Rash, rash, and more rash

Poor Jackson boy has eczema really bad.  Eczema is basically a skin rash caused by allergies.

Imagine having the world's worst itch and not being able to scratch it. That's what Jackson is dealing with right now. He literally scratches his face and head until he draws blood... and then he scratches some more. So, in an effort to keep Jackson from blood-letting, we put socks on his hands whenever we're not holding him. Unfortunately, smarty pants figured out how to get the socks off his hands!

I took Jackson to the doctor today because his rash has gotten worse. The way the rash looks doesn't bother me near as much as watching Jackson itch like crazy. The only effective treatment for eczema is to first treat the allergies that cause it and then treat the rash itself (to relieve the itching) with steroid creams. But our pediatrician says you can't give antihistamines (like Benadryl or Claritin) to babies until they're 6 months old. Steroids shouldn't be used on infants because they suppress the immune system and thin the skin. And since Jackson is too young for antihistamines, the pediatrician recommends treating the eczema with Aquafor ointment. Are you kidding me? That's really frustrating to hear because I've been using Aquafor on Jackson for weeks, and he has only gotten worse! He is suffering. So I went to the doctor today prepared. I wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. Jackson's pediatrician reluctantly agreed to let me use Cort-Aid on his face/neck for the next two weeks, just to give Jackson some short-term relief. Hopefully by then the bad eczema season will be ending... And as soon as Jackson turns 6 months old, we can start treating his allergies with Claritin.

The good news is that Jackson's allergies and eczema are not effecting his growth. He weighed 15.9 pounds today. So he gained one whole pound since his 4-month appointment (March 16) three weeks ago!

I feel so bad that Jackson has inherited my allergies. My little love bug has kept his happy, sweet spirit despite his discomfort. His favorite thing is bath time. He absolutely loves the water! I think it probably helps his skin feel better. Last night Jackson figured out how to splash in the water. And boy did he splash!