Please help a young child suffering from severe eczema?

Question

My soon to be neice in law has a very severe case of eczema. she's only 3 years old and is covered, head to toe. Being a child, it's hard to get her to stop scratching, and she usually does so until she cracks and bleeds her skin. It's to the point where she needs her clothes changed 2-3 times a day and her bed sheets everynight. Her school attendance is even limited because of this. I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any non- steriod treatments available. Her mother insists that the steriods have stunted her growth, and she is a little small for her age. It just hurts a lot to hear her screams of agony when she has to take a bath as if something as plain as water gets in her broken skin it stings. please help.

Answer 1

this is a long list of things to do. take a 20-30 minute bath DAILY with cool water (hot dissolves away oils faster). NO SOAP !!! I know that it sounds strange and unhealthy, but NO SOAP!! water will clean well enough all by itself. If the dirt is not coming off after 20-30 minutes in the tub, soap ain't going to get it off any faster. Pat the skin dry, do not overly rub (again wiping away oils). Seal in the moister from the bath with a layer of vegetable shortening. Crisco works the best. Yep, I know, sounds strange, but CRISCO !! Could also use vaseline, but crisco is better. Trim fingernails as short as possible to avoid breaking the skin when scratching. Run a humidifier in the bedroom at night. Increase drinking water as much as she can take. There are steriod-free creams-- Elidel being the one that comes to mind -- to use for the short term.
By the way, Steriods used on the skin CAN NOT stunt the growth!! Wrong type of steriod, and not enough enters the blood stream to cause internal changes like slow growth.

Answer 2

Her mother needs to get her treated by a dermatologist! No child should not be suffering so badly, poor little mite. Steroid creams will NOT stunt growth, they contain very little steroid, the child is probably just small...nothing to do with the creams. I can personally attest to that as a 5' 9" tall lifelong eczema sufferer and regular user of potent steroid creams since a few months old!
There are many treatments available and this child is in dire need of a hospital admission and stabilisation of her distressing condition.
From my experience of being a nurse AND a patient!

Answer 3

My little boy had eczema on his cheeks. I was not sure what method to use but I didn't want to make my boy go through any surgery treatments at this young age. Some suggested a plastic surgeon since it was in a very visible location but our family doctor recommend this natural guide.

Best Eczema Treatment?

Answer 4

There is no known cure for eczema, however there are ways that you can help to alleviate any discomfort or itching with your little niece. Most products on the market contain mineral oil and other ingredients that are known to cause dryness and irritation (alcohol, fragrance, etc). Arbonne has a great pure, safe, and beneficial baby care line (hair and body wash, lotion, body oil, diaper rash cream, and sunscreen) that is water based, botanically-based and pH correct, pediatrician and dermatologist tested, non-sensitizing, non-irritating, and formulated without nut oils. They are formulated with natural ingredients like oat flour which is an emollient and an emulsifier. It’s highly absorbent and hypoallergenic. Oat flour helps to soothe and soften dry, itchy and sensitive skin. This is what we suggest:

ABC Hair and Body Wash for the hands and body, in the bath or shower

ABC Body Oil once skin has been towel dried but left a little damp

ABC Lotion to alleviate discomfort and aggravated itch

If you're interested in learning more, I'll be happy to help you.

Answer 5

Steroidal creams actually thin the epidermis over time, and parents typically over use the cream, so she is right to be cautious.

I was similarly covered head to toe from age 3 months to 9 years old. I had to have my head shaved because of the infections resulting from constant scratching.

First, make sure all clothing including underwear is natural fiber - never wear any polyester or rayon. Use cotton clothing.

Next find her cotton gloves that she can wear - it reduces the damage done by scratching. Buy lots - they wear out quickly. Keep nails paired back as far as possible. This goes for toe nails too - you can do a lot of damage with your toes particularly at night. Wear cotton socks to bed. My mother had to put ribbons on the gloves and socks so that I couldn't pull them off at night.

Next, find a good hypoallergenic moisturizer you can buy in bulk. A cream, not an ointment, so that it can be absorbed easily in to the skin. Cover her head to toe with that in the morning, and in the evening just before bed. The moisturizer reduces the itching. Make sure it is a hypoallergenic cream, and that it is unscented. You can buy these in health food shops in gallon containers. You'll need a lot. Until you get the open wounds under control, it will sting when applied - but it can make a huge difference if applied liberally and often.

Any time the child starts scratching, apply more moisturizer.

Avoid allergens of course. One common and often overlooked allergen for kids in particular is milk - you have to study packaging to find any milk, cheese, whey, milk protein, caseinates, or lactose from milk in them. It's hard, but not impossible. Try eliminating this whole food group for a couple of months. It may make a difference. Substitute calcium + vitamin D in the diet either as supplements or in other foods (like orange juice with calcium) to ensure she gets sufficient for bone growth.

Also see an allergist and demand a complete skin test panel. Eczema sufferers usually have dozens of allergies, and you need to eliminate as many as you can. If she is allergic to dust mites (many are) you need to get special covers for the bed and pillows, and change sheets frequently.

Cats and dogs are both common problems for eczema sufferers. If you have either, consider getting rid of them and then cleaning the house well with a vacuum cleaner fitted with a hepa filter - this makes a big difference. Never use a vacuum without a hepa filter - it will spread house dust mite dander and other allergens all around the house.

If you can get rid of carpets in the bedroom especially, this really helps - wood floors are the best.

Eczema is both a stress and allergen sensitive disease - you need to do everything possible to reduce both.

Managing eczema can be very hard, and it is demanding and expensive for the parents - but you can make real differences to the child's quality of life with these changes. Email me at [e-mail] if you need any clarification on this issue.

Answer 6

"i feel so bad n feel so sorry about the child's condition-having an eczema at a very tender age,wow, that's terrible!-anyway the child for sure is suffering so much.the best way u can do is to consult a dermatologist,these guys are really expert with regards to this kind of decease and i'm very much sure,they'll be able to cure that-you know eczema is a kind of decease cause by hereditary or allergies because of eating salty n fatty or oily foods or the linen or the kind of cloth she uses,the surroundings like dust or your pet's hair-

Answer 7

Go to the Mayo Clinic's website they have a lot of valuable information there or try WebMD they also have good information.

Answer 8

Mary Kay cosmetics has a night cream it looks like pink vasoline, we have used it for exema w/great success!! Good luck I pray for sweet little girl.

Answer 9

there is a certian kind of lotion i have seen on TV about it my cousin and my friend have it and they both use the lotion and it works it helps to stop the itching so that the skin can heal. i will be sure to tell you what the lotion is called as soon as i can!

Answer 10

try another medical clinic..
really sorry for the litle one