Baby Acne & Allergies

[Phoebe & Allyson]

Poor Caterpillar (7 weeks) is horribly broken out. She has
been for several weeks, and I suspect she will be for
several more weeks. My copy of Sears' The Baby Book says
that baby acne onsetting before 2 weeks and spreading into
the hair and down the neck can be a sign of allergy. Hers
didn't start early (nothing until 3 or 4 weeks), but it
covers her entire head and neck, and is headed down her back.

We're using unscented detergent and fabric softener, and
haven't noticed a relationship to unscented, hypoallergenic,
or regular baby wash. So if she's allergenic, I suspect
it's to something I'm eating. Fortunately, the prime
suspects would be dairy and wheat. Unfortunately, my
primary food source for the last 9 months has been cheese
sandwiches, so eliminating them will make me unhappy.

No other allergy symptoms - no diaper rash, excessive
spittiness, fussing, etc.

Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?

Phoebe :)

[Rosie]

DD had baby baby acne - I tried eliminating all sorts. In the end it just
cleared up of its own accord around 3 months.

ROSIE

[Elana]

Phoebe & Allyson > wrote:

> Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
> clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?

Couple questions:

How often does she get a bath?

Have you tried vinegar in the rinse instead of fabric conditioner?

What type of soap/shampoo do you use on her?

Is there anything that you've recently eaten that you didn't before?

E

[K.B.]

My son went through he same thing. It looked alot like eczema. I was very
upset because it looked so ugly. I had him at the allergist to test him for
a bunch of allergies. I was told he has a sensitivity to dairy and to put
Elidel cream on his rash. It helped a little but still didn't get better.
Then a Mom asked me to check if he had thrush. He did. The Dr. gave me
niastatin cream for the rash and stuff for his mouth. The rash cleared right
up. I was so happy. It was that simple I couldn't believe it. I still have
to stay away from dairy though.
I have a thing for cheese too. I eat alot of it and it's been hard for me to
eliminate it.
I also use dye and perfume free detergent but I don't think that makes a
difference. His skin has been nice since I used that cream and I stay away
from dairy.
Kris

"Phoebe & Allyson" > wrote in message
...
> Poor Caterpillar (7 weeks) is horribly broken out. She has
> been for several weeks, and I suspect she will be for
> several more weeks. My copy of Sears' The Baby Book says
> that baby acne onsetting before 2 weeks and spreading into
> the hair and down the neck can be a sign of allergy. Hers
> didn't start early (nothing until 3 or 4 weeks), but it
> covers her entire head and neck, and is headed down her back.
>
> We're using unscented detergent and fabric softener, and
> haven't noticed a relationship to unscented, hypoallergenic,
> or regular baby wash. So if she's allergenic, I suspect
> it's to something I'm eating. Fortunately, the prime
> suspects would be dairy and wheat. Unfortunately, my
> primary food source for the last 9 months has been cheese
> sandwiches, so eliminating them will make me unhappy.
>
> No other allergy symptoms - no diaper rash, excessive
> spittiness, fussing, etc.
>
> Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
> clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?
>
> Phoebe :)
>
>

[Tracey]

Phoebe & Allyson wrote:

> Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
> clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?

Try squirting breastmilk on it to see if that will clear it up. DS baby
acne was really bad abourt age 3/4 weeks and I was grossed out by how awful
it looked. One morning I squirted the breast milk on it, and within just a
few hours his face was all cleared up! Whenever it came back for the next
few weeks, I just squirted him again and it cleared up.

[Jodie]

I'd wait a few weeks. With ds, who was ff and had milk allergy and very
sensitive skin, we couldn't use any kind of fabric softner at all, even
unscented. DD (the one i'm nursing) has very mild eczema (she gets a
few patches here and there) and the doc hasn't recommended I eliminate
anything). Ped said if she was ff, she would probably be like her
brother was. At two months, we started using hydrocortisone 0.5 % (per
her ped). Applied a very thin layer at night, and usually by morning,
it was gone.

