Rinse Baby after Oatmeal Bath?

[wendyroo]

Audrey (7 months) has worsening eczema.  Well, I don't have any experience with eczema, but that is what the pediatrician called it at her 6 month well-baby check.

 

Originally she has small patches on her elbows; then elbows, shoulder blades and some of her scalp behind her ears; now elbows, knees, scalp, chest and sides and all of her back, especially her lower back where the top of her diaper rubs.

 

For the last month I have been slathering her each evening with Aveeno eczema cream with colloidal oatmeal.  I also rub some coconut oil on any patches that seem to be bothering her during the day.  Since her skin continues to get worse, however, I am going to start giving her a short oatmeal bath (with little to no soap) each evening and then quickly slathering her with the cream while her skin is still damp.

 

My questions...

Do I rinse her after the oatmeal bath?  Do I want the oatmeal residue left on her skin or will it be an irritant after it dries?  Do I rinse her hair or leave it so the oatmeal soothes her scalp?

 

Any other eczema tips?  As I said, I don't have any experience with it, so I don't know what I should be doing or avoiding.

 

Thanks.

Wendy

[JFSinIL]

Poor baby! Could she be allergic to something? Ask the doctor, since the condition is getting worse. This just doesn't sound right.

[eternalsummer]

We like the Puremedy stuff (not for the homeopathic contents, which are actual nonsense, but for what they consider inactive ingredients).

 

Also the aveeno stuff has never worked here; I use that aquafor ointment stuff or just straight vaseline.  Ointment seems to work a lot better than cream.

 

We never use soap on babies, except for truly yucky situations.

 

For DD who is eczema-prone (she is 11 now and still gets rashes occasionally), she still uses almost no soap, ever, and slathers with vaseline occasionally.  She had to quit swimming as it was irritating her skin.

 

 

Sometimes the rash/weakness of the skin can lead to secondary infection (bacterial, which looks crusty and puffy and terrible, or fungal, which is just more red)

[wendyroo]

Poor baby! Could she be allergic to something? Ask the doctor, since the condition is getting worse. This just doesn't sound right.

 

Could be, but I don't see any other signs.  My second son was/is allergic to e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.  Lots of foods and all environmental allergens in the standard scratch test.  He shows a ton of symptoms starting at birth; there was never any question that there were many underlying issues.

 

Audrey, OTOH, is a happy, healthy baby other than the eczema.  She eats well (rarely spitting up), sleeps well and is generally very content.  She still gets most of her calories from breast milk, but also loves eating a wide variety of proteins, veggies and fruits...and I've never seen any sort of rash around her mouth or on her face.  I also haven't been able to link the eczema to any contact allergies.

 

I did talk to the pediatrician's nurse and she is the one that told me to start the oatmeal bathes and call back in a week or so if I haven't seen an improvement.  I just forgot to ask her whether I should rinsing after the bath.

 

 

Sometimes the rash/weakness of the skin can lead to secondary infection (bacterial, which looks crusty and puffy and terrible, or fungal, which is just more red)

 

So far her rash is just dry, flaky and itchy.  She does sometimes scratch herself and break the skin; I use coconut oil on those places hoping to prevent infection and if necessary I dab some neosporin on the scratches.

 

Thanks.

Wendy

[ktgrok]

The Aveeno Baby Eczema stuff is really good, I use it myself on my skin. Do not rinse the oatmeal bath off. Soak for 15 minutes in lukewarm water, putting wet washcloths over areas that are not in the water. Then pat (don't rub) dry very very gently, then slather on the cream. Try to have the cream on in less than a minute from when you get her out of the bath. Faster than that if at all possible. I have issues with eczema on my face, and I get out of the shower, pat my face dry, and put on the cream before I even dry the rest of my body. If it takes more than 30 seconds my skin will start hurting and feel like it is on fire. If I get it on fast, I don't have the problem. 

 

https://www.nationaljewish.org/healthinfo/conditions/allergy/types/eczema/lifestyle-management/soak-and-seal/

[EmseB]

I would say food allergy. My DS had eczema as his only symptom for months as a baby. Turned out to be dairy, eggs, and nuts. :(

 

For our oatmeal baths, we rinsed, then just dabbed barely dry with a towel, did aveeno lotion and then vaseline to seal in the moisture. He had to wear fleece pjs because he was a little grease ball after baths. It worked in the climate we lived in at the time, but might be tooto hot for summer.

[MomtoCandJ]

I use gold bond eczema relief on dd2, she is very much like your baby (dd2 is 2 yrs old now and didn't start having issues with eczema until she was right around 6 months old as well). No rinsing after oatmeal bath, pat dry and with dd2 we need a humidifier because dry air really caused her to flare. Dd2 now only gets a certain spot on her neck and that's it. When she first got it it her ears, neck, back and head.

[Spryte]

We didn't rinse after oatmeal baths, just patted dry.

 

Huge eczema issues here.

 

I'd call the doc back for more ideas, but in the meantime - maybe one thing you could try is switching up the coconut oil? I love it for skin, but DS was allergic to it and it made him worse (he later became anaphylactic to it). Aquaphor on the bad spots? Cetaphil all over while damp? Those were allergist suggestions. Also, if you can do this - it's slippery - midway through the bath, pull her out, Vaseline everywhere, back in the tub for ten minutes or as long as you can. Then pat dry. I don't know if I could do that with a baby - very slippery! Ask for an Rx antibiotic cream for the spots, that might help.

 

You might need to look at food, despite seeing no other signs. :( DS's only visible reaction to wheat is eczema. I was so shocked when we found out he has an IgE mediated allergy that could go anaphylactic, to wheat. Stopping wheat ended years of eczema though.

