a few questions about eczema

[Annamaria]

hi everyone

my 6 month old has had eczema since the age of 8 weeks , not sure about the exact name but it's the type where he gets little red spots on his torso, arm, back and sometimes face ,which are very itchy, anyway heat seems to trigger the eczema and as the weather started to get warmer i noticed that after a day of sitting in his car seat, pushchair a lot, his back gets very very itchy so was wonder if anyone can give me any practical advice on how to make him feel cooler or if there is anything i could put in his car seat/pushchair? i've heard about those cooling pillows from amazon, are they worth investing in?

also just a few questions about eczema,
is it possible that teeting triggers a flare up?

Also wanted to ask if anyone has heard about this
my lo's cheeks go increadible red almost purple at least once a day, sometimes it's both cheeks and sometimes it's just one,
i can see when the redness starts as it starts by his ears and it works its way in through his whole cheek, it makes him incradibly hot (no temperature tho) and he starts itching his scalp as i assume that gets hot too, the redness last hrs then once it's gone down , there is no mark or rash or spots left, his cheeks go back to normal sometimes they are a bit dry
everyone is amazed when they look at him and see how red his cheeks are and some says that he is teething which i didn't think was the cause but i really couldn't point out when it starts as it was completely random and can go at any time so i started to belive that it was teething
then last week we went abroad for a week and his cheeks would not go red for a whole week. his eczema was the same tho
then when we got back the next day it happened straight in the morning and today it lasted the whole day and he seemed to be in great discomfort.
i tried to think if i did anything differently than what i do at home but i really don't know what's causing it
anyone has any idea?

Andy advice would be appreciated

[MarcieMom]

Hi AnnaMarie,

Your name looks so familiar, have I replied to your question? or tweeted you before?

In any case, my advice is always first see a child specialist (if you haven't already) and search out one who is specialised either in immunology/allergy/dermatology. Not the usual pediatrician. Second, go for skin prick test or allergy tests - they are not 100% accurate but they give you a good starting point. Third, follow the advice of the doctor you trust - my baby has the same issue you mentioned, face red all of a sudden including whole body, but a one-time oral steroid course prescribed by the doctor (who is currently doing Fri Q&A on my blog eczemablues.com) helped.

For tips on keeping cool, see
http://eczemablues.com/2011/08/giving-m ... -backlash/ - giving your child a cold bottle to hold helps also.
http://eczemablues.com/2011/02/top-10-t ... gers-busy/ - my job is mostly keeping fingers busy!

Teething increases body temperature, and for my child whose temperature is triggered by heat, yes, her eczema got worse when teething.

Holidays sometimes help, there may be differences in the air, more distracted, less scratching etc. No conclusive answer.

Hope it helps,
Mei (Twitter @MarcieMom)