I know with this heat we've been having, dd gets a "rash" on her head,
face, neck and back if we've been out at all. Could be heat??

HTH,
Jodie

[CMK]

My daughter had acne as an infant, too. I was told it was "normal
baby acne". But it got worse while I was breastfeeding. I eat a LOT
of dairy..so I suspected dairy was the problem......when i cut it out
completely (which was painful!! :-(( )....the acne was completely
gone.

It wouldn't hurt to rule out dairy or wheat as the culprit.
My partner found lots of yummy soy product for me. ;-) (Be careful
though.....some soy products have milk proteins in them.)

My daughter is now 18 mos old..... When she was about 13 months old I
gradually introduced dairy back into my diet....and she didn't have
any problems. She cannot have dairy.....she gets belly aches.

Chris (Debbie and Brittany)

PS. Brittany is 18 mos old and still nursing!! wooo hooo



Phoebe & Allyson > wrote in message >...
> Poor Caterpillar (7 weeks) is horribly broken out. She has
> been for several weeks, and I suspect she will be for
> several more weeks. My copy of Sears' The Baby Book says
> that baby acne onsetting before 2 weeks and spreading into
> the hair and down the neck can be a sign of allergy. Hers
> didn't start early (nothing until 3 or 4 weeks), but it
> covers her entire head and neck, and is headed down her back.
>
> We're using unscented detergent and fabric softener, and
> haven't noticed a relationship to unscented, hypoallergenic,
> or regular baby wash. So if she's allergenic, I suspect
> it's to something I'm eating. Fortunately, the prime
> suspects would be dairy and wheat. Unfortunately, my
> primary food source for the last 9 months has been cheese
> sandwiches, so eliminating them will make me unhappy.
>
> No other allergy symptoms - no diaper rash, excessive
> spittiness, fussing, etc.
>
> Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
> clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?
>
> Phoebe :)

[Beth Kevles]

Hi -

If you're worrying about your breastfed baby's skin and think it MIGHT
be a food allergy, you'll want to read the excellent book by Dr. Doris
Rapp, "Is This Your Child?". It's an easy read, very clear and
informative. (And if your child has eczema and your doctor has NOT
recommended eliminating any foods from your diet, you MUST read the
book, take some action, and think seriously about the quality of your
doctor ...

My two cents,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

[Phoebe & Allyson]

Elana wrote:

> How often does she get a bath?


Not very! She's really not spitty and I try to get her both
clean and air-dried with each diaper change, so we only put
her in the tub once or twice a week (usually after she's
been in the heat and is sweaty). It's just too much effort
(and it makes her hair so dry and flyaway), even though she
likes it. I do wipe her face down with a damp cloth once a day.


> Have you tried vinegar in the rinse instead of fabric conditioner?


Diapers and most of her clothes get a vinegar rinse. Then
the diapers go on the line (so get no fabric softener), and
clothes go into the dryer with an unscented dryer sheet.


> What type of soap/shampoo do you use on her?

We started out with Johnson's baby wash, which says it's
hypoallergenic, but is scented. She got two baths with one
of the lavender baby washes, which makes her smell really
nice, but seemed to make her spottier. So we switched to
California Baby's Sensitive Skin wash, which is completely
unscented. No improvement.


> Is there anything that you've recently eaten that you didn't before?

Nothing I can identify that I've eaten more than once, and
if it was a one-time thing, I'd think she'd have stopped
reacting.

Phoebe :)

[Phoebe & Allyson]

K.B. wrote:

> It looked alot like eczema.


What is eczema supposed to look like?

> Then a Mom asked me to check if he had thrush. He did.


I think we're thrush-free. Every time I get a little
soreness, I inspect her mouth for any suspicious whiteness,
and myself for any suspicious redness. So far, I haven't
seen any, and any odd sensations have cleared up on their
own within a day.

Thanks!

Phoebe :)

[Elana]

Well, those are all really good answers. And all what i would have said
to do. So I'm at an impasse. Hope someone else can help...

