Howdy everyone,
My son was just diagnosed today w/ KP. I'll try and be brief here. DH's side of the family has allergies/asthma/milk allergy (DH's sister only)/eczema. Jaden only has eczema so far, and now KP. Jaden had cradle cap in the first month, and then eczema, which Elidel helped w/. He's on a milk based formula right now, and the dermatologist didn't feel necessary to switch to a non-milk based formula.

Jaden has the classic KP, on the arms, thighs, and a bit on his butt, and a titch on his face, altho he has great skin tone on his face and wonderful coloring. His arms and legs are what worries me. The dermatologist was great, recommended Aveeno soothing bath treatment in the packets, and we tried it tonite. Then used Aveeno Baby soothing relief moisture cream, and 2 rx's that he gave us, first one hydrocortisone 2.5% lotion and the 2nd of Locoid Lipocream 0.1% (hydrocortisone butrate/emoll).

Has anyone had any experience w/ either of these 2 prescriptions? I would love advice. I have been reading all I can on this forum, and feel very confused. I believe in a more natural approach and would love suggestions on soaps, oils, lotions, altho I feel we are off to a good start, but would love more input. Please help, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for listening.

Regarding the hyrdrocortisone prescriptions, how long has the doctor asked you to use this on your child? Is this to be a long term treatment or something for only flare ups?

I ask about the directions for use of the hydrocortisone because especially with children the long term continuous use of it can cause thinning of the skin and other issues. Or is that something that has to do with the eczema since products containing hydrocortisones are regularly prescribed for eczema flare ups? For my son's kp flare ups, my dermatologist did prescribe something along those lines I am assuming but was told to use them only temporarily to help fight the redness and then save it for next time it acts up.

As for suggestions on young ones, read the mothers of children with kp discussion board and you will get some ideas. Here is what I have gathered from treating my son and from reading the boards.

Trying the natural way is a good route to start. For washes, Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser and the gentle one by Eucerin is good for babies. Also, some people use handmade soaps and the like. I just started using oatmeal and goatsmilk soap. Someone else was using olive oil soap and this is all to moisturize the skin.

Oils are a good way to add moisture to the skin (especially after a bath). Some of the advice I got was sweet almond oil, apricot kernel, and other oils are good. Read some old threads to see what others have been using. A little goes a long way and massaging is good.

For plain moisturizing cream/lotion, I like Eucerin original because it really lasts a long while on the skin. Others have used Cetaphil, Vaseline Intensive Care Total Moisture amongst others.

Lastly, for the exfoliating factor, some use gentle exfoliating with washcloths and the like but since my son is sensitive I just let the exfoliating lotions do the work for me. My doctor prescribed Lacticare which is 5% lactic acid. I have also read about LacHydrin being prescribed for other young children. There is a lot out there and try one and see how it goes. Start low with the strength and then you can go up if necessary.

I wish you lots of luck and it seems like your child's case is not so bad so hopefully with some time and effort you will see good results.

Welcome to our boards.

First, there is a great eczema board on www.eczemavoice.com. You should check out the information and postings about young children with eczema.

Second, if you son has KP...he has it. If he is one of those lucky ones (who I have yet to encounter) who outgrows it, that would be great. IMVHO, I would say, as long as the KP is not bothering him or causing any discomfort, use the topicals for the eczema and leave the KP alone other than the baby lotions, aveeno soaks (which is great for eczema as well). Don't get all wrapped up in perscriptions and steriod use for KP.

A 2.5% hydrocortisone sounds a little high for an 11 month old, don't you think? And they prescribed it for KP or am I reading it wrong? Eczema, maybe, although I would personally try the .5% with aloe at Target, then the 1.0% before a 2.5%. The thinning of the skin takes a while and they say 10 days on and 10 days off is okay but check with yout dermatologist first since a baby's skin is already thin.

I am so sorry to hear your little one is going through this already, but he has a great mom who is putting the time, effort and love into helping him

Kim

Thank you to you both for replying. I am still a bit confused about this whole KP thing, even after reading all I could on this board and the other forums such as the Mom's section.

