Eczema?

[lim_013]

baglady:

My boy has been having itch behind his knees and on his fingers for 2 weeks. There are no signs of mosquito bites so we thought it was a heat rash and applied cream. It seemed to help at first but now it only provides a bit of relief for a short while. Last night he woke up crying due to the itch and was scratching like mad. It stopped only after I put ice pack on it.


Now I think it may be eczema. Will prob bring him to the doctor tomorrow.

Does anyone have kids with eczema? It's like little bumps, not really red. I was reading about it online, seems there's no cure! Any recommendations?

I give my children nutrition supplement and use \"safe\" shampoo and hair shower + cloth detergent. i was told many thing can trigger sensitive skin, and before it gets worst, alot of thing had to be done. It been a year, so far so good.

[baglady]

verykiasu2010:

buy from pharmacy Egocort Cream 1%, 15g tube, a few dollars only


must tell the pharmacist is for ezcema, they don't display on the rack, must get from the pharmacist

apply thinly, 4 times a day, very effective

you can't avoid ezcema, it could be triggered by food / dust / stress

this is also part of travel medicine kit pack

Thanks so much! I tried Egocort and my boy's condition has improved. The bumps subsided and the itch has almost stopped. Only once in a while he will scratch. I think his eczema is prob not too serious, but now I am a bit worried cos I don't know what caused it. As you all pointed out, could be caused by anything. We didn't use any new shampoo or shower gels for him so I'm really not sure why. Maybe it was the haze or heat.

Thanks verykiasu2010, I'll try the vaseline intensive repair too. Need to do prevention too!

[verykiasu2010]

glad to know that it helps


once under control, try not to overuse it

prevention is better than cure

avoid dry skin condition - appropriate moisturising is necessary, and trim the finger nails. untrimmed finger nails make the scratching very shiok and will go scratch some more and then liao, broken skin, and more scratches…infection, sore etc

[baglady]

verykiasu2010:

glad to know that it helps


once under control, try not to overuse it

prevention is better than cure

avoid dry skin condition - appropriate moisturising is necessary, and trim the finger nails. untrimmed finger nails make the scratching very shiok and will go scratch some more and then liao, broken skin, and more scratches.....infection, sore etc

Haha ok thanks for the advice!! I'll go buy vaseline asap! Can't use my own moisturisers cos they're all scented and I think it's better to avoid those. I'll probably stop using the cream once the itch completely clear. Hopefully by next week. I don't think its good to use steroid cream for such young kids, even if its mild steroid.

[verykiasu2010]

there is another shop in Centrepoint selling organic moisturer / balm / aromatic stuff, etc even better than Vaselin (for some people) … pricey but good

[vlim]

I think there is a medicine call ‘zyntec’ meant for allergy… but better consult doctor first.

[Kayelinht]

I used my beautician’s moisturizer, it is expensive but it really worked for my youngest. I checked with the doctor and she said it was fine for my boy. His dry skin really flaked off and did not come back…

[baglady]

Oh I tried a moisturiser that my mum passed me. It’s called Cetaphil. It’s v gentle and works well. My mum has sensitive skin and she can only use Cetaphil cleansers. It was recommended by her doctor at National Skin Centre. Can buy from pharmacies and I think Watsons also has some products.

[liz2010]

if your child has sensitive skin, change his toilettries to natural and organic skincare because other type of skincare can contain sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). This can cause skin irritation. You can find affordable skincare products on the following website: http://ginko-shop.com/


If he has eczema, try the Weleda Baby brand. It's recommended to heal and prevent eczema. It's a Swiss brand that's funded in the 1920's! very well known in Europe.

[cherrygal]

I have eczema myself. The allergy tablet or syrup someone mentioned earlier is spelt "Zyrtec". It is not effective for skin eczema but ok for runny nose or allergic reactions such as sneezing, watery eyes or hives. You can also try Dimetapp (a grape flavored syrup). These are anti-histamines.


For eczema skin, you can use Egoderm cream as a preventive (non-steroidal). You can get it from the shelves and it has helped me prevent major flare ups. I don’t find Cetaphil cream or normal moisturizers effective as a prevention. But for normal moisturizing on my baby, I use Physiogel cream instead of Cetaphil. The consistency is better.

To bring down bad inflammation, I took a short course of Dhasalone (prednisalone) tablets (very strong steroids that can cause osteoporosis in the long term) but the effect is not longlasting. I find Betamethasone cream (only from doc) a better alternative for controlling the flare-ups. I guess it is better for kids to start with the mildest hydrocortisone. There is an even milder one at 0.5% from Guardian or Watson’s Pharmacy. Unity only sells the 1% type.

Personally, I get flare-ups whenever I change the bedsheets (dust), cook oily food, touch harsh detergents or when the weather is hot n humid. To find out exactly what causes the itch, you got to go to the dermatologist for a skin analysis.

My son kept scratching after his bath when he used Life Buoy shower gel. We then changed him back to J&J kids shower gel and he was fine. So, do look at the soaps your kids are using. An aircon environment also helps.