E
PS...we love the Cali Baby stuff too :-)

[Phoebe & Allyson]

Elana wrote:

> Well, those are all really good answers. And all what i would have said
> to do. So I'm at an impasse. Hope someone else can help...

That makes me think it's more likely just to be a normal
variation, and not anything I'm doing or not doing.

Thanks!

Phoebe :)

[Beth Kevles]

The only soap that worked for us (and we still use on my 5-year old with
sensitive skin) is neutrogena unscented. I think it's marketed as a
facial wash ... comes in a small bottle with a pump.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

[Beth Kevles]

Hi, Jodie -

Yes, that post was directed at you. I'd just lost your name by the time
I was ready to write :-)

Eczema is, more often than not, allergy-related. And yes, the allergy
can be a food senstivity, even via breastmilk. (And with eczema, dairy
is no more likely than any other severe allergen, by the way.) Of
course, the eczema could also be allergenic but to something NOT related
to food, such as pollen, dust mites, down, wool, soap, etc. Or not at
all allergy-related (at least, not so as you can figure out.)

The book Is This Your Child is really quite helpful. Your local library
probably has it, or you can find cheap reading copies used at someplace
like bookfinder.com.

I'm surprised your ped. didn't say anything about allergy when he
diagnosed eczema.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

[H Schinske]

Beth ) wrote:

>I'm surprised your ped. didn't say anything about allergy when he
>diagnosed eczema.

Beth, you've probably heard this story, but the pediatric dermatologist I took
Peter to said that in her experience most eczema in infants turned out not to
be diet-related. She said it happened over and over that she saw moms giving up
dairy and all right and left, and it not having the least effect.

I'm not defending this point of view, just saying it's out there. This was the
doctor who never noticed that Peter's only patch of eczema was directly under
the snaps on his left shoulder -- turned out to be a nickel sensitivity. But
she was right that it had nothing to do with dairy :-)

--Helen

[K.B.]

Sorry I sent this to you on accident. It's been a long day. It was meant to
come here.

It sort of looks like bad acne. But it gets yellow crust and sometimes
oozes. My first sons eczema bled. It starts on the face and spreads to the
back of the neck and ears. Then it goes to the arms and legs in the
creases. It's not pretty and looks itchy. My 6 year old still gets it
sometimes. I have to lubricate him in the winter or his skin gets bad.
Kris

"Phoebe & Allyson" > wrote in message
...
> K.B. wrote:
>
> > It looked alot like eczema.
>
>
> What is eczema supposed to look like?
>
> > Then a Mom asked me to check if he had thrush. He did.
>
>
> I think we're thrush-free. Every time I get a little
> soreness, I inspect her mouth for any suspicious whiteness,
> and myself for any suspicious redness. So far, I haven't
> seen any, and any odd sensations have cleared up on their
> own within a day.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Phoebe :)
>
>

[Jodie]

oht

thanks, beth. i will try to check that book out. i guess i should have
given more history. my ds outgrew the milk allergy, and has since been
put on zyrtec for seasonal allergies. we have had the same ped for all
three kids, i assumed dd"s is seasonal. as well. i will definitely ask
for clarification at the next wbv, though.

jodie :)

[Phoebe & Allyson]

K.B. wrote:

> Sorry I sent this to you on accident.


No problem. :)

> It sort of looks like bad acne. But it gets yellow crust and sometimes
> oozes. My first sons eczema bled. It starts on the face and spreads to the
> back of the neck and ears. Then it goes to the arms and legs in the
> creases. It's not pretty and looks itchy.


I don't think this is what we're dealing with, then. No
oozing, no crust, and it's spreading down her chest and back
without regard to creases. At the moment, it just looks
like little pimples all over, and dry scaly bumpy bits all
over her ears. She does look itchy, and keeps rubbing her
ears and head with her little mittened hands -- she was
scratching bloody marks all over her face with her
razor-sharp claws before we mittened her. But I'm not sure
it's itching, rather than inability to control her hands,
since she's also been known to pull her own hair hard enough
that she shrieks.

