Zimmer & Jee

Does Your Child Suffer with Eczema? Both my kids have eczema - my first developed it right on 5 mths, my second at only 3 mths. From research I've done & discussions with my naturopath it seems most kids develop eczema around 5 or 6 mths - which coincides with when most bubs start solids. With my second, the date he developed ezcema coincides with when we started using a rice thickener in his bottles - so again, introduction of solids. This supports the opinion that I have, that ezcema is just the external display of things not being right in bubs tummy. Eczema causes the skin to itch, become red & irriated, welt & peel. For the baby or child the symptoms can be a huge range of mild right through to severe. Working as a naturopathic assistant I've seen children covered in dried scratch marks, where they've scratched so hard they've bled. Not to mention the emotional distress these poor kids suffer. My children have varying degrees of symptoms, dependant upon what they've eaten recently. Normally it takes about 3 days for the reaction to be full blown. Hints & Tips to Help Here is a list of things that I do to help combat my childrens eczema. A number of these were recommended by my good friend & naturopath, Tanya Goldie. •Oats - tie a handful of oats in a square of muslin and put it in their bath, squeeze to release the goodness, creating a lovely milky bath. The oats help to calm the itch & soothe the redness, while adding moisture & nutrition to the skin •Beeswax - products containing beeswax are helpful as they leave a barrier on the skin that assists keeping the itch away. I personally use Pure Body Balm and Yours Naturally Baby Balm (these products were so effective, I stock it here at Zimmer & Jee to make it easily available)but their are a number of options available at healthfood shops •Food - eczema seems to relate to foods eaten, with my children limiting wheat, gluten & dairy really help. You need to discover your childs triggers, and limit them. My eldest spent his first 2 years on a dairy, gluten & wheat free diet due to allergies and today (he's 4) he can no longer is allergic to any of these foods. •Pro-biotic - pro-biotics are excellent to assist eczema as they work to repair the gut, meaning your child can better digest food and not react as severely. I personally use one called "Lactobac", my children use "Ultra Flora Immune" & my husband uses "Inner Health Plus" which you can get from any chemist & they have a child form too. Lactobac & Ultra Flora Immune is readily available in healthfood shops or from natural practitioners. •Coconut oil - coconut oil is a great natural base to make your own creams as it's soothing & moisturising (I use coconut oil to make my own chest rub for the boys too). Just be aware if nut allergy is in your family, as coconut is actually a nut (I have a nut allergy but my children and don't react to coconut, but just be careful). You can purchase coconut oil from healthfood shops. •Rosemary - a client recommended this helpful tip - for eczema on the head or in the hair, rosemary brewed like tea & cooled, works well poured over the head. Great tip - thanks Heather! And a quick note about chemist and doctor prescribed treatments - various creams, ointments & lotions are available from chemists & by prescription that are supposed to help. I've tried many and never found any that gave any decent results. The issue I have with many of these products is that many are petroleum and/or steriod based, neither of which I want on my childs skin. If you do a little research, steriod creams are claimed to thin the skin too. I found these worked short-term, but the eczema returned worse after I stopped using the steriod creams. Please remember I'm not a professional healthcare worker, just a mum with a experience with these sorts of issues, trying to offer you some help from sharing what I've learnt. If you like to contact me or offer more advice for this article please do email me at cass@zimmerjee.com.au. And take a minute to check out our great selection of Natural & Organic baby & child bath & body care products - you'll find some lovely things for mum too!