3 Months old...right before the eczema got really bad:(
The reason I am writing this post is to encourage all of you wonderful mommies out there to trust your instincts!!
My beautiful little boy started to get red splotches on his tummy around 3 months old. It started with one little red, rough, dry patch near his belly button. My husband and I thought it was ringworm at first. We put some lotion on it - BabyGanics from Target - and after a few days it went away. Then a week or so later he started to get really red in the creases of his elbows, knees, and neck. That pesky red patch on his tummy came back as well and spread to more red patches all over his tummy. At this point I was worried so we went to the pediatrician the next day. He told me that it was a rash from yeast. I asked if it could be eczema because from what I had researched it sure looked a lot like it. He brushed me off immediately and said, "Eczema is not common in infants." Feeling quite defeated and upset with my pediatrician I asked him to explain yeast more. Yeast is apparently all over our bodies and babies bodies but because babies have a weaker immune system they react to it. He prescribed a cream and I went home thinking my baby boy would soon be better.
A few weeks later when the rash was not better - it would come and go - I went back to the pediatrician. AGAIN, he told me it was yeast. Once again, I asked if it could be eczema. Again he told me no. He also said to hold off on lotions and such as babies do not need them. He prescribed another cream and an oral yeast medication this time. I left his office not believing it was yeast and upset that my doctor would not even consider an alternative diagnosis.
We tried the cream and medicine for 2 days and Liam's skin got tremendously worse. It was bright red and his poor little eyes looked like someone had punched him. At this point I was pretty upset and scheduled another appointment with my pediatrician. At that appointment he walked in and after about 1 minute he said he wasn't sure what was wrong and that I should go see a specialist. He went on to say, "I think we are treating it correctly because it looks better to me today, but since you are so upset you should go see a specialist." Upset? You bet! You have been telling me it is yeast for weeks and my poor baby is only getting worse, you bet I am upset!!!
2 days later...
The dermatologist took all of 30 sec. to diagnose my baby with two kinds of eczema. Atopic Dermatitis on his body and Seborrhoeic Dermatitis on his scalp. He assured me that it was in no way shape or form, yeast. He gave us an oil to put on his scalp every night for 2 weeks along with a steroid cream to put on his body for 2 weeks as well. Liam's skin was clear and pretty after one treatment. He now has a better skin regimen than I do.
Liam's Skin Regimen:
Norwegian Hand Cream on his face 3 times a day.
Cerave Lotion on his body 3 times a day.
Nightly baths in luke warm water for no longer than 7 min.
Coal/tar based shampoo (Target brand) twice a week.
Needless to say I have stopped going to that pediatrician and we go to meet our new one tomorrow for his 6 month check up.
Had I gone with my gut initially and pushed my doctor to consider eczema more, my poor baby would not have suffered for 6 weeks undergoing a yeast treatment.
So mommies...go with your gut! You know your baby and you have a special instinct now that tells you when something is just not right. Trust it!
xoxo,
Molly
Here is Liam today (1/2/14)
Beautiful clear skin:)
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