Forum home Babies Baby

ECZEMA AND BABY SKINCARE WEBCHAT

Dr Steve Hewitt from E45 is hosting our LIVE webchat 12-1pm today on the subject of eczema and baby skincare. Thanks for joining us Steve! Please post your questions here. FREE E45 emollient product to the members who post the first five relevant questions.
Web Ed Nicola
«1

Replies

  • Hi Dr Hewitt

    What is the best kind of creme touse and how many times a day should it be applied
  • How closely is eczema linked to diet?

    My LO is 3.5yrs, allergic to egg and has had eczema since birth.

    Also I am due 2nd baby in 14 weeks, is it likely that he will have it too??

  • My baby gets flare ups of eczma on his cheeks when he's ill or teething, but the rest of the time his arms and legs are very dry with a red pimply rash that doesnt go away. Are there different types of eczma and do you treat them all the same...by just applying creams?
  • Hello

    Are steroid creams harmful in the long term?
  • I have heard that people with eczema lack an essential fatty acid that can be found in hemp seed oil, is this true?
  • What else can I do to help my babies eczema apart from putting cream on? Thanks Tammi
  • hi
    My baby has just stared to have red, dry blotches all over his arms, on one arm it is the size of a 10p piece, could this be eczema? i've tried fullers earth, vaseline, bepanthen and olive oil and nonthing seems to help. he's also got it on his cheeks too.
  • Is it likely that my son could grow out of eczema? I had heard that by the age of 2 children grow out of it and I'd love to know if this could happen.

    Also - can sunflower seed oil affect eczema? (I have been using the body shop baby range for my son and the body wash is the only one containing sunflower oil and that is the only product which seems to affect him)

  • Dear smiler1

    you don't say if your baby actually has eczema; I'll assume yes. Emollient creams differ in their texture, ease of application, and so on; it's important to find a cream that is acceptable to you and to baby, not too greasy etc. Experts say that eczema creams should be fragrance free, so that narrows the choice. We recommend E45 Cream is used up to 4 times a day and it's important you use enough cream on the affected area - can be up to 250 grams per week, or half a tub. You should talk to your GP if you think a product is not working or your baby seems to react to it.
  • Dear kazzab,
    food is a major trigger for some eczema patients; you will find our quite quickly if a particular food such as eggs, makes the eczema worse as within 24 hours the reaction will be noticeable. Most children grow out of this 'food intolerance' in a few years. If the eczema flares up you might need to use a steroid cream to manage it, otherwise keep using the emollient cream every day, even if the eczema is not in 'flare'. Avoid other trigger factors too such as bubble bath and ordinary shampoos as these can worsen eczema. E45 make junior bath products and shampoo specially for children with eczema; just ask your pharmacist.
  • Kayley and Harry,
    what you describe is normal in many children - worsening of the rash at teething times. The skin becomes more irritated by the dribble on bedding and clothing and as he/she chews on fingers, obejcts etc. Between teething it sounds as thoug there's still some irritation and you should try an emollient cream such as E45 Cream applied to the red areas four times daily. This will help restore what doctors call the 'barrier function' of the skin to build resistance to irritation. If you are worried about persistent red rashy areas, mention it to your GP or health visitor next time.
  • I have been told by my doctor and health visitor that my baby (10 weeks) might have eczema and to just keep an eye on the spots. When/how will I know if she really does or not? She has very sensitive skin and had a reaction to diprobase when I used it on her face so have been told to use olive oil on her body and nothing on her face. Her face was quite bad last Thurs when I saw my hv but seems to go then come back again - this am it's not so bad.

    Also, she is being breast fed, as food effects eczema, can what I eat have an effect?
  • Hi AMoss
    Steroid creams are an essential weapon in the battle against eczema, and are widely used to control 'flare-up'. Always follw the directions on the prescription, and use a non-medicated emollient cream such as E45 Cream in between flares, even when the skin looks normal. This will help prevent the next flare.

    Steroid creams can be harmful if used for too long, or if the 'strength' or potency is too high, as they can make the skin thinner and more fragile, but this is over several weeks.

    If an eczema flare does not respond to steroid creams within a few days, then you should talk to your health visitor or GP.

    But you should not be worried about using steroid creams - they are safe and effective when used as directed.
  • I have a friend whose daughter has a pigment type of eczema (?) on her arm at the moment. It is like a white streak that goes us her arm that is also raised and dry. Do you know what this could be and how to treat it?
  • Hi, my daughter is nearly 4 and she has suffered with eczema since she was tiny, she has no specific allergies that they can pin it down to but it flares up and she scratches so much that she will make her skin bleed, she is ok at the moment but usually has flare ups at the beginning of autumn, which I am assuming is doen to the heating being put on in the house, and in the summer when we use suncream, is there anything I can do to stop it flaring up in the autumn?

    Thanks Hayley
  • Hi again smiler1 !!
    It's true there are differences in the fatty acid metabolism and scientists are actively looking at the effects of supplementation with linolenic and linoleic acids.
    On the other hand, using too much of a particular oil could upset the baby's digestion...I would suggest using a balanced diet as the basis of good feeding, both for the breastfeeding Mum and for baby, when they are taking solid food. Cereals and vegetables are rich in these essential fatty acids, and dry patches on baby's skin can be prevented by using emollient oils in the bath, or a massage oil before bed.
  • Hi tamarabell
    There's lots you can do to help manage baby's eczema:
    always avoid soap, shampoo and bubblebath that wash out the natural oils of the skin and cause dry skin areas.
    Many children react to house dust and so by fitting the child's bed with a matress protector and keeping their room warm, but not too warm, and dust free, this can help avoid triggering flare-ups.
    Some foods can act as triggers too, so if a flare happens, it might be linked to a food that baby's had in the last day or so
    Baby's bath should be on the cool side with eczema, as a hot bath irritates the skin, and of course baby should be patted dry not rubbed. Finally while the baby is still damp, apply that emollient cream to help seal in the moisture and allow the skin to repair.
    The National Eczema Society has a very good advice section on their web site.
  • Dear willma
    It's quite usual for eczema to start on the face, and in the folds of the arms and legs, starting with a small dry skin patch which gets red and irritated and then starts to spread. Firstly, just check you're not using a biological washing powder which can irritate baby's skin.
    Dry patches of skin should be treated several times a day with an emollient cream - your pharmacist will be able to advise you - and this will help rebuild the skin's natural defences and gradually reduce the redness. If you or your partner had eczema as a child, there's a chance that baby has inherited this tendency, and you should seek help from your GP in the next couple of weeks to avoid it spreading or worsening.
  • Hello Kia, love the picture !!
    The majority of children do grow out of eczema; about half of all baby patients will be clear by the time they are 10. Scientists still do not fully understand why this is; it may be the maturing of the immune system.
    In the meantime, parent do what they can to keep baby's skin moisturised with emollient cream, avoid harsh soaps and detergents (as you seem to be doing), biological detegents and other household factors like dust, excessively dry rooms, and so on can also be controlled.
    If baby is reacting to a particular product, it could be anything in that product that's to blame - preservatives, fragrances etc. Try using a mild, specially formulated wash product such as E45 Wash, which is designed for use on eczematous skin.
  • Thank you Steve for your very informative answers, and thank you to all members for posting and visiting during the webchat.
    The webchat is now closed, so please no more questions. Steve has kindly agreed to answer any outstanding questions he didn't manage to get to during the chat, so keep refreshing this page to view his expert advice.
    The first five members who posted questions will receive their E45 emollient products, so make sure your registration details are up to date with email and full postal addresses.
    Web Ed Nicola
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions