Toddler has Eczema on her feet

My 18-month-old has always battled with eczema - little patches here and there on her arms, legs (especially in the creases) and it's all manageable, but she has also had it on the bottom of her feet. It primarily is around her toes and the ball of both feet and it's AWFUL. I have taken her once to the pedi (several months ago to find out what it was - I originally thought it was athlete's foot), and plan to take her again this week, but am wondering if anyone else deals with this and what you have done. I am back to my regular lathering up of Cerenve lotion on her feet with socks at night, and will discontinue the use of sandals (will stick to socks/tennis shoes from here on out). If you have any other thoughts, please let me know. I feel awful for her - she cannot walk barefoot on the hardwoods or outside b/c it hurts so bad.

I feel bad for her!! We got a water softener and it helped. We also used Gold Bond lotion. My older kids had it when they were going through puberty and my daughter out grew it but my son new did. My son still gets it on the opposite side of his elbows and it really seems to flare up when he sweats.

I have eczema and I found that controlling my diet helped tremendously. I did some research when my dermatologist proved to be no help and found out that a diet high in ph can aggrevate eczema patches. So things like citrus fruits, strawberries, beef, tomatoes; anything highly acidic would make it worse. Beef and pork were pretty bad for eczema too. I also learned that artificial sweeteners were murder on my eczema. So I cut out anything with artificial sweeteners in it, including gum. I decided to go vegetarian and cut out the acidic foods to see if it help and NO JOKE, it completely cleared up in 4 days. It was shocking how quickly it cleared up. I stayed on my vegetarian diet with limited acidic foods for a month and slowly added meat back in. I limit how much meat I eat per week now.

I realize you probably can't cut out everything in her diet that would be highly acidic but maybe if you could cut back on some things, like oranges and strawberries, etc. it would be helpful for her. Good luck!

Erin, I have been shopping from a manufacturer for 11 years now. and they have an amazing product that helps people with Eczema. The product can help them get off cortizone cream, I hear so many stories just like yours with little children and these products have changed their lives. If you want some information. just please go to my website and mention on the request that your toldler has eczema and looking for products to help.
Wendy
www.wendy.familiesearningmore.com

Could it be a latex sensitivity? My daughter has this and gets an eczema-like rash from the rubberized bath mat and bathing suits. Just a thought...

http://www.nationaleczema.org/
http://www.easeeczema.org/
http://www.easeeczema.org/soa/seal_of_acceptance.htm

You need to figure out what is triggering it.
For my Mom who has Eczema, anything with Oats (food or lotions) or Citrus in it, triggers her Eczema. If she avoids it, then she does not get it.

Hi Erin,

Ezcema is systemic so it's coming from the inside out. There is a trigger. Until you find that, your little one needs to be on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex to overtake the toxicity that is affecting her skin. You can also remove other toxicities so her immune system is strong enough to battle the skin condition. I can recommend some things if you like.

Renew lotion will heal the ezcema. It does wonders but you still need to find the trigger. The better her system fights this off, the better it will protect her body from other more dangerous issues.

God bless,
Mimi

She probably has an allergy to something either contact or ingested (food). Start eliminating things (perfumes, scents, laundry detergents, etc.) to see what helps it clear up. Keep a food journal with notes on her skin condition so you can look for any patterns of possible food triggers. Almost every child I have known (including my own two) who had eczema has had a food allergy/sensitivity. Good luck,

My daughter has terrible exzema brought on by food sensitivity. Her dermatologist suggested I start washing her with Cetaphil Restoraderm (not the regular Cetaphil) and use the lotion of the same name. It has made all the difference. I also wanted to mention that lubbing her up and cover with socks might actually make it worse and more itchy. I used to try that with my daughter's hands and the dermatologist said it was better to let it dry out. Lastly, if its really bad she may need a prescription for oral meds, this has been the case for my daughter once in the past. But try the Cetaphil Restoraderm because we haven't had a single outbreak since we began using it in early April (Walmart has it the cheapest but its still not cheap at about $14 each for the wash and lotion).

