Friday, January 23, 2009

Need a little advice

In the last week, I have heard from two sources that there is a direct correlation between eczema and a dairy allergy.  Brady has bad eczema on his head. This morning, the poor guy had red patches all over his forehead and head. 
I have been told that when you are nursing, it's a good idea to cut out dairy products if there is eczema.  If I think about it, I have tried to drink more milk & have been eating a yogurt a day. Could I be making things worse?  My hands have been bad lately too. I have red patches that even the thickest lotions won't help.
I know that many products sold in stores aren't good for babies even thought they are said to be. I am now researching and switching to 100% natural skin stuff for him. Even that hasn't completely cleared it up.  Products like baby oil, etc, are really not good at all.
If any of you have experience with this, please let me know. I have spent a lot of money on this, and seem to be getting no where.
And, yes, for some reason today, "blogging" is working here at work....

9 comments:

Melissa said...

Hi Bonnie,
I occasionally read this blog: (Too hard to explain how I know her.)
www.argarvin.blogspot.com
Anyway, her infant daughter has eczema, too.
You may find some pertinent information.
Also, I've experienced some "rosy cheeks" with Ruby. I asked about it at her 4 mo. check last week and our dr. said it was more than likely just because of the time of year...Lots of people's skin suffers in the winter.
I have had good luck with putting lanolin on Ruby's cheeks. They look "back to normal" in no time.
Worth a try!

Dr. J said...

Bon, the only bit of advice I can give is that there is very little evidence that what a nursing mother eats can effect the baby in ways like this. Obviously what you eat/drink matters from a nutrient/production standpoint but allergy-wise I don't believe a mother can pass on things of this nature.
~R

Dr. J said...

...one other thing...very low humidity can set off eczema. I know in F-M it gets VERY dry during the winter.

TBRKO said...

Good point Ryan. Our house is dry, and I neglected to keep the humidifier filled this week. Thank you all and I will do some research!
Any more info is greatly appreciated :)

ABCDH said...

Cecelia had TERRIBLE eczema as a baby (red from the neck down). She still gets patches of it from time to time.
After trying almost everything I found Aquaphor to keep it at bay. The real red patches are treated with a prescription hydrocortizone cream (very small amounts on each spot!)
I only bath her in Aveeno bath wash (expensive, but worth it) and as a baby tried to limit her baths to only about twice a week at most.
It has gotten better with age, but also flares up depending on the weather.
Poor baby, I feel sorry for the guy.
Oh! and, of course, comfortable clothing - but you know that already.

TBRKO said...

Aquaphor isn't doing anything for either of us this time. That was when I got stumped! Kate uses prescription shampoo and has a prescription too.
Gotta love this crap huh?
I do bathe him daily. Now that he is being bottle fed part of the day, I feel he needs it. It must drip to his neck. You have no idea how many chubby rolls he has...

Dr. J said...

Ben's M.D. obviously missed class the day they covered correlation vs. causation. From a human physiology and research standpoint what I posted above is correct, however...

Ben brings up a good point re: anecdotal evidence. There's obviously no harm in cutting out dairy and seeing what happens. The only problem is, you won't know what actually made the difference since eczema is a self-limiting condition anyways. If you can manage it, maybe try one thing at a time and see what seems to do the trick.

Unknown said...

I used any and everything on Alex. An old school Pediatrician told me to use straight up vasoline. Cheap, not any additives, and it worked like a charm. Granted he was a little greasy but his skin was beautiful!

ABCDH said...

Bonnie-
Check this out:
http://www.belmontfive.blogspot.com/
This gal used to be our neighbor on Lake Eunice. My aunt came across this and called me to share this with you.
As you can see, this was a real problem for her child.
Hope it helps.