Could either of you take the time to answer a few questions for me? First one is Why Exfoliate? Since my son is only 11 months old, and as mentioned, skin is already thin, won't this irritate him?
2nd question, I didn't know that the 2.5% hydrocortisone prescribed was high for an infant, since this is my first time at this. Should I try the Locoid Lipocream 0.1% for now and see how he responds to it? I am realizing KP is very hard to treat. He tends to itch his thighs when I change his diaper, and both of these drugs were prescribed for KP, not eczema, as we have Elidel for his eczema and were told to stop using that (since KP overtook everything) for now.
3rd question, I have Burts Bees Apricot Kernel Oil already on hand so when do I apply it and how often? Before or after his prescription of Locoid?
4th question, does Target have an over the counter .5% & 1% that you were speaking of w/ Aloe and is it worth trying? Would this still be used 10 days on and 10 days off?

Thank you to you both, and I will check out the eczema site mentioned as well. If you have any other info and resources about KP, I'd love to hear it. Thanks again,
~Aimee

My recommendation is to not worry about the KP unless it is irritating him. I know if my skin is dry and I wear denim jeans, it itches my legs. The remedy for that is to keep the skin moisturized. The reason why I would be more concerned about the eczema in a child over KP is the utter discomfort associated with certain types of eczema/atopic dermatitis. KP will be with your child until he 'outgrows it' (which more times than not we just don't outgrow it). I would save the fighting the KP for a latter battle. If you have read throughout this board, we have all tried various remedies to only be dissapointed when they eventually lose their effectiveness. This is another reason to save Kp for a latter time in your child's life when he is older and the kids become a little cruel.

As for the locoid and the hydrocortisone, here is a report from teh FDA on testing and adverse effects of usage on pediatric patients...
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/...2007-09-01.htm
And yes, Target has .5 and 1.0 'cortaid' in its aisles. You'll find it with their band aids, gold bond, bactine, etc. I do not understand the need for two different steroid creams from your doctor.

I would personally advise against exfoliating on a baby. Their skin is tender and thinner at such a young age and the exfoliation will probably be more uncomfortable than the KP. It is for esthetic purposes. Exfoliation will not cure KP. I would just use a wash cloth as you normally do, do not let your child take a long bath, even in the aveeno soak, tepid water and moisturize right after getting out of the bath, last thing at night (baby massages are great for relaxing before bedtime anyway) and with the first diaper change in the morning. Also, do not over moisturize, believe it or not, there are reports that show that over moisturizing can cause problems in the body's ability to self moisturize its skin down the road. This can be debated but its better safe than sorry.

Question- when he itches where his diaper is, does he have KP or eczema? A wierd thing happened to me when I started to have eczema (only 2 1/2 yr ago, although I have had KP as long as I can remember), is an allergic reaction to plastic (like plastic grocery bags). Since disposable diapers have plastic and elastic, it could be the same problem I have? There is nothing you can do about it since it is aa allergy problem. If the itching is due to KP, my advice again, is to moisturize. But let the lotion absorb before putting his diaper back on.

On a side note, the eczema can be caused or exacerbated by a food allergy (wheat, milk, etc). You may want to switch him to a soy based formula for three weeks and see if there is any improvement, since milk allergies run in the family.

Hope you had a great Halloween! Back to raiding my son's candy bag before he seees it in the morning!

Kim

Hi there again. In response to some of your questions:

1)Kp is a skin disorder where the skin keratinizes and does not slough off (or something to that effect) and many adults either exfoliate manually with a loofah and wash and then others just use the alpha hydroxys or betas to let the lotions do the work. I agree, with the sensitive skin of a child I would not suggest manual exfoliation.
2)regarding your two prescriptions, I would contact the dr and ask some questions so you know exactly what you are dealing with. What specifically is it supposed to help and how many times and how long since it is hydrocortisone. Especially with such a young child you don't want to use that unless necessary. We were told to use hydrocortisone for the inflammation when it especially flared up so only for short periods and then stop use until the next time.
3)Regarding oil, it works well after a bath when the skin is damp and seems to soak in. Massage well and use a little bit. Once a day is fine.

I agree with boosmom, I have a bit of eczema and kp also. Eczema with its discomfort can affect you physically whereas kp is mainly a cosmetic thing. It does appear that with simple moisturizing treatments that both can be helped to some degree. With the lukewarm baths and mild cleanser, patting the skin dry, and moisturizing regularly with good moisturizers (oils, creams)it should help. Some parents who have children with minor kp stop there and do not use other stuff since that alone helps. However, if the kp is stronger then there are the aha/bha lotions to try (depending on which your dr suggests for your child).

