Baby Acne & Allergies

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

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

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

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

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 :-)

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

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.

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

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

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