grandson's eczema - any suggestions?

NotTooOld

Poor little boy. When my son was born in the late 60s he quickly developed what I thought was nappy rash but was actually eczema and he had it for years in different parts of his body. We were given Betnovate by the doctor and in those days we were not told it was a steroid cream and should be used sparingly. In any case I was a young and ignorant new mum and desperate to clear up this 'nappy rash'. The Betnovate seemed like magic because it worked so well but I wish now I had tried to find something different. The eczema did eventually clear up but I still feel guilty about my liberal use of steroid cream on his baby skin. Sorry I'm no help. Your post brought back some poignant memories!

I sympathise. My mother used Betnovate on her legs for years, and possibly other creams, as a result she had ulcers and skin like tissue paper. I would really keep them for emergencies only, never use them regularly or there will be pronounced thinning of the skin.

2 of my grandsons have a skin condition which causes very dry scaly skin. They are prescribed Aveeno ointment and QV ointment both of which gave relief.
My daughter also had body suits for bed time which kept the ointment from rubbing off on the bedclothes. It also stopped the boys from scratching.
It might be worth trying one of both of these. I would steer clear of steroid cream in such a young child.

Our daughter had bad eczema as a small child. We gave her evening primrose oil capsules which helped keep her skin soft & less itchy (Dr used to prescribe….not any more!),
In recent years she’s found the
Child’s farm products very good. Look on line or in Boots. They are not expensive and work for her.

Here is advice on emollients from the NHS:
NHS Emollient Advice

Read in particular the last two paragraphs Skin reactions and Safety when using emollients which are important.

Aqueous cream in particular can cause a reaction to some children.

As a social worker years ago, I witnessed astonishing improvement in severe eczema of a 2 year old girl after her mother in despair sought help from a Chinese healer. She boiled up what looked like twigs for the child to drink. It cost a lot and I didn’t think for a moment it would work but it did.
This was in the 80s. The child had been under major children’s hospitals who had not been able to help and they too were impressed. It was the nearest thing to a miracle for this little girl. I have never forgotten it.

have made a note of all the really helpful suggestions - thanks gransnetters, you're a great bunch!

I also recommend the porridge method .
Cheap and it seems to work .

Our daughter started with eczema as a toddler, she was managed for this via a consultant at the hospital.
You really need to push for this, I know it is difficult getting appointments but they are the specialist not the GP.
She is in her 40s and still has it.
Our son as Psoriasis he started in his teens and still has it in his 40s
I have Urticaria started when I was 19 I am under a consultant at the hospital.
They are the specialist and your little one needs the best care push for it.
GPs are very reluctant to refer you to hospitals outside there area because the budget needs to be moved but I stood my ground on another health issue.
I needed to see a specialist and they had to agree to me seeing someone outside the area. The consultant came up with a different cause of action to the one the GP had decided I needed. Consultant overruled the GP and I was very please with my results.

I’m so sorry to hear about your grandson’s eczema, Welshwizard. I know it can be nigh on impossible to get in some areas, but he really needs the input of a dermatologist, as different treatments work for different people.

My youngest DGS (2 years old) has been so very lucky as one of the GPs at his local surgery is a dermatologist. She was determined to find the right treatment for him and saw him regularly every fortnight for months, trying and tweaking different things before coming up with the right medication and prescription cream for him. His skin is now clear, though he has occasional brief flare ups when he’s unwell. He has a gluten- and dairy-free diet which she’s also monitoring - he’s just been introduced to eggs without any negative effect, but a brief test with cow’s milk resulted in an immediate reaction, so he’s back on the oat milk for the time being.

Having just said that your grandson needs individual care from a specialist (and I do hope he can get it), several people mentioned Aveeno to me, saying that it had worked wonders for their children/grandchildren. We never tried it, but I see that others have recommended it on this thread.

All best wishes - fingers crossed you can get him sorted out.

My daughter has been recommended this www.surcare.co.uk/product/sensitive-laundry-liquid/
One of her boys has developed eczema along with x linked ichthiosis.
She hasn't tried it yet so I'm just passing it on.

Cream or lotion made with goats milk. Worked a dream on my friend's daughter

I have mentioned the Blood Group Diet before. Knowing his blood group could enable you to avoid foods he is less likely to digest well. Just a thought. My friend for instance is Group A which is dairy intolerant. She is totally allergic to dairy, so there could be something in it. My blood group has no problem with dairy and in fact I do eat it freely. Group A should also avoid meat and would be best to go vegetarian, while Group O is fine to eat meat. And so on.

Evening PRIMROSE oil, snip the capsule and anoint at bedtime, Childs Farm unscented shampoo and moisturisers, Aveeno (contains oats)! Ecover unscented, Boots do a sensitive skin range.
Valerian taken in the evening calms and settles
older children, reducing skin irritation : not sure if that is right for a 3yold though.

Cotton where possible and a test for allergies/intolerences, its surprising what they could be, for example, eggs, legumes, treated flour, berries, but usually dairy ; milk yoghurt, cream, cheese. Nightshades list, tomatoes, potatoes, aubergine etc., are occasional culprits too.