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Thanks to you both for answering my questions. I really appreciate it. Jaden's KP is a bit serious IMHO and since I started the Locoid a few days ago it has really helped (suprisingly). I am doing the Aveeno baths at nite, and moisturing w/ Apricot oil and Aveeno Oatmeal lotion after at nite. I apply the Locoid 1nce morning and nite and moisturize right after. It is hard for me to tell if the eczema still exists as the KP has taken precident.

I understand that I should question the dermatologist as to why these creams were prescribed, altho he did make it clear to me that KP is hard to treat and that it may be an allergy (taking into consideration DH's side of the family full of allergies and asthma and whatnot), altho again, when I asked him to switch formulas to a soy, he stated it was not necessary. However, I have ignored my instinct to switch him over to a soy based formula for many months now since he developed mild eczema and I think I might now try.

Also, I mildly slough his arms and legs w/ a washcloth at nite when I bath Jaden, altho I understand now that it is not necessary. I don't believe he is having an allergic reaction to his diapers either, I believe it is the KP in the most common places, upper thighs, and just above on his butt, along w/ the tops of his arms. I don't see any underlying eczema to cause the itching in his thighs when I take off his diaper. The dermatologists nurse stated that these creams prescribed were to help decide which one worked better, to try on on one arm and one on the other, see which one he responds to better, and stick with it. I decided to just use the Locoid. She also said at the max to use them for 3 months, altho stated improvement may not be noticed for 1 month.

Thank you to you both for taking the time to reply, you've been really helpful and have really shed the light on this whole KP thing for me.

Please post w/ any more advice or comments/feedback from this post. I don't ever get offended, and take this as an opportunity to learn about KP for my son's benefit. Thanks again.
~Aimee

I was told that kids who have KP have a higher rate of asthma, have any of you found this to be true? I am curious.

Jadens Mom- Kids with KP are more susceptible to having any other kind of auto immune disorder...asthma, alopecia, eczema, allergies/hayfever, etc. But just because your child has one does not mean he will get any other ones.

If my son was in your son' situation (and at 4 1/2, he does not have KP yet) I would try the soy based formula. You should follow your instincts when it comes to your child, especially since he is almost out of the formula stage anyway. My friend's daughter is allergic to milk and wheat (and aside from that has eczema but not KP) and she has thrived on soy based formula. At 2 1/2, she can pin down a 6 year old boy who lives down the street!

If you are applying these topicals and stop in 3 months, odds are, the KP will come back. Sometimes when it comes back, it comes back 'angry' (full force, more of it)- that is not to scare you, but I just wanted to let you know, in case it happens. It usually tapers off again in time to its usual state.

I am so sorry you are going through this. I know its harder have your child go through something than if it were yourself. Keep researching and look into other sites for information about KP and the eczema. And the nest advice is to always treat your child like he does not have any of these ailments and to raise him to be strong and self confident. I think the emotional aspects are far worse than the physical. But he will be fine.


Kim

Howdy everyone,
I just wanted to give you all an update on my son Jaden, who by the way just turned 1 a week ago today.

I decided to switch him over to soy-based formula, and am using Enfamil Prosobee Lipil Next Stage formula to help figure out if he has any milk allergies. I cut out all dairy so far as well. Although this is not KP related, I noticed he was a bit more constipated on dairy and his former milk~based formula, so I upped his fiber and cut out all diary. He is pooping nicely again and not straining like he did before. He has also been taking Coromega since this summer to help w/ the eczema, and for the most part, I think it's helped, despite the KP. I don't really see any signs of eczema other than a titch on his face at times, which his Elidel helps out with.