We use Arbonne products. I didn't even know when I started using them that our eczema would clear up but it did. We started out using one of the shampoo's and what we didn't think about was that everything you put on your hair runs down your body this is one reason that acne doesn't clear up too. Anyway MINERAL OIL free, No alcohol or animal products or by products are crucial when there is a skin issue. Arbonne's ABC baby care products cleared my grandson's eczema we also give him the Esssential's vitamins. I can mail you a free sample of our baby products my grandson's skin started clearing up almost immediately. I will PM you my info. Your poor baby that has to hurt a lot. I hope it gets cleared up soon.

I have struggled with excema all my life, and so have my sisters. now my 3 month old daughter has it! i use aveeno baby for her and it seems to help,, i use the body wash and lotion for her. I also have used different aveeno products for my self as well as cerave. but i want to also mention what i only saw one person say is that usually things have to trigger it, so there could be something in her diet that is especially irritating it. I also have dealt with food allergies all my life and really think they are linked. Yogurt helps too, something about the probiotics in it. one last thing, many ppl i have encountered that have excema, just have very sensitive skin in general. Different soaps, lotions, laundry detergents, fragrances, and yes, stress can all trigger excema breakouts, (or allow them to continue) anyways please bring it up with the doc so they can reccomend you something. its not a fun thing to have to live with, but when you can figure out what triggers it, you can control it. good luck! and so sorry for your sweetie, that sounds so painful:(

Glycerin. Pure 100%. You have to ask for it and look for it, be persistent. You must commit to this therapy, daily for a minimum of three weeks to a month, but it WORKS! The bottle of glycerin costs around $3.00 at Walmart. Keep the area covered, it will be sticky, but apply amply twice a day. It washes off easily. Use Aveeno products for bath during the therapy period, they also have a line of eczema therapy products you can use for bath and therapy AFTER you get it under control. I will warn you, for the first 3-5 days it may appear to get worse. It is not. It is the skin repairing itself. Please, for her sake, be vigilant!!! Also, check your laundry detergent and any abrasive cleaners you use on the floor that her feet may be reacting to. Invest in a gallon or two of Dreft or the like for a while until she is older and can handle more abrasive detergents.
Here is a helpful article I found online at www.eczema.net:
Eczema In Children

For whatever reason, whether it be the environment or otherwise, children are suffering from more eczema than ever before! Some have believed in the past that it could not happen in children. And obviously, even with sensitive skin, people grow out of things like diaper rash. Either that, or you take away the irritant. But if your child has bumps on their body or they have other signs of eczema, it's never too early. In fact, while they may grow out of it, eczema can even happen in babies and infants! Eczema is inflammation leading to reddened, itching, and scaly skin or even crusting skin. It is hereditary, and it has been connected to auto immune disorders such as asthma, hay fever, Crohn's disease, etc. But how do you address problems with eczema in children?
"
1. Controlling their diet
Diet can play a significant part in eczema in children. Whether it is chocolate or common food allergies, these foods can irritate and aggravate the skin. They can trigger outbreaks. Common sources include chocolate, soda, fried foods, citrus fruits, seafoods, dairy, ice cream, tomatoes, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, eggs, and pork. Peanuts and gluten are two of the most common allergies, and even without eczema, they can cause problems such as hives and extreme itching.
2. Get non irritating clothing
Contact dermatitis is one of the most common causes of eczema. Whether it is because of the detergent that needs to be washed away or the clothes themselves, it is important to get soft and breathable clothes. Cotton is the most breathable and gentle materials, and you will find that color is important as well. Dark colors such as navy, red, black, and dark gray can be more irritating to the skin. Bed sheets and comforters can also cause more problems.
3. Lotions, soaps, and washes
Anything you put on your skin can make a difference. When you use washes on children that have too many irritants or you don't wash detergents or other soaps away properly, they can lie on the skin and cause irritation and breakdown. When you use gentle forms of all of these, it is considerably easier to control and prevent problems with eczema."

They also suggest bleach baths, but I personally would not go there without speaking to several experts. This seems way to severe for a child...
I hope she is on the mend soon!
LB in Roswell, GA

We had to use lotions, soaps, shampoos and laundry detergents that were dye and fragrance free. My husband has eczema too, so luckily we had most of that. If I switch by soap or detergent he will break out immediately. The baby stuff may be milder, but it also has lots of fragrance. If it is really bad your pedi may give you a prescription for a steroid cream. You don't need to use it often or use much but it is great for the really bad cases.