Tangerine Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My 5 month old c-section baby has eczema on his face, head, elbows, wrists, and ankles. He has also had blood in his stool (red/undigested) a couple of times. No c-diff, or other intestinal infection. His doctor originally suspected dairy (DH had a dairy allergy as a baby), I also removed wheat, soy, and corn. He did a round of topical steroids, which cleared it up, but it immediately returned with reinforcements. He also, when he's having a worse day, cries an "in pain" cry and is inconsolable, he is at all other times an extremely affable guy. Not a difficult baby outside of having to deal with the itchiness and pain. I am now removing eggs, nuts, and legumes. I am essentially doing the paleo autoimmune protocol starting today. I am also keeping a journal, and documenting his progress with photographs. I'm not eating anything with a label, other than coconut milk (in a can, no extra ingredients besides guar gum) and coconut oil/avocado oil. Things of that nature. So there's no modified food starch or anything hinky sneaking in. His 3 year old sister has also always has eczema (wrists and elbows), and we never nailed down her triggers. A couple of things. I do realize it is possible that this isn't related to what I am eating, but I'm going to try to exhaust that possibility. Also, I'm overwhelmed trying to pick a probiotic for him (right now he's on a dairy free infant drops probiotic, but I have no idea how effective it is.) Between trying to find one that is allergen free, and will survive the trip down the gullet since he clearly can't swallow a pill, and trying to sort through strains, and spore producing, and soil organisms: I'm kind of overwhelmed. I can hack a super restrictive diet, I can do whatever I need to if it helps him stop trying to rip off his face. Anything I'm missing that I absolutely must do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My son went for allergy testing as an infant. His eczema was out of control. As soon as he started on alimentum it started going away within days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagel270 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 They can do allergy testing from a finger prick. My son is allergic to everything. As in, he has about ten things he can eat. Or he tries to scratch his legs off. You should probably get him tested. :sad: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My 5 month old c-section baby has eczema on his face, head, elbows, wrists, and ankles. He has also had blood in his stool (red/undigested) a couple of times. No c-diff, or other intestinal infection. His doctor originally suspected dairy (DH had a dairy allergy as a baby), I also removed wheat, soy, and corn. He did a round of topical steroids, which cleared it up, but it immediately returned with reinforcements. He also, when he's having a worse day, cries an "in pain" cry and is inconsolable, he is at all other times an extremely affable guy. Not a difficult baby outside of having to deal with the itchiness and pain. I am now removing eggs, nuts, and legumes. I am essentially doing the paleo autoimmune protocol starting today. I am also keeping a journal, and documenting his progress with photographs. I'm not eating anything with a label, other than coconut milk (in a can, no extra ingredients besides guar gum) and coconut oil/avocado oil. Things of that nature. So there's no modified food starch or anything hinky sneaking in. His 3 year old sister has also always has eczema (wrists and elbows), and we never nailed down her triggers. A couple of things. I do realize it is possible that this isn't related to what I am eating, but I'm going to try to exhaust that possibility. Also, I'm overwhelmed trying to pick a probiotic for him (right now he's on a dairy free infant drops probiotic, but I have no idea how effective it is.) Between trying to find one that is allergen free, and will survive the trip down the gullet since he clearly can't swallow a pill, and trying to sort through strains, and spore producing, and soil organisms: I'm kind of overwhelmed. I can hack a super restrictive diet, I can do whatever I need to if it helps him stop trying to rip off his face. Anything I'm missing that I absolutely must do? I think you have everything covered diet-wise; have you checked laundry products? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 You described my 9yo old dd when she was that age. She was covered in eczema and when her hands were free she would spend all her time scratching all her skin off. She also cried all the time. We had her allergy tested at 9 months due to an actual food allergy incident and she is currently allergic to milk, eggs, sesame, and shellfish. Taking foods out of my diet never did a thing. Definitely check for laundry products, lotions, etc. I think the current thinking is that it is super important to fully treat the eczema even if it means extended steroid treatment. It used to be thought that the eczema was a symptom of food allergies, but now it might be that the open skin and inflammation of eczema are first and are actually causing the allergies and asthma. So really doing everything to keep the eczema down can actually prevent asthma. Google "bleach baths." It sounds horrible but they can actually be amazing and do so much to reduce inflammation. Stay on top of the steroids. My dh hates using them on the kids but it really is a quality of life issue. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kubiac Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 If he takes a bottle at all, ask your doctor first and with approval add some Nordic Naturals omega-3 fatty acid liquid. Omegas help tremendously with all inflammatory issues including allergies and eczema. I was an eczema baby and it's horrible. Hugs to you all. P.S. Agree that it can't hurt to switch Ivory Snow, Dreft or Tide Free & Clear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 My youngest reacted to rice in my diet (among other things). I was down to just turkey for a few (LONG) weeks. It takes a while for the gut to heal after you find the offender. I highly recommend the boards at infantreflux.org and the BabyCenter allergy/elimination diet boards. I hope things improve quickly. