Ahhh, what I wouldn't give to have skin as soft, beautiful and smooth as my little one's. I would just rub my face all day long (OK, maybe it's a good thing my skin isn't as supple). I just loved to run my finger along Munchkin's soft, perfect skin. Then at about four months, I noticed bright red skin in the creases of her legs and neck, that ultimately appeared as irritated splotches on her stomach and back. Her pediatrician diagnosed her with Dermatitis/Baby Eczema, and gave us that never-reassuring prognosis of "sometimes babies outgrow it, and others don't. It could get worse, or it could clear up within a few months." Uhh, OK? The doc advised us to only use hypoallergenic, non-perfumed detergents (we'd been using Dreft, and since it's marketed for babies, I assumed it's hypoallergenic. It's not. I switched to Seventh Generation), bathe her only two to three times per week (we had been bathing her daily, because it would soothe her as she became fussy near bedtime. Good thing she didn't work up a sweat during the day), and moisturize her twice per day with a heavy duty, non-fragrance ointment (this proved to be the tricky part. And the part that was most disappointing, because I wanted my baby to smell like the Johnson & Johnson's baby lotion that I loved!). I tried various ointments and lotions - Aveeno, Eucerin, Vaseline, Vitamin E - alone and in combination with each other. I felt like a home chemist. But, despite slathering that baby up to the point where she looked like a chicken ready to be fried, her skin was still dry by morning. Ultimately, I found what proved to be a winning combination for Munchkin: Cetaphil and pure Jojoba Oil, twice per day, everyday. Dermatitis defeated! Woo-hoo! Her skin has returned to it's clear, soft, smooth condition, and I have returned to marveling at its perfection. Munchkin is only eight months old now, so I'll forgive her for not recognizing me as the Dermititis Defeating Hero that I am. I only hope that I'll be as quick to find a remedy to her teen acne in a few years.

But ointments aren't always the cure. Some of you may be still struggling to find the solution to your child's eczema. I'd like to introduce you to another mom blogger who has written some great information on this topic, from the perspective of diet/nutrition...

Joining us on the Playground, (my first!!) GUEST BLOGGER, Wendy, a personal training specialist & nutritional adviser for pregnant & postnatal women. She's a mother of two, who is obsessed with feeding children BETTER! Wendy's blog, Feed Your Kids Better! is a collection of advice, strategies, recipes, ideas & random ponderings of one WAHM determined to improve childrens’ sense of culinary adventure & love of REAL food. Thanks for the guest post, Wendy!

Child with eczema? Consider food intolerances or antibiotics as the culprits, & FOOD, not creams as cure

My now 3 yo DD used to have really rough, red cheeks & patches of very dry skin on her arms & legs. Everyone would comment on her ‘lovely rosy cheeks’ but up close they were actually sore & shiny-looking… I would diligently (& very expensively!) buy the most organic, gentle creams & balms I could find, avoiding harsh soaps, & any other other chemicals. It helped, but it never cleared it up. The doctor wanted to use a steroid cream… which I couldn’t bear to put on her paper thin, delicate skin.

I figured eventually that something inside, not what was being applied on the outside, was the root of the problem, & so had her allergy tested (a strand of hair is sent to the lab, along with detailed food diary analysis). It came back with a diagnosis of ‘leaky gut syndrome’. Sounds gross doesn’t it? As for the cause, well we passed with flying colours on the ‘was she breastfed?’ ‘does she eat vegetables & essential omegas & seeds?’ & all that stuff… but then came the question ‘ has she ever had a large dose of antibiotics?’. Well yes, at around 18 months she had received a lot of antibiotics for an ear infection when we were on holiday in the US.

Turns out, this was the culprit. Antibiotics had destroyed all the bad bugs, but all the good bugs too – essential for gut & digestion health. Common allergens or digestive irritants such as dairy products & wheat, were over-working her already depleted digestive system , & the outward manifestation was eczema.

The solution was to give probiotics (prescribed by a nutritionist – not just one of those yoghurt drinks), whilst also cutting out all wheat & dairy. Within 2 DAYS her skin was clear! We carried on being strict with the diet for a month, & then relaxed a little. Ongoing, she has very little diary (no cows milk) & occasional wheat. Every other month or so, she has the probiotic powder each morning for a week to repopulate the good bacteria.

We’re lucky – she isn’t ALLERGIC (i.e. there is no terrifying or serious reaction), she is simply slightly INTOLERANT & her gut finds it hard to digest these foods in any great quantity. We know if she’s had a bit of ice cream at a party because her cheeks flare up – no big deal, just time to play by the rules again for a few days.

With so much talk of cutting out wheat & dairy & other foods, I found it interesting that it wasn’t those foods that were the CAUSE of this particular problem, but rather that they were simply irritants causing strain to an already weakened digestive system.

I’m going to post again on dairy & wheat alternatives for kids (I’ve become a bit of an expert!) & will also come back to intolerances & allergies… but for now if your little ones suffer with eczema, it might be worth looking INSIDE for the problem, rather than applying expensive balms or, worse, harsh pharmaceuticals?

Reposted with permission.