- This topic has 14 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I would say since Hailey was about 6 months old,whenever she is getting her nappy changed she will scratch her exposed tummy or her bum or her legs….also generally when she is fully dressed she will put a hand up behind her head & scratch the back of her neck,she scratches so much that she leaves marks.
I dont know what to do with her,i cut her nails often & even file them so that she has no sharp bits to hurt herself but no matter she still manages to scratch.
Has anyone elses kid done this?…if so how did you get them to stop.any time she does it i say "ah ah stop scratching" & move her hand away….needless to say i may aswell be talking to myself!
She doesnt have rashes or sore skin that would be encouraging her to scratch so i dont really know why she is obsessed with it…she is 13 months old now & shows no sign of stopping….any tips anyone?.
What washing powder do you use? Do you use Fabric Softener? Also do you wash all her new clothes before wearing?
I have one with very senative skin, i have to wash with a good non bio powder, i find Fairy the best. The slightest thing can have him scratching
Yes do look at your washing powder and softener..
Is her skin dry? Junior E45 is great for soothing skin. Maybe the doctor could give you an antihistamine to ease it either..
Use a non-bio washing powder, I sometimes use Fairy and sometimes use an eco friendly one. No harsh chemicals and does not irritate the little ones skin.
What are you bathing her in and what creams etc are you using on her bum at nappytime?
We avoid all the perfumed smelly, foamy bath products – like ‘no more tears’ and ‘bedtime bath’ products. They smell nice and look lovely but can really irritate sensitive skin, especially on babies.
I find the Elave range brilliant. They stop irritation and are so kind and soft on sensitive skin too so perfect for babies & children. The moisturiser is fab on their skin and bums and the baby oil is great for massage and cradle cap.
I use their baby wash, baby shampoo and baby lotion on our children and I even use their facial cleanser and moisturiser myself and find them brilliant. My hubby uses their men’s range for shaving too – its great. Does not irritate at all.
Its one thing you can do to help her skin and it might help with the scratching.
HTH
If you have not tried it, definitely recommend it.
I only use non bio washing powder on her clothes.
The creams that would be used on her are silcocks base & that La Roche-Posay one that chemist recommended when she had rash under her chin a few months back.
i only use baby oil after baths & i use bio oil on her surgery scar.I use sudocrem on her bum at nappy changes.
I think she is just scratching as a habit,if you know what i mean,i dont think she is actually itchy if that makes sense.
her skin isnt dry or lumpy or bumpy etc….
Any other tips / advice please?….
Is there any perfume in the Laroche Prosay? I know alot of chemists recommend it (I think they get good commission!) nut I would look more closely at the ingredients. Is there Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Propylene Glycol or Glycerin in it?
Might be worth temporarily switching from the sudocrem & Laroche for Elave. Even is the skin is not irritated or visibly red, the Elave is so soft it will go deeper than the top level and not irritate at any level and that may have an impact on any itchiness she may be feeling. Elave is an Irish product and has won many awards and I have recommended so many mums to it and they always come back and say its great.
Do you put bodyoil all over her? how often do you bath her? it is recommended only to bath babies once or twice a week as too much bathing can deplete the natural oils in their skin.
is your water hard – do your hands feel harsh after washing dishes or bathing her – this could have an effect too if she is getting alot of baths.
If she is really scratching alot, you could put mittens on her at certain times to stop her being able to scratch at all.
Hope some of that helps.
The La Roche possay is very good – our gp recommended it for our allergic dd as her suncream – its the only one that does not bring her out in a rash so i would recommend La Roche creams without hesitation. Perhaps drop the fabric conditioner if you are using one – my DH has started scratching over christmas (may be the amount of rubbish consumed) but ive started washing his clothes in our usual non bio minus the fabric conditioner 😆 Silcox base i use on my little ds face – he has quite dry skin since he was a baby and its the only thing that moisturises sufficiently to stop him scratching and marking himself – I use E45 cream after their baths to moisturise hope some of that helps
Sabbi,She gets a bath every 2 to 3 days & I do put the baby oil all over her body before I dress her.Should I not put it all over?.
I dont think our water is hard.
I wouldnt be able to keep mittens on her for love or for money….shes a terror like that she would have them off in seconds.
I was in the chemist today & they recommended Aqueous Cream so I got a tub of that.does anyone use it?.I will look into the Elave range aswell.
I dont like the Aqueous Cream, its too hard to rub in… the Parafin Gel in the big tub is much nicer to use on small kids. It is a bit more expensive, about 9e a tub, but its sooo nice. I put a blob on my hands and rub it, as soon as it heats it goes like water and so nice and easy to rub onto kids skin. My 4 year old hates getting his skin creamed, this just makes it so easy.
Sounds like habit, maybe if you give her something to eat or play with when you change her, just something to hold in her hand and maybe this would be enough to break the habit, a little rattle or a rain maker from the ELC is another good one to keep them entertained during nappy changes.
Sabbi when i worked in the pharmacy we went on loads of courses and product promotions, i have to say La Roche Prosay have some of the best products on the market and are held in very high regard with the medical profession. I know most Cancer patients are told the best sun creams to use after treatment is La Roche Prosay, it says a lot for the quality of their products.
We used Ovelle baby aqueous cream on Summer when she had bad nappy rash a few months ago and it was great. Its the first aqueous cream I have come across that is soft and silky to rub in because some can be very thick. That worked very well, we liked that one alot and use it whenever she shows any kind of redness in her bum area.
Which kind of baby oil are you using? some baby oils contain Lanolin and this can irritate the skin. Have a look at the ingredients on the bottle and see whats in it. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol can all irritate skin so try to avoid those.
Generally, we only use baby oil for massage or if there are dry skin patches on her somewhere. Most skin experts recommend bathing no more than 2-3 times a week because there are natural oils in the skin and excessive bathing depletes them, so once you are not bathing her every day, that should not be a concern.
maybe cut back on the baby oil for a week or two and see what happens? and also the fabric softener, perhaps cut down or change brand? we use comfort pure and that does not irritate our little ones.
Mittens are great in theory but I know in reality, not so easy to keep on – they like to have their hands free to explore I think! At the weekend I had Summer out with me in her buggy and I was jogging and it was very cold (which helped me jog rather than walk!!) and even though I had mittens and snuggly blankets on her, she still managed to get her hands free about 10 times!! 🙄
Hope it settles soon and that maybe some of that helps.
Thanks again for the tips ladies
I am going to try the toy idea on nappy changes,so thanks for that Taylor
I have stopped using the fabric softener on her clothes now,
I think I will also just wash her with water for her baths & not put oil on her afterwards & see does anything change.
Its just a case of ellimainating things i suppose & seeing does anything have an impact….a part of me still thinks it isnt an allergy just a bad habit shes picked up like the way some adults bite their nails,pick their nose etc!
They say that the mildest form of pain is an itch and its almost impossible to resist the urge to scratch. Although as hard as it is, its best to try and avoid scratching an itch.
Parents often tell their kids that scratching an itch just makes it worse, a fact confirmed recently by US researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital. They discovered that scratching makes the body think it is under attack and encourages an influx of immune cells that provoke an allergic response in the skin.
It is best to try and keep the nails short and clean. Use cotton gloves or mittens especially at night – for a very young child the old fashioned one’s with the string connection both mitt’s is best. Also keep the skin well moisturised especially where the itch is worse, with a thick emollient or Elave Intensive Cream. Another helpful tip is to hold something cool to the itchy part.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.