How I Finally Cured My Baby’s Eczema In A Matter Of Days

After 14+ months of racking my brain to resolve my daughters pesky baby eczema we have finally won the battle! Olivia’s skin is finally as it should be. Perfectly smooth and clear. No more red scaly patches, sandpaper texture skin, bright red lines in her creases or irritating itch. {Sigh} It is a small issue in so many ways, but seeing it cured is such a big relief for me.

We first noticed the baby eczema when she was just 2 weeks old. I consulted my doctor 3 times over 14 months and each time Cortizone and medicated creams were suggested as the best way to cure the symptoms. I declined that option because of the toxins I would expose her to and the eczema still bothered me more than Olivia so it afforded me additional time to find a cure.

All the while, I kept thinking that a topical solution is not going to cure the eczema. It’s coming from the inside. I found out that many experts consider baby eczema to be related to food allergies, even foods in mother’s milk. Interesting enough, the largest patch of baby eczema was on her stomach, corresponding to her digestive system.

(if you are short on time – I highly recommend a very thorough e-book: Cure Child Eczema which will address EVERYTHING you need to know about baby & child eczema, including our special eczema cure: addressing the FOOD sensitivities!)

So How Did We Cure Her Baby Eczema?

After 14 months of exhausting every possible external irritant, we finally addressed food sensitivities as a possible cause.

I was hesitant to eliminate foods – but decided to begin with the #1 irritant first – dairy. I first made the switch from cow dairy to goat dairy, including cheese, milk and yogurt. Basically, we removed all cow dairy from our diet and switched over to all goats dairy. Goats milk has exactly the same fat content as cow dairy and it contains all the same nutritional qualities as the standard recommended whole cows milk. One interesting thing I learned is that growth hormones are not an issue with goats as they are not as “industrialized” as cows. We found a local farm nearby so I was able to discuss at length about hormones and synthetic fortification that occurs with conventional milk.

(The other thing to consider is the cow dairy present in almost all formula brands. This is also enough to trigger eczema in some children. I do NOT recommend Soy based infant formula and parents should consider if DHA and ARA are safe in infant formula. I was surprised to read that many parents are beginning to make their own formula. Here is a great recipe for homemade baby formula,  plus, read how one mother nursed her “failure to thrive” son back to health and provides a goat milk formula recipe.

Although we did not introduce cows milk (the standard recommendation) at 12 months, I overlooked how my own dairy consumption could effect her through breastfeeding. I don’t drink milk myself, but I didn’t even consider the yogurt in my diet because I view yogurt as being a “good” dairy. I love yogurt!

I have to add here, that I do not recommend weaning your baby to cure baby eczema, a more likely solution is to simply reduce high risk foods from your diet while breastfeeding and monitor results.

When we switched to goats dairy, I did notice a significant improvement, but the baby eczema still remained… mostly as dry rough patches in all her creases and face occasionally flaring to bright red. I weaned her at 14 months when I became pregnant with our second child.  I noticed, in hindsight that her symptoms improved again after weaning – however we were still experiencing flares.

My second child is born – and his perfect skin slowly becomes more baby eczema to deal with!

10 Months later – I gave birth to my son and his skin was perfect…never dry, never requiring cream…absolutely DREAMY SKIN!

My son’s skin was perfect until….6 months when I began to introduce food. He was however, slow to take to food and I continued to nurse him as his main nutritional supply. By 9 months, he began to eat a little more food and this was the time we introduced yogurt and some sprouted whole wheat toast in addition to fruits and veggies. I still nursed him 5-7 times a day!

When my son was around 9 months, my daughter (2 1/2) began to experience a lasting dry cough that would wake her at night. This dry cough went on for 3 months!

During this time both of their faces were red, blotchy, felt like sand paper and shiny.

I finally took her to our NaturalPath Doctor to treat the chronic cough, realizing that this was NOT a virus – and he gave my daughter a food sensitivities test.

The test confirmed that she is highly sensitive to cow dairy (goat fine) and also wheat, Kamut and Spelt and a few other things. It’s interesting because I reached this conclusion about cow milk while she was a baby but reintroduced dairy (raw milk) as a toddler again. I had also been baking quite a bit through the winter with the natural the “offending” flours. Needless to say, both Evan and Olivia’s skin look terrible during this winter.

The Naturopath placed all of us us on a wheat and dairy free diet.

What can I say – The results have been amazing and I am proud to say the eczema is cured as well as the chronic cough and dry red cheeks!

After 6 days her chronic cough disappeared completely. No lingering coughs at all. Gone. But that’s not all. Her skin went from being red and blotchy to BEAUTIFUL. (see pictures)

In addition, her moods (as a toddler) have also smoothed out. The tantrums are gone and she seems really comfortable in her skin. The change in her is remarkable and hard to describe. I have also been on this diet and feel excellent. So much so that I don’t want to eat any more wheat! In researching wheat free diets, many have reported the same benefits in mood and skin.

This is Olivia’s skin while she’s had the chronic cough and what I now call “her wheat & dairy face”

This is Olivia’s skin two weeks later. To date we have not seen any redness or blotches, unless she has dairy or wheat, kamut and spelt.

and finally here’s Olivia today, enjoying some RICE pasta – thank goodness for that!

More amazing “eczema cure” photos!

My son’s face (which was much more irritated than Olivia’s at 9 months) also cleared up withing 2 weeks!

Aren’t these picture worth a thousand words!

This is his red blotchy face before….no fun at all!

Here is he is again 2-4 weeks later…almost all gone.

and finally – this is how his face looks normally – unless we have dairy or wheat!!

