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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Steroid Cream Ideal For An Infant Suffering From Eczema?

Hello Doctors, My child is 5 months old. We live in Germany and since during winter the heater is on making the air dry, she started developing red spots on her cheeks, unaware about eczema I tried olive oil, almond oil and sesame oil, no improvement at all.( my husband has Asthma.) After her second vaccination it flared up and when we approached the pediatrician we were prescribed an emolument. that didnt work. meanwhile when we came to India for vacation it again flared up. we consulted a dermatologist and he prescribed HHsone. i was very hesitant to apply a steroid cream on my child face but due to compulsion i did. the itching subsided and face started looking very clear with out any red spots. we had to travel again to another place in India and it flared up again i restarted applying HHsone. it disappeared and i stopped using HHsone for a week and now it stared again - she started itching and red spots appeared - now again relying on HHsone. Question: will this cycle continue?? is there any other milder topical corticosteroid ? suggest any moisturizers?? Thank You Best regards xyz
Mon, 24 Feb 2014
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Dermatologist 's  Response
Hello,
Welcome to healthcare magic.
From your history and description, you child seems to be having a childhood eczema called as atopic dermatitis.
It is a type of eczema associated with dry skin, itchy rashes with remissions and relapses and a family history of atopy ( atopy referes to tendency to have asthma, nasal allergies or itchy skin).
The course of the disease is such that it tends to be chronic and has relapses and remissions.
You could follow the following recommendations to prevent rashes.
1. Always moisturise the skin. Weather changes and AC can make the skin very dry which will trigger rashes. Use a good moisturiser like Cetaphil or Aveeno ( containing colloidal oatmeal) 2-3 times a day on the entire body.
2. Use the moisturiser on damp skin within 3 minutes of giving a bath. This will seal the moisture inside the skin. Other 2 applications need not follow a bath.
3.. HHsone is mometasone furuoate which in my opinion is strong for an infant's face. You could use a cream containing hydrocortisone once or twice a day for 3-5 days as and when the rashes appear. Do not hesitate to use a mild steroid like hydrocortisone and use it as soon as you notice the beginning of a rash for a short duration so that you could prevent it from spreading.
4.. You could give an antihistamine syrup like benadryl at bedtime if the itching is severe.
5. Bathe the bay only once in a day. Use lukewarm water.
6. Use a mild cleansing agent like Cetaphil cleansing lotion very sparingly. Do not use soaps and do not lather too much as this will strip away the normal oild from the skin.
7. Always use cotton clothes. Avoid wool. If it is cold, use 2-3 layers of cotton clothing itself.

You must remember that the baby could still have a few recurrences inspite of the best management. The baby will slowly outgrow this and the recurrences will come down once she crosses 5 years.

Hope this helps you.
Take care.
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Is Steroid Cream Ideal For An Infant Suffering From Eczema?

Hello, Welcome to healthcare magic. From your history and description, you child seems to be having a childhood eczema called as atopic dermatitis. It is a type of eczema associated with dry skin, itchy rashes with remissions and relapses and a family history of atopy ( atopy referes to tendency to have asthma, nasal allergies or itchy skin). The course of the disease is such that it tends to be chronic and has relapses and remissions. You could follow the following recommendations to prevent rashes. 1. Always moisturise the skin. Weather changes and AC can make the skin very dry which will trigger rashes. Use a good moisturiser like Cetaphil or Aveeno ( containing colloidal oatmeal) 2-3 times a day on the entire body. 2. Use the moisturiser on damp skin within 3 minutes of giving a bath. This will seal the moisture inside the skin. Other 2 applications need not follow a bath. 3.. HHsone is mometasone furuoate which in my opinion is strong for an infant s face. You could use a cream containing hydrocortisone once or twice a day for 3-5 days as and when the rashes appear. Do not hesitate to use a mild steroid like hydrocortisone and use it as soon as you notice the beginning of a rash for a short duration so that you could prevent it from spreading. 4.. You could give an antihistamine syrup like benadryl at bedtime if the itching is severe. 5. Bathe the bay only once in a day. Use lukewarm water. 6. Use a mild cleansing agent like Cetaphil cleansing lotion very sparingly. Do not use soaps and do not lather too much as this will strip away the normal oild from the skin. 7. Always use cotton clothes. Avoid wool. If it is cold, use 2-3 layers of cotton clothing itself. You must remember that the baby could still have a few recurrences inspite of the best management. The baby will slowly outgrow this and the recurrences will come down once she crosses 5 years. Hope this helps you. Take care.