A loving mother wants her child's health above all else. So imagine the emotional impact when you discover your baby has eczema and, above all, want to get rid of the itching and irritation. And imagine the worry when a woman with eczema becomes pregnant. The what-ifs are huge.
Fortunately, there is great information and inspiration to help women in either situation. Here, two mothers reveal the hard work they went through in their determination to give their children peace of mind and health.
Meghan Elliott of Kankakee, Illinois, is a busy mother of two, Nora, 4, and Charlie, 1. Shocked to discover that Charlie was born with eczema, Elliott set out to help him in any way he could. he. She examined his needs and made sure the health care system met them.
„Charlie's skin was rough, scaly, and bumpy,“ says Elliott, operations manager at marketing firm Mayhill Moon. Initially, the inflammation occurred mainly in the cheeks and thighs, but later it began to occur in the elbows as well. „My son's pediatrician officially diagnosed him with moderate-to-severe eczema and recommended that he be taken to a pediatric dermatologist.“ Not a bad idea, but she and Charlie have something on the waiting list. Elliott also had to spend a month, which he found „very frustrating.“
That's when she set out to learn as much as she could about Charlie's condition. One of the things that shocked her was that many children with eczema have moderate to severe food allergies. “Seeing how long it would take to get a referral to a pediatric dermatologist, I took the plunge and called a pediatric allergist. Thankfully, they got him in fairly quickly and Charlie was able to get everything done. It turns out I have a severe allergy to some types of eggs and I also have lactose intolerance.”
This was a watershed moment. „What we do now is lather his CeraVe Healing Ointment on his cheeks and chin before and after meals to avoid irritating the skin,“ she says. „This ointment acts as a barrier against any foods that can cause inflammation.“
Elliot carefully analyzed every aspect of Charlie's daily life and put Charlie at ease in various ways. „What has helped his son is giving him a bath every night,“ she says. „I thought this would dry him out even more, but my dermatologist told me that a quick soak in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then pat dry and immediately apply lotion will help his skin stay dry.“ I use CeraVe lotion, shampoo, and body wash during bath time. I also apply CeraVe Healing Salve to my cheeks throughout the day to lock in moisture. Charlie was also prescribed two topical ointments to use as needed, as well as oral medication to help when the itching really gets worse.
Elliot relies on the gentlest bedding to help him sleep. „We use a bamboo crib sheet and it's very breathable. When I use a flannel crib sheet, my cheeks get really stingy when I wake up,“ she says. Masu. „We also make a lot of bamboo clothing. He can also wear cotton clothes, but definitely avoids wool or polyester.“ Charlie is doing well now. „We schedule follow-up visits with the doctor every three to six months, and he is doing much better than he was a year ago.“
However, the mental burden of worry and constant care can be significant. „“Parenting a child with eczema or food allergies can be exhausting and frustrating,” she says. „Still, ask for help to make your child feel safe. My advice to other parents going through similar experiences is to always be your child's advocate. They should advocate for themselves. It’s our responsibility to do that for them.”
Karen Fisher is an award-winning nutritionist and author who lives and works on Australia's Gold Coast. Dedicated to helping people suffering from eczema through her network, she is the owner of the skin care company Skin Friend. Her own story, and that of her daughter Iva, now 22, is why she has saved her work and her passion from her eczema.
„I've been experiencing eczema pain from head to toe,“ Fisher explains. „I'm a certified public health nurse, but I couldn't understand eczema until I actually lived it.“
Before getting pregnant with Iva, Fisher suffered from a skin condition. „My eczema started as small spots,“ she recalls. „After a period of work stress, it suddenly spread all over my body. Every time I ate it, it spread. Some nights I couldn't sleep because the itching was so bad. I had to wash my sheets frequently, and my friends… I couldn't go out to eat and was socially isolated. No one understood me and I spent a lot of time crying at home.“
Fisher noticed a link between food and worsening symptoms, so she carefully watched what she ate. „Your skin is literally made from the food you eat, so it made sense to change your diet,“ she says. „Genetics plays a part, but I believe that eating healthy, low-chemical foods can compensate for these genetic deficiencies.“ Which foods are causing her eczema? By identifying the possible causes and removing them, Fisher's symptoms improved.
Fortunately, her pregnancy was uneventful. „I was suffering from dermatitis on her hands even before I got pregnant,“ she says. „I was able to have a rash-free pregnancy because it cleared up quickly as long as I ate a healthy diet. However, Aiva developed eczema two weeks after birth.“ She was shocked to see her baby having trouble sleeping, but the new mother knew she could approach her daughter's skin condition the same way she had managed her own skin condition. I didn't think of it right away. „I thought eczema was a genetic condition and there was nothing I could do, so I used topical steroids to treat my eczema, but it didn't work,“ she recalls.
Then a breakthrough happened. „The nurse caring for Iva told me about her food sensitivities and showed me the path to healing my daughter's eczema. Nutritional Biochemistry was my undergraduate degree. Since it was my favorite subject, I designed a diet specifically for Iva based on research I read from allergy departments at various hospitals. Her skin cleared up and we gradually increased her diet. Proper food makes a child's body resilient.
Both mother and daughter are now happy and healthy. „Eczema is a complex skin disease and everyone is quick to give advice,“ says Fisher, who then offers some advice of her own. She believes that „healthy eating is a long-term and permanent solution.“