[arnold]

After years of dealing with skin problems my sister discovered she was allergic to oatmeal.....just a thought.

[wendyroo]

You might need to look at food, despite seeing no other signs. :( DS's only visible reaction to wheat is eczema. I was so shocked when we found out he has an IgE mediated allergy that could go anaphylactic, to wheat. Stopping wheat ended years of eczema though.

 

Her brother has an anaphylactic allergy to wheat, soy and corn and is sensitive to dairy, so Audrey has never had any of those (through breast milk or solid foods).  She has never had a significant amount of any of the top 8 allergens through food, though I eat eggs, nuts and fish so she is exposed to those through breast milk.

 

Wendy

[JessReplanted]

 

*Nevermind, I just saw your last post.

 

 

You may want to try cutting out dairy and see if it makes a difference. One of my kids had a chronic cough as a toddler. The Dr. said it was asthma related, but I stopped giving her cow's milk and the cough disappeared, along with her eczema.

Edited June 4, 2016 by JessReplanted

[SKL]

I didn't / don't rinse after giving my kids or myself an oatmeal bath.  :)

 

I wouldn't use any soap at all (for a baby); the oatmeal bath is enough.

[jeninok]

I am allergic to coconut oil and it causes any eczema patches to flair up much worse. It can also be drying, even if there isn't an allergy.

 

Jojoba is a good substitute, I sometimes mix it with enough beeswax to make a paste. Straight cocoa or Shea butters, or even hemp are other options.

 

I'm using Burt's Bees Orange Essence cleanser which is just a blend of oils, lanolin and glycerin. It feels weird but my skin loves it.

I wouldn't use it on a wee baby though, the orange essential oil might irritate her.

[JFSinIL]

I saw a derm. to get a mole removed, she was insistent that I use a dab of Vaseline instead of Neosporin as Vaseline is far purer a product and less likely to irritate the skin. Could you have a dermatologist see Baby just to be sure it is not something else?

Edited June 4, 2016 by JFSinIL

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Her brother has an anaphylactic allergy to wheat, soy and corn and is sensitive to dairy, so Audrey has never had any of those (through breast milk or solid foods). She has never had a significant amount of any of the top 8 allergens through food, though I eat eggs, nuts and fish so she is exposed to those through breast milk.

 

Wendy

I still agree that looking more closely at food allergies would be warranted since there is already a strong family history there. You don't have to have significant exposure to develop an allergy, it's just more common for that to be the case.

 

Eczema is often be triggered by allergies, food or other types.

[wapiti]

I would work under the assumption that the immune system is causing the eczema, which accordingly must be an allergy (or possibly a reaction to a germ of some sort).  I would strongly consider food as that is a common cause of eczema - I was under the impression that eczema from a food allergy is more likely than a contact allergy.  With a sibling having significant food allergies, I'd really try to avoid exposure to nuts before 4 or 5 y.o., even through breastmilk.

 

I like Bag Balm or Aquaphor for after the bath.

 

ETA, if you are spending increasing time outside, environmental allergies might also do it, especially grass, and I don't think that requires specific contact with the eczema spot.

Edited June 4, 2016 by wapiti

[Pippen]

I had severe eczema that started as a newborn and continued through childhood. Foods, contact allergies, heat and moisture were all triggers. I still get an occasional spot now and then, even after years of allergy shots, especially on my hands after being in water. My food allergies never presented with symptoms around the mouth like my son's milk allergy did.

 

Minimize baths! When my baby daughter's started our ped said 2x per week. Sensitive Skin Dove or Cetaphil worked best for us.

 

Our dermatologist says skip fabric softener and fabric sheets. Even the unscented are giving people problems. If you're using one of the free and clear laundry soaps you might try another brand. My daughter had problems with All F&C as an infant but could use Tide F&C.

 

I tried coconut oil and Vitamin E oil and it didn't help, and in my case both seemed to irritate it more.

 

As far as creams go the best for me on flare-ups has been Vaseline with cocoa butter. I was surprised because Vaseline alone never helped but this does. Cheap too-big tub at Walmart for under $4.

 

Good luck finding the right combination that helps your little one.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Pippen

[Pippen]

The other thing I thought to mention is that if you already have a child with allergies, be open to the fact that if your other children wind up having allergies it will probably present differently.

[J-rap]

My one-year-old developed patches of eczema on her face.  We eventually had to get a prescription cortisone cream to treat it.  Very, very sparingly -- one tiny finger dab each day.  It completely cleared it up.  She still has it from time to time.  (She's in her 20's now.)

 

[gingersmom]

My son had horrible eczema as a baby.

 

I highly recommend allergy testing. It's a simple dot on the arm and their done.

 

Within days of not eating dairy my sons eczema started clearing.

[prairiewindmomma]

We have fairly extensive experience with allergies and eczema here.   Eczema has absolutely been tied to allergies here, sometimes they have been environmental and sometimes they have been dietary.

 

1. probiotics (they have baby versions)

2. baths no more than once every week or two---we do a bath with a bit of water with bleach in it (or take her to the pool) as most eczema has a bacterial fungal component to it.  Here are the directions: https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/treatment/alternative-therapies/bleach-baths/

3. cetaphil lotion applied immediately after bath to seal in moisture, exederm when a cream is needed: https://nationaleczema.org/eczema-products/otc-drugs/exederm/

3. For severe eczema--wet wrap therapy after applying cream--http://www.eczemacenter.org/Wet%20Wraps.pdf

 

I really don't like the use of hydrocortisone or steroids for more than very short periods of time. I think it makes one prone to rebound issues with topical steroid withdrawal. 

 

We've had baby allergy testing done.  I'd give it some serious thought.  Of my 5 kids all have allergies, 4 have asthma. How those allergies have been expressed has been very different in each child.