivy), I suffered severe itchy nights and days for two weeks. Although I had rid the poison ivy from my environment, it took some time for my body to rid the poisons from my blood stream and for my skin to heal. This is why I still believe that the pet dander is indeed an issue in your daughter's eczema breakout. I could be wrong; however I'd rather for you to have heard my point as to why I still believe that the pet dander is an issue, before you close the door on that possible allergen/irritant. Ultimately, you know best. Therefore, trust your instincts.
Is your baby formula fed or breast feed? There is an article written by a Dr. Tom Gardiner, titled,
IMPORTANCE OF GLYCOCONJUGATES IN BREASTFEEDING AND EARLY NUTRITION. In the article, it reads,"..breast-fed children followed until 5 years of age had a lower occurrence of eczema, asthma, and food allergies compared to formula-fed children."
You can read the full article at:
http://www.glycoscience.com/glycoscience/start_frames.wm?FILENAME=C005
Hi
When my son was 4 months old he was diagnosed with eczema, now he is 7 months old. He was exclusively breast fed for four months.
From last One and a half month his rashes have disappeared. May be it is the weather.I am not sure exacly what worked. I just wish it never comes back.
This is what I did for first three weeks :
1.1st two days I put 0.5% hydrocotison 2 times a day to clear all rashes
2.Bath him with cetaphil every day not more then 5 minutes. (Still I do this )
3.Use "New Baby aveeno" 4 times daily --After bath, before bed and early morining and in between once. (Now I use only once a day).
3. No sour thing in my diet-like tomatoe, vinegar etc.
I made a food diary for myself what I was eating.I figured out that my son has flare up when I eat tomatoe. So I stopped eating any sour thing.( I feel this is most important)
4. Put humidifier in his room. (Now days I don't put the humidifier)
5.Dress him up in 100% cotton
6.No heater or AC ( we are not using heaters and AC ever since he was diagnosed till date)
It is known that most babies (50%)outgrow eczema when they are 9-18 months (I read it in a book called 'what to expect in the first year') or sometimes when they drink water and starts walking they out grow it.
Hi Meena,
Sounds like you are doing everything correctly.
We have had simular situation for all 6 kids and like you said, most out grow it by 18 months. But can re-occur later in life like acne. :(
One thing else is What are you washing the laundry with. ?
We found thast washing all clothes, bedding, towels and all laundry with baby soft was about the best solution. Some liquid detergents they say will work well as they do not leave as much residual detergent left over in the fibres and will cause less skin iritation. But overall BABY SOFT if better I think.
Member -- what every baby touches should be washed same as his clothes !
Hope this helps.
Dave
Here is my mesage for m another forum on Eczema
I got involved in Zenmed for one reason. My sister in law bought it and here skin troubles were GONE !!
She had 15 years of doctors visits, steriods etc. NOw 1 year later her carmel skin is PERFECT !
I was sold and our sales are increasing day by day
I am new to this scene. I sell Acne creme and Drugs online at http://zenmed.drugspills.com .
Thank you
Dave
dave@drugspills.com
And we highly Endorse ZENMED not just because we sell it Because it works !!
The eczema of your four and half month child could be Atopic Dermatitis wherein there is an eczematous condition of the ares of the skin especially the folds of elbows, knees, dorsal region and finally affecting the face too. It causes severe itching and on scratching there would be some oozing, rawness and secondary infection of the area.
Any suppression of the spot with some ointments would be deleterious as it can cause respiratory ailments like bronchitis, bronchial asthma etc.
Homeopathic Medicine has good remedies like Thuja, Ars, Bacillinum, Medorrhinum, Merc sol etc. to reduce the itching, lesions and preventing the recurrence. The disease has its phases and may not disappear at one time. There could be episodes of recurrence but everytime they would be lesser in intensity and frequency before altogether disappearing.
Please try these alternative methods:
Possibly Effective:
BIFIDOBACTERIA
Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
Giving infants Bifidobacterium lactis orally seems to help reduce the severity of atopic eczema and the markers for allergic responses including soluble CD4 in serum and eosinophilic protein X in urine.
LACTOBACILLUS
Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
There is some evidence that taking Lactobacillus GG orally can reduce symptoms of atopic eczema in infants allergic to cow's milk. Lactobacillus seems to decrease markers of hypersensitivity reactions and intestinal inflammation, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF),, and alpha 1-antitrypsin. Lactobacilli also seem to stimulate the production of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta),, which protects against allergy.
RICE BRAN
Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
Applying rice bran broth topically seems to help reduce atopic dermatitis.
I strongly encourage you to try the elimination diet that someone already mentioned. In my own experience, I get eczema when I consume even TRACE amounts of wheat, soy, or milk.
Also, I find it is VERY important to use non-irritating soaps for laundry and bathing, and to wear natural fabrics as much as possible. In fact, most of the ingredients in commercial soaps are known irritants. When scientists are creating skin irritation in lab animals for test purposes, they use sodium lauryl sulfate, a key ingredient in regular soaps and detergents.
I wish I had learned this 30 years ago. Instead, I lived with bleeding scaly skin for years.
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