So sad!
Poor little girl has just enough motor skills to use her hand to claw her forehead in an effort to scratch the itch! So, according to the mainstream wisdom, I am cutting out all dairy, eggs, and wheat in an effort to see if it improves. Apparently, that's not always the fix. I am doing my own research via my old nursing school resources. There seems to be a lot of different theories. I just want my little girl to stop itching!
I'm also moisturizing with my special blend of shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, jojoba oil, and some essential oils. I'm hoping that the lack of chemical additives will be a positive thing.
Here's some of what I found in the research department. Three different articles seemed to have pertinent info and be from reliable sources:
"In conclusion, the current prospective study found that among Japanese infants, a high mite allergen level from maternal bedclothes and mold in the kitchen during pregnancy were significantly associated with an increased risk of suspected atopic eczema, whereas frequent vacuuming practices during pregnancy and giving the infant a bath or shower at least once a day were significantly inversely related to the risk of suspected atopic eczema."
Source:
Home environment and suspected atopic eczema in Japanese infants: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study. Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2007: 18: 425-432
Authors: Miyake Y, Ohya Y, Tanaka K, Yokoyama T, Sasaki S, Fukushima W, Ohfuji S, Saito K, Kiyohara C, Hirota Y.
"Eczema in breast fed infants has a high rate of spontaneous improvement, which is often wrongly attributed to maternal dietary exclusion; nevertheless, a subgroup of such babies do seem to be genuinely affected by foods in their mothers' diets, especially egg and cows' milk. It is probably sensible for mothers who are breast feeding babies with eczema or gastrointestinal symptoms to avoid egg and cows' milk completely for a trial period of two weeks and then return to a normal diet. Only if this produces a considerable improvement and then deterioration in their child's condition should they return to an exclusion diet, and then it should be with dietetic help to ensure nutritional adequacy."
Source:
Effect of maternal dietary exclusion on breast fed infants with eczema: two controlled studies. British Medical Journal, 1986
Authors: Cant, A., Bailes, A., Marsden, R. A., Hewitt, D.
"The lack of any clear exposure--disease relationship between allergens in early life and subsequent eczema argues against allergen exposure being a major factor causing eczema. If the lower levels of eczema at higher level of house dust mite are confirmed, then interventions aimed at reducing house dust mite in early infancy could paradoxically increase the risk of subsequent eczema."
Source: Early allergen exposure and atopic eczema, Epidemiology and Health Services Research.
Authors: Harris, J.M., Williams, H.C., White, C., Moffat, S., Mills, P., Newman Taylor, A.J., Cullinan, P.