What to use on baby excema?

Hi Ladies,

Elliot has some largish patches of excema on his chest and shoulder and have noticed smaller bits on his elbows and knees. The HV has advised to moisturise with normal baby lotion several times a day but it doesn't seem to be helping yet (he's only had it just over a week so I might just be impatient!) Has anyone found any products to be particularly effective? I was quite surprised that the HV didn't advise E45 or something more 'medical' iykwim.

TIA!

Matthew has eczema, and so did his sister. I use Oilatum Junior baby bath, and cream him twice a day in Silcock's base.

I went to the doctor and was prescribed Fucidin H, an antiseptic cream which contains hydrocortisone, I apply sparingly on bad patches. His sister was covered head to toe at 4 months so I wanted to tackle it early. My GP told me to stay clear of all baby toiletries like J&J baby wash, for example.

If it gets bad I would definitely go to the GP's.

Thanks Maryline, a visit to the chemists is in order for us I think! He doesn't seem bothered by it if it's no better by next week I'll take him to the docs as it looks quite sore in places.

Oh yes and I've just realised the correct spelling of eczema lol.

both J and S has quite bad excema. we use oilatum in the bath(only bath when desperate!) and aveeno cream as moisturiser. we get both on prescription. also use a steroid cream when itts really bad

A

xx

W has oilatum and doublebase on prescription from docs

See your gp and you can get everything on prescription. A 1% steroid for flare ups. Cetraben is recommended for little ones rather than E45 and double base (DB is meant to block hair follicles). If it's weepy you would need fucidin H. Cetraben to be put on lots (I do M about 3 times a day). 

Oilatum in the bath. 

My HV prescribed Cetraben last week which I am putting on L twice a day.  She also gave us a sample of Oilatum (I have since bought a larger bottle), but neither seem to have had much effect yet.  Saying that, it's only been 6 days.  

Should I be reducing the amount of baths I am giving him?  He usually has one every other day or so but the exzema is only mild and doesn't seem to bother him.  

Dazzaln73:

Should I be reducing the amount of baths I am giving him?  He usually has one every other day or so but the exzema is only mild and doesn't seem to bother him.  

You are meant to bath them every day if it is infected but less (preferably every three days) if it's not. However, I think Oilatum has an accumulative effect plus how on earth you get away with bathing a weaning baby is beyond me. M is definitely in need of a bath every day after dinner! 

Are you keeping him in the bath long enough? It needs to be a 20 min bath if you can keep them in there long enough. M crawls all over the place in the bath now but I spend a good 10 mins plus following her around with a cup and pouring the water over her body. 

Also, ask for it on prescription - I get it for M and it's blooming expensive to buy. 

Thanks Rusty.  

He's usually in the bath for around 15 mins - it's a struggle to keep him in that long sometimes TBH as all he seems to want to do is put his face in the water and screams when I keep sitting him up!!

I will try to get more Oilatum on prescription when I see the GP next week for myself - hopefully he won't mind that it's my appointment not L's. 

I used greenbaby moisturisers when B was a baby as they don't have alcohol or tons of preservatives in.

Was inwardly disgusted when Dr prescribed aveeno as you can just buy it over the counter and was expecting something more 'medicalised' too!

He has just got a few dry patches back now (he's 3) and have started using pure potions salve and it has worked almost immediately. It's made with beeswax and other lovely things with no nasties and it really goes a long way (have got a tiny pot for about £4 as a trial and think it will last quite a while)

HTH

Ruby [ love]

1

I was told to bath Louise every day in silcock's base. I t has to be melted in boiling water before adding to bath water, very faffy. I cream Matthew  twice a day (ideally) then bath him in oilatum about three times a week.

Daisy had mild eczema on her face when she was about 2 weeks old. The only thing that worked for us was Aveeno 3 times a day- it cleared it up within days.

We had previously tried E45, Oilatum & Epaderm with no success.

Eczema can have many different causes so what works for one baby might not work for another.  It's a question of trying different things until you get to the one that works for you.

Personally the two creams I would steer clear of are Cetreben and doublebase.  Cetreben is too watery in my opinion, and doublebase looks lovely in the tube and is visually attractive to children, but the chemical that makes it wobble nicely, isn't good for the skin.

The most important thing is to have an emollient bath in warm (not hot water) (Oilatum junior is good as it fragrance free) for 10 - 20 mins, and put emollient cream on within 5 minutes of getting out of the bath.  if you wait longer than that, you lose some of the effect of the bath.

If you are using steroids, you should wait until the emollient cream has sunk in for between 10 - 20 mins before applying the steroid very lightly.  This helps reduce any potential irritation from the steroid and also means the emollient cream provides a better base for it to work.

(I appreciate this makes bathtime a long drawn out affair.  You're supposed to do this twice a day too - which effectively means you lose a couple of hours to treating eczema every day!  I'm ok with bathing once a day and just cream in the evening- but it's whatever works for you).

Oats are good depending on whether the eczema is wet or dry.  If it is wet and weepy, then an oat bath or oat based cream works well to dry it up.  In my experience, oat based products don't work so well on dry eczema.