Eczema & your newborn

Eczema & your newborn

It can be really disheartening when it looks like your baby starts to present with eczema.

So, What is Eczema? 

Eczema is an inflamed, irritated, red & itchy skin condition often presenting as a rash. It can be triggered by dietary, lifestyle/environmental & microbiome influences. If your baby is showing signs of eczema while you are breastfeeding this MAY be a sign that baby is reacting to something in your diet. If you are formula feeding, it could be a reaction to the type of formula you are using. 

Common Causes of Eczema

A common food trigger of eczema is dairy products. The proteins found in dairy are passed through breast milk causing an inflammatory antibody response leading to eczema in some babies. Also, most formula's are based off cow's milk which can sometimes have a similar effect and trigger eczema in bub. 

 Now, it's important to stress that eczema is NOT always linked to dairy and you should always take your baby to your GP or other health professional for further assessment. Other reasons for eczema  include genetic pre-disposition, soy/gluten/ other food allergies (yes- even if they are not on solids!), the type of washing powder liquid you are using & the body wash/lotion you are using. 

Furthermore, if you are breastfeeding make sure to work with a Nutritionist, like Meagan (who specialises in maternal nutrition) before you begin eliminating foods from your diet, to ensure you are still providing yourself with optimal nourishment. 

Here are some tips & tricks to help reduce & relieve symptoms of eczema in your little one:

1. If you are breastfeeding, consider eliminating dairy & dairy products from your diet for 2 weeks

2. If you are formula feeding consider swapping to a goats milk formula. Great brands include Holle & Little Oak 

3. If breastfeeding, consider supplementing yourself with both vitamin C, zinc & the probiotic strain Lactobacillus Rhamnosus (LGG). This will be transferred through your breastmilk and support the skin health of your baby 

4. For babies fed both boob & formula it's a good idea to add the probiotic strain Lactobacillus Rhamnosus (LGG) strain to their bottle. If your baby doesn't take the bottle, you can add some on the probiotic on around your nipple while feeding. Ethical Nutrients to have a great, baby friendly probiotic which includes the LGG strain called Eczema Shield Kids.

5. Consider supplementing your little one with vitamin D. Often eczema can be linked to vitamin D deficiency. You can buy vitamin D for babies, a good brand is Brauer Baby & Kids Vitamin D 400IU.

6. Topical options to support eczema include soothing oat bath, gentle eczema cream (Moogoo), calendula balm (four cow farm), topical use of Vitamin D spray (check with your nutritionist or naturopath about how best to use vitamin D topically) 

More about LGG:

The LGG strain of probiotic has been shown to specifically reduce incidence and severity of eczema in children and adults. Furthermore, if you are currently pregnant and there is a family history of eczema, you can start to supplement with LGG during your third trimester to reduce risk of eczema! 

More about Vitamin D:

Vitamin D is another key nutrient that helps to reduce eczema but supporting the skin barrier, reducing inflammation and working with the immune system to limit flare ups to certain triggers.

Did you want extra support to navigate your littles one eczema or too see how your diet is impacting their eczema (if breastfeeding) ? Book in for 1:1 support with Meagan  HERE

 

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