SPECIAL Drop-In Clinic: Eczema & your baby *sponsored*

My baby has it all her in hair. It really upsets her. What can i do to soothe her. Im worried about putting hormone creams on her.

Sunny, good question! And hormone creams are a concern for a lot of parents.

It will be great to hear what Dr Ayers advises.

My baby has eczema in her nappy area, among the folds of skin. It looks so angry and painful but I'm not sure how to treat it. I can't always leave off her nappy, and I'm concerned about putting a treatment cream on her, as I don't want harsh chemical absorbing into the sensitive tissues there. Help!

My son's skin can get really sore at times and looks really angry and red. How do I treat his skin when it's flaring up?

Which types of oil are best for baby massage? (I know you’re not supposed to use olive oil as it has certain things in it).

I was wondering how do you tell the difference between eczema and other types of rashes? I want to make sure I am treating it properly

My baby is just over one and keeps scratching the eczema in the crooks of her elbows. How can I help stop that? Would gloves work? What's the best cream to get rid of it?

Now it's getting colder some parts of my little boy's skin seems to be getting redder and causing him discomfort, it the weather affecting it?

Hi,

Some baby products really irritate my baby's skin, even though they're marketed as sensitive. How do I know which ones will best suit her without having to fork out loads of money on trying them?

Thanks!

Hello

I have a couple of questions if thats OK :)

Second time Mum here - first baby was easy!!

If I think my baby is CMPA, a few grumbling symptoms but the main one is his skin, its dry, red and flaky. Would having dry skin this bad be the only symptom to confirm CMPA do you think?

Also....with my first the HV recommended Olive oil for his dry skin, this time round they have said that is is not recommended anymore. Why is this?, and do you think my other child may be harmed due to the Olive oil we used as guided last time?

Thanks so much for your help

Nancy x

My baby keeps getting a red rash deep in his neck folds (he's very chunky!). It may not be excema, but is there a way we can protect against these kinds of rashes? I'm cleaning and drying him daily. Thanks!

Do you mean that your little one has cradle cap rather than eczema?

For cradle cap (asymptomatic, greasy, yellow scales): I’m a huge believer in natural remedies in the very young. Coconut oil gently melted is without doubt the best treatment. It does take a bit of washing out though, but softens all the scales, so they are less adherent. Some parents use a soft toothbrush to rub it into the scales and wash out with a gentle baby cradle cap shampoo.

For eczema (background of red scalp skin with fine, white scales and very itchy): This is a more complex, and I’d need a few more details such as the age of your baby, what you have tried as well as the severity of it. I'd definitely recommend a F2F appointment with your dermatologist if you suspect this. I personally like to see the baby to assess the severity and tailor their management accordingly. Also I am not quite sure what hormone creams are? Emollients that are prescribed don’t have any hormones in them if that is of any comfort to you.

Hi Sophie. Nappy rash is very common and can be quite distressing. It is important to nip it in the bud quickly! Conservative measures which I’m sure you are already doing include changing wet or dirty nappies as soon as possible and keeping the skin clean and dry (pat or rub the skin gently to dry it). Where possible, leave her nappies off when possible and use extra absorbent nappies that fit properly. I tend to advise that you clean your baby's skin with water or water wipes (fragrance and preservative free). Ideally bath her daily using tepid water. Don’t use anything fragranced or perfumed.

The rash itself sometimes needs to be treated with a prescribable cream such as Daktacort (or equivalent with a low potency steroid and anti-fungal agent). Don’t be frightened to apply this to baby’s skin as it clears it up very quickly. What’s more important is that it’s treated properly and entirely so she’s not suffering.

Going forwards, also consider using a barrier cream at nappy change times, which prevents the irritation of urine or faeces which has ammonia in it and this causes the problem.

Lastly, If her nappy rash hasn’t improved after a week, even when you use the treatment, if it has blisters, crusts or pimples, if she is upset and isn’t sleeping, has an unexplained fever or her nappy rash that’s spreading please do go and see your GP.

Hi Eve,

The key to treating eczema is repairing the barrier function of the skin which does not work properly in eczema, and to treat the inflammation. The barrier function of skin can be repaired by using emollients, usually prescribed by the doctor. This replaces the lipid layer and traps water back in the skin. Other products such as bath emollients can work synergistically with this. The inflammation (red, angry bits) are generally treated with a topical steroid, the strength of which is determined by the severity of the eczema. It’s always worth seeing a dermatologist if you are worried or want more detailed, personalised advice.