Itchy Baby: Coping with Infant Eczema

Infant eczema is one of the most frustrating conditions a young baby can have, simply because it’s so difficult to control.  How do you get a baby who can only communicate with a cry, to stop scratching, rubbing or irritating the itch?

When my first son was only three months old, he developed a slight rash on one leg.  Tiny red bumps, that I thought might be a heat rash.  The rash randomly made appearances on both legs, and by the time he was six months old, it had consumed him.  The culprit was infant eczema.  

Infant eczema is a skin condition that shows as scaly patches or a rash and it is extremely itchy.  Eczema dries out the skin, leaving it itchy and easily irritated.  Scratching, of-course, makes it worse.  

My family doctor at the time advised me not to bath the baby too frequently, since water has a drying out effect on the skin and also washes away the bodies natural oils.  She also suggested applying lotion to the dry patches, or sometimes over the counter hydro-cortisone.  I followed this regime carefully but my son only got worse. 

By the time my baby was nine months old, he was covered in scales from head to toe, thanks to infant eczema.  Everywhere we went, people asked what was wrong with him and offered unsolicited advice on how I should treat him.  It seemed that every person on the planet had a solution for a condition I had never even heard of before.  

At my insistence, my family doctor finally referred us to a pediatric specialist.  

The pediatrician’s advice greatly differed from that of my family doctor.  She dealt with infant eczema on a daily basis, and informed me that the old school methods of my family doctor would not help at all.  Since only his diaper area had ever been rash free, I was bound to agree with her.  The treatment from the pediatrician was simple, low-cost and amazingly effective.  Within three days, my baby had no traces of any rash, scales or itch!

• During an outbreak, bathe the child for five minutes, three times a day in lukewarm water with capful of Oilatum or Aveeno Bath Oil.  (Be very careful, as both baby and the bath get very slippery.)
• Do not towel dry.  Immediately apply moisturizer to wet skin to seal in the water and oil from the bath.  A layer of petroleum jelly after the lotion seals it all in and prevents the skin from being irritated by clothing. 
• Cotton clothing is a must.  100% cotton.  No exceptions. 
• No soaps, no perfumes, no dyes.  Luckily both Aveeno and Johnson’s baby have a line of soap-free baby products that have no irritants.  As for laundry, look for labels that say “free” as in Tide Free.  Liquid fabric softener is also a big no-no.

It’s been almost five years since the itchy baby syndrome known as infant eczema controlled our household.   Granted, my son still has occasional patches on the back of his knees, or sometimes his elbows, but for the most part it has been relatively clear.  
Emotionally, when I look at his baby pictures and see him covered in infant eczema, I am relieved and thankful that he is now just a normal kid, who runs, plays, sings and dances without scratching!