Hello moms. My 18 month old boy has chronic eczema since he was 6 months old and have been using a hydrocortisone cream prescribed by our pediatrician. We have been applying this cream, a 2.5% formulation cream since he was an infant with varying degrees of eczema relief. He has needed it on a daily basis and we have been applying it twice a day to his ankles, wrists and behind the knee--the areas that are affected. We also use Aquaphor and pretoleum jelly emollients to relieve his dry skin. We have not asked our pediatrician though whether this constant use of steroid cream can affect his growth. The medical literature says pediatric patients are more susceptible to the side effects of steroids. Has anyone used a steroid cream for this long on their kids? Any other suggestions on how to manage eczema ?
We were given the same 2.5% for our son when he was about the same age. While my ped didn't give us any warnings either, my father (general physician) and step-mother (pediatric ICU nurse) expressed great concern over prolonged use. We tried to find other remedies and only used the cream sparingly and in extreme cases - we ended up throwing away 3/4 of the tube.
All I know is, these hydrocortisone creams are NOT supposed to be used for prolonged use. Only for a few days at most... and especially regarding usage on a baby. Using it everyday, for months on end, is over-medicating.
I read this on a Dr. Sears website once, and online when I did research about it before.
**HERE IS A LINK ON SIDE-EFFECTS FROM HYDROCORTISONE Cream:
http://www.drugs.com/pro/hydrocortisone-cream.html
I am frankly surprised that the Pediatrician did not delineate proper usage of the cream or tell you this.
I would stop using it now. It's been too long. much too long.
Many times, eczema is the result of some sort of allergy. My Mom for example, gets eczema whenever she eats citrus things or oatmeal. Some get it when they ingest dairy.
To me, to treat your son's eczema PROPERLY... I would first find out if he is allergic or intolerant to anything he is exposed to or eating. This is usually the first approach.
What has your Pediatrician recommended for his eczema? Just aquaphor? The thing is, eczema is not just "dry skin" ...it is many times a reaction to something... so I would REALLY ask your Doctor about it further.
What helps one person, will be different for another. Not all eczema cases are the same for each person.
**Also important is: I would also find out how this prolonged use of steroid/hydrocortisone cream on your baby for all these months... can affect him, side-effects, long-term, short-term... if it is a "residual" side-effect or permanent... how does it affect his endocrine system etc. ANY side-effects should be found out now...
All the best,
Susan
Maria,
My son just came up with a mild case of eczema and the Dr also prescribed the cream - but she kept reminding me to only use for 1 week, she mentioned it can cause some kidney problems. Please speak with your ped. or ask for a second opinion. I have also started taking him a bath with Dove and started using Eucerin cream - I can say it cleared up a bit in 4 days. We are now in day 7 and it is almost gone. Good Luck to you!
Has your son been to an allergist? My boy is 6yrs. old and has had eczema since he was an infant. He just went to get his first allergy skin test and is alergic to DUST MITES....argghhh. He is also has allergy/viral induced asthma. I only use the cortizone when is skin gets really bad, really itchy maybe once a week. Everyone is so different. His fingers and feet are the worst ( feet and hand touch dust the most)I make him wash his hands and immediately put eucerine cream on them and use bandaids to keep him from itching (it works for us) same thing for his feet. Bathing regularly is important too. Keeping the skin clean and hydrated. I do not like petroleum and aquaphor if feel like it make it worse sometimes. Creams work best for us Eucerine and Cetaphil. I tried to go all natural too but it made no difference...i thought maybe it was a chemical allergy. We have encased all our mattresses and pillows in dust mite proof covers wash blankets and bedding twice a week and it has made a huge difference....for all of us I sleep better now too. Good luck!
p.s. I clean (dust)like a maniac & vacuum like a mad woman too. It had to be dust mites.
P.s.s. The steroid thins the skin that is (one reason) why you should not use it on a regular daily basis...heal the skin then use your creams to manage it.
Hi Maria,
You need to consult your pediatrician! Hydrocortisone cream should not be used for long periods of time, only 5 days to a week max...not every day for a year. There are steroids in the cream that can thin it as Michelle mentioned.
Eczema can be caused by allergies and it can also be hereditary. My daughter had patches of it when she was little and eventually they stopped showing up by the time she turned 3. My son is 15 months and he had a couple of patches when he was an infant too. We would use hydrocortisone cream for a week once per day along with Aquaphor.
Arbonne Baby Oil also works wonders. We eventually discontinued the hydrocortisone and Aquaphor altogether and just used the Baby Oil.
-Char
In alot of cases, eczema is the result of allergies. Try taking him to a allergist or pediatrician who is interested in finding the root cause of his skin problems. For my girl it was milk allergy, but I know other kids who had problems with things like wheat or animal hair that have caused eczema. When we took the dairy out of my babe's diet, her skin cleared in a week. Good luck
Hi Maria,
I've seen amazing results with the Arbonne Baby Care line, specifically the Hair and body wash, Lotion and Body oil. Pediatricians who had previously prescribed steroids have switched to this and are seeing relief after just a few days. The products are botanically based. If you'd like a free sample let me know.
Good luck
Alice Mancilla-Kincaid(951)505-6876
Dear Maria,
The most natural advice I have tried that WORKED on my daughter is this:
1- Increasing the GOOD oils in the diet (especially Omega 3's, olive oil, etc,)- and:
2- Supplementing the diet with extra digestive enzymes. For some reason her vitamins weren't getting absorbed before then (I had been giving her a good multi-vitamin already before that). It took a few months but gradually went away! We had to keep up the good diet regimen, though, and it hasn't come back as long as we do. But good health is never a waste of money, right? I'm sure you can find more info on it at the health food store or on google.