And I listened to your opinions and read your posts, and decided because he is so young to just ditch the Locoid and Hydrocortisone creams for now and treat his KP naturally. Well, I still have the scripts just incase. But now I am giving him a 100% colliodal oatmeal Aveeno bath everynite, followed by a splash of mineral oil before he gets out of the tub, and then I cover his KP w/ Boudreaux's ButtPaste, believe it or not, and then I use Aveeno 100% colliodal oatmeal lotion on the rest of his body, and in the morning I can't see the KP or any redness unless I look at his arms and legs really close up. The active ingrediant is Peruvian Balsam for anyone who is wondering. I actually decided to use this stuff knowing lots of people have had great experience w/ many skin conditions (besides what it is named for, lol) and after using it for two weeks did a search on the net for Peruvian Balsam only to find that it is exceptional for dry skin ailments and eczema and so forth! So my mommy's instinct was right on target! I also use the Aveeno colloidal oatmeal lotion on him during the day if he itches his things (which he does do on occasion) along w/ the Buttpaste. I apply the Buttpaste morning and nite and on the thighs during every diaper change. Although it does not get rid of the KP, it makes it "look" like it's not there, even tho it is.

I am tempted to try the Lociod 0.1% just to see if his KP will subside w/ that medication instead. But like someone else posted to me, I don't want it to possibly come back "angrier" once it is gone. This Buttpaste routine is working well for us, but does not totally get rid of the itchiness on his thighs. And no, it's not from his diapers either, and I use Dreft on his clothes also.

I will be making an appt w/ an allergist to get him tested also, since I feel there are many things at play here and we need some answers to better treat all these symptoms which I think are the result of something else which we have not discovered yet.

Anyway, for those of you that are interested, try the Buttpaste, it's also great for chapped lips, I use it all the time and it even got rid of a few PMS zits on my face too! Great stuff. Now if they could only make it into a wrinkle reducer, lol.......

I am glad to hear you have found a regimine that is helping your son and that the soy based formula is helping in other areas!

Try the locoid if you want- it should not hurt if you add it to your current routine. Just remember that the effects are most likely temporary and as soon as you stop using it, the KP will be back.

I am going to try the Buttcream- thanks so much for posting it. I have eczema on the soles of my feet and the air has been incredibly dry and unkind to me lately. Plus we are going to Vegas for Thanksgiving...talk about dry.

You son has a GREAT mom! Thanks for your postings...

Kim

Howdy everyone,
It has been a while since I posted about my son Jaden (13 &1/2 mo's old now), and I am having a hard time w/ his KP. BTW, I hope everyone had a nice holiday!

First off, I am still doing the nightly routine of Aveeno 100% Colliodal Oatmeal Baths, followed by mineral oil in the bath, and a very mild exfoliation w/ the washcloth on his arms, thighs, and butt. Then after the bath, I moisturize w/ the Aveeno lotion mentioned in my post above, along w/ the Buttpaste on his affected areas. In the morning and thru out the day, Buttpaste is applied on the thighs and butt during diaper changes.

I experimented and switched him over to a soy-based formula, and put him on Enfamil ProSobee Lipil Next Step (for toddlers up to 24 mo's of age), and also used the Locoid .1% lotion. Seemed to have worked well, and also helped him w/ his constipation. I also made sure he stayed hydrated and had water available to sip on thru out the day, and and no more than 2 oz prune juice to help out w/ his poops.

Fast forward to now. I stopped using the Locoid, and tried the other script given to try (hydrocortisone mentioned in previous post above, I think was 2.5?), and it didn't help. I'm not one that likes using scripts anyways, so wasn't determined to apply this stuff daily. So, I switched him back over to a milk based formula, thinking for some reason he didn't really have a milk allergy (Enfamil Next Step w/ Lipil, for toddlers up to 24 mo's), and as I said stopped using the Locoid. The KP is worse now, and angry. I feel I should have never started using the prescription creams in the first place, as stopping using them has made them worse. He also itches very badly on his thighs all thru out the day (no it's not an allergy to his diapers). I feel like I have to start all over again and get back to basics.

I still am planning on taking him to the allergist to find out if anything is going on that we are not aware of yet. In the meantime, I will still do the buttpaste (it works great on his face, you can barely see any bumps on his cheeks), and do the Aveeno Baths, but what do I do for the itching on the thighs thru out the day? I'm wondering if I should switch him back over to the soy again. Maybe I didn't give it enough of a chance. Good golly, it's like a recipie, you have to work and work at the ingrediants till you get it just right. I hope I get it right soon, for Jaden's sake. Till then, I am laying off the prescription lotions.

Advice anyone?

Thanks in advance. I've found this support board very "supportive" obviously, lol. Everyone's been so full of advice.

And btw, I would love any nice homemade recipies as well for KP lotions for a 14 mo. old.

~Aimee, Jaden's mom