Phoebe :)

[K.B.]

Ask the Dr. to look at it. Maybe it's a yeast rash or it could be eczema. Or
just prickly heat.
My first son used to pull the back of his hair and shriek too. It was cute.
My little guy now has no hair. It's lost in the sheets somewhere.
Kris
"Phoebe & Allyson" > wrote in message
...
> K.B. wrote:
>
> > Sorry I sent this to you on accident.
>
>
> No problem. :)
>
> > It sort of looks like bad acne. But it gets yellow crust and sometimes
> > oozes. My first sons eczema bled. It starts on the face and spreads to
the
> > back of the neck and ears. Then it goes to the arms and legs in the
> > creases. It's not pretty and looks itchy.
>
>
> I don't think this is what we're dealing with, then. No
> oozing, no crust, and it's spreading down her chest and back
> without regard to creases. At the moment, it just looks
> like little pimples all over, and dry scaly bumpy bits all
> over her ears. She does look itchy, and keeps rubbing her
> ears and head with her little mittened hands -- she was
> scratching bloody marks all over her face with her
> razor-sharp claws before we mittened her. But I'm not sure
> it's itching, rather than inability to control her hands,
> since she's also been known to pull her own hair hard enough
> that she shrieks.
>
> Phoebe :)
>
>

[Laurie]

Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message >...
>Poor Caterpillar (7 weeks) is horribly broken out. She has
>been for several weeks, and I suspect she will be for
>several more weeks. My copy of Sears' The Baby Book says
>that baby acne onsetting before 2 weeks and spreading into
>the hair and down the neck can be a sign of allergy. Hers
>didn't start early (nothing until 3 or 4 weeks), but it
>covers her entire head and neck, and is headed down her back.
>
>We're using unscented detergent and fabric softener, and
>haven't noticed a relationship to unscented, hypoallergenic,
>or regular baby wash. So if she's allergenic, I suspect
>it's to something I'm eating. Fortunately, the prime
>suspects would be dairy and wheat. Unfortunately, my
>primary food source for the last 9 months has been cheese
>sandwiches, so eliminating them will make me unhappy.
>
>No other allergy symptoms - no diaper rash, excessive
>spittiness, fussing, etc.
>
>Does it make more sense to wait a few weeks and see if it
>clears up on its own, or try messing with my diet?
>
>Phoebe :)

Yeah, it'll probably still clear up on it's own. Both my kids had it
spreading down onto their backs/chests, and I remember reading the same
thing in Sears book with jessica. She *did* have lots of allergies, but
Christopher ended up with the same baby acne, and doesn't have any allergies
thus far. Give it some more time. Just clean her with plain old water and
it will likely go away. Some do suggest using a mild soap, but I never did.

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 27 months
and Christopher, 13 weeks

*This email address is now valid*

[Laurie]

Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message >...
>> What type of soap/shampoo do you use on her?
>
>We started out with Johnson's baby wash, which says it's
>hypoallergenic, but is scented. She got two baths with one
>of the lavender baby washes, which makes her smell really
>nice, but seemed to make her spottier. So we switched to
>California Baby's Sensitive Skin wash, which is completely
>unscented. No improvement.

I just wanted to comment on this; Jess was allergic to just about every baby
shampoo/soap, and Johnson's was by far the worst. I tried using it on her
again recently, and while it didn't give her a rash, her hair looked
straggly after using it for 3 days! The *only* cleanser that didn't bother
her baby skin was Eucerin cleanser for sensitive skin. You can find it with
the regular grown-up creams, next to Eucerin cream. It was really great. I
even tried cetaphil, which didn't work for her. No nice baby smell with the
Eucerin, though. :(

laurie
mommy to Jessica, 27 months
and Christopher, 13 weeks

*This email address is now valid*
>
>
>> Is there anything that you've recently eaten that you didn't before?
>
>Nothing I can identify that I've eaten more than once, and
>if it was a one-time thing, I'd think she'd have stopped
>reacting.
>
>Phoebe :)
>