I’m convinced food sensitivities are the cause for most baby & child eczema

If you are dealing with eczema I highly recommend taking a food sensitivities test or at the very  least, eliminating wheat and dairy from your diet for minimum 2 weeks – if you go cold turkey you’ll see results right away. The Vega test does not hurt and is available through a Naturopathic Doctor. One way to tell food sensitivities is by “allergic shiners” which are basically dark circles under the eyes. You may not see them much on your baby, but as they grow they will show up if they have food sensitivities.

Now, here’s the tricky thing I’ve learned about baby eczema:

What works for us may not work for you – and I’ve found you kinda need a strategy to address ALL the multiple possibilities that may be causing it.

I am a resourceful natural mom – and if you’ve made it this far on my article, you are pretty resourceful as well.

I was not willing to accept that there was nothing I could do, and I was not willing to accept that cortizone was the only solution from doctors who have no idea about the body from a  holistic perspective, and no nutritional background.

I used to have a list of things to consider on this page from soaps & creams to clothing and matresss, but I have found that there is so much to consider….from essential oils, to soaps, food, mites, vaccines, probiotics, immune system boosters  etc etc…that it’s easy to get confused -and who has all that tie to browse the web for hours with small children!

Rather than spending countless hours on the internet researching every last suggestion and driving yourself crazy, you can read it all in one book – written by a natural mom like us!

I knew there was a solution that would not compromise my natural and healthy values as a mom.

But,

It takes time to go through the information….

I want you to have the same amazing results that I did!

I wanted to bring light to the food sensitivities and baby eczema – because I did not find anything on the internet that addressed the stomach, intestines, immune system and food the way I experience it in our home.

But I also know that you will have to explore each avenue and so I would like to highly recommend the following e-book. It’s the most natural and extensive book I have found that will walk you through each thing to consider with your baby’s eczema.

Cure Child Eczema is a step by step NATURAL guide of all the things you should consider to cure your baby’s eczema once and for all. This book covers everything, it will lead you through all your options. All the same things I looked at, until I finally found our solution with food sensitivities! It’s the only book I recommend for eczema at this time. It’s because it contains  all the information I would include in a book PLUS so much MORE!

(Please note: I LOVE this e-book with ONE exception: I do NOT agree with the SKIN CARE recommendations for baby eczema. “Burt’s Bees” is not a product that I recommend because of their use of perfumes, which is not recommended at any time, especially with baby eczema. Other than the skincare recommended, I feel this book is the best on the market right now for Natural Moms who want to cure the eczema without drugs and from the ROOT cause.

Baby Skin Care Products that Don’t Irritate Baby Eczema

The last thing that I’ll leave you with is suggestions for natural products you can trust. I have spend more money that I care to remember trying to find products that don’t irritate baby eczema and also help to cure, from the inside out.

You already know that very few skin care products are effective in not irritating the dry red cracks on the skin and keeping skin hydrated. On top of that, I have a major problem with nearly all products I come across because they contain ingredients that I don’t think should be on anybody’s skin, especially a baby’s. This article has been edited a few times because I am never satisfied. Here is the list of baby skin care products we are currently using at home:

• Dr Bronners Unscented Baby Mild Castile Soap – This is about the purest line of products you are going to find.
• Lafe’s Organic Foaming Shampoo and Wash – This is pure enough for a newborn. No scent at all. Very pure.
• Lafe’s Organic Baby Lotion – This is the one I use for daily use. A little goes a long way and it is very light and fresh.
• California Baby Super Sensitive Bubble Bath – No fragrance at all.
• Burt’s Bees Diaper Ointment – As I said, I’m not a fan of their other products but this one is good for Bum’s.
• California Baby SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion – I wanted to the safest possible, even though it goes on a little white it works great.

Health Supplements To Support Baby Eczema

One thing I wanted to address with curing baby eczema is to have a look at the supplements you may be using for yourself and baby/toddler. Now that my daughter is a toddler, I have found that certain vitamins irritate her cheeks and make her skin dry. Although I am a very healthy mom, my philosophy around supplements is very simple.

When you address issues that do not seem to have a specific cure, it is best to focus on the immune system instead. Our immune system is directly related to the stomach and intestines so the first product I always consider is a probiotic. Then I add a Vitamin D, flax oil and an omega oil. The other products I have listed I also include in our diet with discretion, meaning that I will include for a time, and then take a break.

I am not a health “professional” but these are examples of products that have been recommended to me over and over by natural health professionals.

• Probiotic – This is a great brand because it is not from a diary source, rather it comes form the earth!
• Flax Oil – I use this flax oil in all our salad dressings mixed with olive oil as well as a bout 1 Tbs into their smoothie.
• Omega Oil – This is an excellent brand for DHA, I alternate days with this. I used their oils for pregnancy as well.
• Vitamin D - Carlson is a good brand. I also use “AOR” drops for kids which I love.
• Greens Powder – these green have an excellent blend of ingredients including chia seed. I use 1 Tbs into a shake each day that we all share. So good.
• Quality Multi-Vitamin – chick here to view the pure ingredients. This is a great choice for kids 4 and older, although I break in half for my toddler son. It is hard to find a multi that does not contain fructose, sucrose etc. and also has vitamin levels high enough to actually support health.

Curing baby eczema can be very complicated and no single cure works for every baby.

In my own experience a process of elimination was required to get to the root cause. I worked on the environmental factors first and then closely observed the internal factors, namely her diet. This is where we were finally rewarded with a lasting solution.

I hope these suggestions will lead YOU in the right direction.

Many Blessings – I wish you much success in curing your child’s eczema!

I’m confident that you will get to the bottom of it.

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