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Our daughter had to be put on EleCare starting at 6 months. She was so reactive to everything and I was told if I eliminated everything she needed to avoid, my milk wouldn't have enough nutrition for her. It was difficult because I wanted to breastfeed, but in the end it was best for her. I agree that you won't have enough info until you seek testing. In the meantime, avoid anything with scent or fragrance. Also, try to stick with natural fabrics (cotton, bamboo). I know polyester really irritated dd skin and made the eczema flare worse. Hang in there - it's tough to see your baby in misery, especially when you don't know how to make it stop. *sidenote - oxyclean is the best at getting out blood that may result from baby scratching during the night. (We'd put socks on dd hands, but some nights she'd wiggle one free...) It saved many a set of jammies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Theodore was a mess. He had severe acid reflux. He had eczema everywhere. When he wasn't spitting up, he was crying in a pain-filled rage. We had him tested and discovered he was allergic to milk, soy, rice, and corn. He had to be on the "Liquid Gold" of baby formula. It was a blessing he was still our foster son at that point, because the formula was covered through WIC. Otherwise, we probably would have had to mortgage the house. Aquaphor healing ointment was a big help in healing the eczema. Hoping your little one gets some relief very soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikslo Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 You described my 9yo old dd when she was that age. She was covered in eczema and when her hands were free she would spend all her time scratching all her skin off. She also cried all the time. We had her allergy tested at 9 months due to an actual food allergy incident and she is currently allergic to milk, eggs, sesame, and shellfish. Taking foods out of my diet never did a thing. Definitely check for laundry products, lotions, etc. I think the current thinking is that it is super important to fully treat the eczema even if it means extended steroid treatment. It used to be thought that the eczema was a symptom of food allergies, but now it might be that the open skin and inflammation of eczema are first and are actually causing the allergies and asthma. So really doing everything to keep the eczema down can actually prevent asthma. Google "bleach baths." It sounds horrible but they can actually be amazing and do so much to reduce inflammation. Stay on top of the steroids. My dh hates using them on the kids but it really is a quality of life issue. My DS had horrible eczema as an infant right up until we discovered his egg allergy. All the many prescribed steroids did was exacerbate the situation. Even his ped admitted to me he wished he had thought of food allergies. After that, we were able to trace his small outbreaks of eczema to specific foods by checking labels and keeping a food journal. In this way we identified all of his food allergies before he ever had testing done. Testing confirmed all of them, and discovered the only one we couldn't, which was soy. So I have exactly the opposite recommendation from you! Identify the allergies, eliminate the eczema. My DS also has not had a single episode of asthma since we eliminated soy from his diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Thank you everyone. This is all really helpful. I appreciate you sharing your hard won knowledge. I have some new things to explore and implement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 The eczema can very well not be from what you are eating, but blood in the stool is indicative of food allergy in infants. Combined with the eczema, I'd get to an allergist. My son has had food allergies since 6 weeks old, I nursed him to almost 2 on restricted diet, I'm happy to answer any other questions you have. Also, check out kidswithfoodallergies.org, there is a thread for BF'ing moms in the babies forum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 My 5 month old c-section baby has eczema on his face, head, elbows, wrists, and ankles. He has also had blood in his stool (red/undigested) a couple of times. No c-diff, or other intestinal infection. His doctor originally suspected dairy (DH had a dairy allergy as a baby), I also removed wheat, soy, and corn. He did a round of topical steroids, which cleared it up, but it immediately returned with reinforcements. He also, when he's having a worse day, cries an "in pain" cry and is inconsolable, he is at all other times an extremely affable guy. Not a difficult baby outside of having to deal with the itchiness and pain. I am now removing eggs, nuts, and legumes. I am essentially doing the paleo autoimmune protocol starting today. I am also keeping a journal, and documenting his progress with photographs. I'm not eating anything with a label, other than coconut milk (in a can, no extra ingredients besides guar gum) and coconut oil/avocado oil. Things of that nature. So there's no modified food starch or anything hinky sneaking in. His 3 year old sister has also always has eczema (wrists and elbows), and we never nailed down her triggers. A couple of things. I do realize it is possible that this isn't related to what I am eating, but I'm going to try to exhaust that possibility. Also, I'm overwhelmed trying to pick a probiotic for him (right now he's on a dairy free infant drops probiotic, but I have no idea how effective it is.) Between trying to find one that is allergen free, and will survive the trip down the gullet since he clearly can't swallow a pill, and trying to sort through strains, and spore producing, and soil organisms: I'm kind of overwhelmed. I can hack a super restrictive diet, I can do whatever I need to if it helps him stop trying to rip off his face. Anything I'm missing that I absolutely must do? Sorry I know this is probably really stating the obvious but have you considered what you clean the bath with, wash the clothes in and what kind of skin products you use? I'm guessing you will have covered all those bases but just in case. With my ds although it wasn't that severe I ended up having to use the hydrocortisone. If we used it sparingly as soon as needed it prevented a horrible outbreak but if we let it go it would require a longer dose of steroid creams to deal with it. We moved to a farm with my younger kids and whether it's the rural environment, the fact that we can only use septic safe cleaning stuff or just pure random luck my younger kids seem to have mostly escaped. My oldest grew out of eczema at around six - and now suffers hay fever instead. Also friends whose kids had it were advised never to bathe the kids more often than every second day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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