Hope that is helpful!
Best,
Ruth
Dear Maria:
I have the same experience as Ami and Michelle. My son was suffering with eczema. It was thick, crusted-over, itchy red skin on his neck, elbows, inside his arms, pits, knees and it was driving him nuts. Yes, we tried the cream at first but it didn't work. After my son ended up in the hospital, unable to breathe and limp as a rag, he was finally seen by an allergist.
It turned out that he had a severe allergy to different foods. His allergy to peanuts caused his hospitalization. His allergy to eggs, wheat, gluten, etc. caused his eczema. Once we eliminated all these foods, he was 100% fine. To this day, if he uses a soap or a lotion with any red dye in it, he gets irritable and scratchy with the beginnings of eczema. Also, if he eats CANDY with red dye. (He's now eleven.)
If I were you, I'd find the problem instead of dealing with the symptoms (eczema). The problem MIGHT be food allergies.
Best wishes,
Marla
My son had the same problem and still occasionally does. We use the cream and he is fine. You need to find the root of the problem. Get your child tested for food allergies. We did and were shocked at how many foods were making him itch. He has outgrown most allergies but still has foods we avoid. Good Luck.We started the testing at eight months. He is three and doing much better.
Someone else posted it - Omega 3! My son had mild eczema - we used lots of aquaphor. When he was 6 we started giving him Fish Oil capsules. His eczema AND sinus problems just vanished! At 18months, your son is a little young to take a capsule, but I noticed they make gummy versions now. Try it - it works!
Hi Maria,
I see that you've already gotten a lot of advice about exploring allergies. I would encourage looking at possible allergy causing foods, as well as chemical sensitivities. I'll focus here on the chemicals. Baby soaps and shampoos and even the creams that you are using are loaded with chemicals. The way that the baby's body tries to get these out of the system is through the skin, thus the arrival of eczema and skin rashes.
I would personally suggest eliminating all chemicals. Try using no soap at all on his body if you can, just to see the effect. I personally had switched my son to Caifornia Baby bath products which solved our problems. There are many other lines of baby soaps out there that are natural.
Something like eczema is really a sign that his body is trying desperately to rid his system of something to which he has a sensitivity.
This is one of those things that no one tells us about in advance, that we find out about as we come upon it. The good news is that you'll probably be able to identify what's causing it and finally be done with this.
All the best to you and your little one.
Michele
My doctor told me that prolonged use can thin the skin which causes problems later in life.
It can permanently thin the skin which didn't sound too bad until I looked it up on the internet. We were told to only apply it for 5 consecutive days and then take 5 days off. We also switched to a 1% formula when we could.
My daughter had constant eczema but hasn't had any problem with it for several months now. (She was tested for allergies and doesn't have any that could have been blamed.) We've been giving her fish oil tablets daily. It took awhile to build up and really start helping but she hasn't used hydrocortizone in many months.
We use Nordic Naturals. It's purified and safe for children. It doesn't taste bad but in the beginning we offered chocolate-covered raisins as a reward for taking them. They're expensive but really worth it.
Also we have a humidifier running in her room, especially in winter. We are careful about using soaps in the bath (only soak when possible, then slather on lotion right after). Our dermatologist told us to use Cerave instead of Cetaphil or Eucerin. It's expensive so you could try using it only on affected areas or alternating it.
Good luck!
Hi-my son is 3 almost 3 1/2 and I have used every cream and oil imaginable - I did not want to use cortizone-I used the mild .5 % and I finally took him to a homeopathic dr. who was able to diagnose what he was allergic to. I already had him off milk and he was allergic to soy too. He now drinks rice mild. In reading the other moms responses I concur if you keep them away from what your child is allergic to, the eczema stays away. I had the best luck with Cetaphil cream (not lotion) in a jar - aquaphor would irritate my sons skin as he was allergic to an oil in it. Also calendula oil is another good oil. I just recently threw out all the creams, lotions and gels that I have tried. Good luck to you!!
Is it possible that your son is allergic to something? Or perhaps sensitive to gluten, preservatives, pesticides or something that he is eating or is in his environment? My husband has had chronic eczema and he has been talking to many other adults that have it, and it seems that drinking lots and lots of water and eating a diet rich in organic foods and cutting out processed foods is a big help. for the last month, my husband has been eating largely organic whole foods and he has cut out juices and soda and drinks only water (after his morning coffee, of course) and his eczema has really improved. Not sure if this can translate this to a toddler, but you can try it.
Hi Maria,
I think it's good you are concerned. My friend recommended Alba's Un-petroleum Jelly to me; her daughter has eczema and it's worked wonders for her; she's never had to use a cortisone cream. It's worth a try! We use it and love it.
My daughter (4 years old) and son (18 months old) both have had mild eczema and the doctor gave us .5% cortizone and said not to overuse. I am unsure if the 2.5% can have any affects on your son's growth. Perhaps you should get a second opinion on treatment?
I would also advise to look into food allergies or sensitivities. As far as products, I reiterate the Arbonne baby care line. That is the reason I started using Arbonne products was my then toddler's eczema. I used the oil on the sensitive/drier spots for sure and then lotion all over. The bath wash is all I use on both of my boys. Occasionally I have added the Unwind bath salts or a couple of drops of the body oil to his bath if his skin is feeling a bit dry and it seems to moisten right up. I follow with the lotion. I haven't really changed anything about his diet, but he hasn't had a breakout in over a year since I have been religiously using the Arbonne products.