Resources for healing infant eczema naturally without steroids

As a parent whose child has infant eczema, or atopic dermatitis, you want to do everything you can to heal your child and make their skin rashes comfortable. You want to know how to curb your poor child’s itching, how to calm the redness, how to prevent the embarrassment your child may feel at their visible rashes.

It’s understandable to be overwhelmed, especially if your doctor hasn’t presented you with many options, or has simply shrugged his shoulders with a “she’ll probably grow out of it.”

Unfortunately, as a parent who has dealt with this myself, I know that on first glance, your options may seem limited to steroids or oatmeal baths, and just waiting until your child gets older. What I attempt to outline in this article is HOW to find other options- because there are other options.

“Why did my child get eczema in the first place?”

Asking the question of “Why did my child develop eczema?” is the key to a full resolution of atopic dermatitis. This is true at any age really, but especially for infant eczema. As I explain in-depth in this article, eczema is actually not a disease in itself- it’s a surface symptom of the internal situation.

Once you address the internal issue, and “put out the fire,” so to speak, you’ll likely see eczema clearing up naturally. Oftentimes, other “unrelated” symptoms improve or disappear too (common examples of intertwined symptoms include constipation, GI issues, recurrent infections, and more). If you’re confused about what eczema really is, and how to understand it so that you can heal your baby naturally, this article was written with you in mind.

You and your family deserve to have a care team who asks that question together with you. You deserve to have an understanding of what this condition is, and your child deserves to be offered a long-term, real, healing solution, not just another band-aid or pill.

Helping Parents Understand Natural Approaches to Eczema

I hope that this short list of resources helps lead you in a more hopeful direction on your journey, and help you manage your child’s condition by understanding what caused it.

There is no reason why we should be passive, helpless bystanders while our children suffer “chronic conditions”. We live in an age of abundant information; there is only benefit in doing your research and advocating for your child’s best care.

Research and learn what you can, leave no stone unturned in seeking answers, so that you and your doctor can be partners in doing what’s best for your child.

Infant and childhood eczema can sometimes seem like a big beast, bringing along its friends asthma and allergies, sometimes letting you think you’ve won and then flaring back with a vengeance, et cetera. There are so many parents who can relate to your frustration, and so many experts who are trying to spread knowledge and support to parents like you.

Be encouraged as you make your way through these resources. Your baby has eczema for a reason; it didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. Therefore, getting to that root cause gives you power over it. More times than most people realize, eczema is treatable and is reversible.

These are resources that have helped me and other parents in finding answers and cures for our kids’ eczema. Peruse them, take what you can, and let’s help each other!

Natural Approach to Steroids for Infant Eczema

Steroids are the most common topical cream prescribed to both children and adults with eczema. If you’ve been through the wringer with eczema, and have had experience with steroids, you are probably aware of some of the risks and benefits. Many parents report that it does work to clear up eczema, at least some. of the time. At the same time, many parents have witnessed that steroids thin and dull the skin, create “burning” on the skin’s surface, may suddenly cease to clear up flares, don’t prevent new flares, create dependance/withdrawal, and more.

I would never discourage a parent from using steroid creams if really needed. But I would encourage everyone to educate themselves, and know what they’re getting their child into.

What I hope to help you realize is that you also have other options for your child.

If you’d like to read allll about infant and childhood eczema, based on what I researched and found in my experience dealing with it, head over to this detailed post.

In short, parents, give thought to this: WHY doesn’t the steroid cream or other topical cream work reliably in healing yours or your child’s eczema? Because it’s not addressing the reason beneath the eczema.

Not all the newest research on this has been adopted into mainstream treatment models yet. But still, many mainstream doctors WILL support you in trying to address certain common causes of eczema, such as by taking out common allergens like gluten and dairy. Try bringing things up and see how your doctor answers. Oftentimes they won’t bring it up on their own, but may have seen clients’ success and are open to having you try something different if you’re motivated to.

For detailed information that I hope will give you guidance, for people who specialize in a whole-person approach to childhood eczema, for professional approaches are out there that can help your child reverse his eczema and improve his overall health- Here is a list of resources for you!

You’ll find:

Helpful books and articles about healing eczema, then:
Informative Podcasts about whole-person approaches to eczema, then:
Last but not least, a few professionals who can offer one-on-one expertise regarding yours or your child’s eczema.

Best Books and Articles About Causes of Eczema:

1.”The Eczema Relief Diet and Cookbook” by Christa Biegler- There are no end of eczema books on the market, but this is the only one I’ve read in-depth. This book by “The Eczema Dietician,” Christa Biegler, is a good place to start if you yourself have eczema, or have an infant with eczema. The bulk of the book is beautiful, creative recipes made from clean ingredients that will not exacerbate eczema, no matter what the underlying cause.

She has a few educational chapters in the beginning that explore the common underlying causes of eczema, and how to narrowing down what’s affecting you or your kid. She has a great discussion of non-steroidal topical eczema treatments, which I found particularly helpful.

Best of all, she also sees patients virtually if you want one-on-one guidance. This would allow you to have a guide through the process, receive personalized testing such as stool testing, check on gut microbes in the digestive tract, and more. (She offers free phone consults here if you’d like).

2. “Seven Strategies to Eliminate Eczema,” by Dr. Mark Hyman (article). If you haven’t heard of Dr. Hyman, he is one of the faces at the forefront of Functional medicine, or root-cause medicine. He has written over a dozen bestselling books about healing from the inside-out, and produces incredible results reversing people’s chronic conditions at his clinic The Ultra-wellness Center and The Cleveland Clinic.

This article is so valuable because it paints in broad strokes- it’s like a crash-course on what the common causes of eczema can be. You’ll be surprised by how many are intuitive, and how many are simply low-hanging fruit that can be easily addressed!

3. “Baby Eczema: Natural Remedies for This Common Skin Condition” (article, Genevieve Howland). Genevieve is such a wealth of knowledge, and her writing style makes her information fun, light, and accessible. Because she focuses on pregnancy and young childhood, her article about eczema is perfect for helping you understand your infant’s condition in the context of babyhood.

She, too, paints in broad strokes to help you understand what causes eczema and what you can do right now to help it! She has a really nice mix of conventional approaches and also more holistic ideas to incorporate.

4. “Eczema in Babies: Histamine Intolerance and Which Probiotics to Avoid” (article, megangarcia.com) Histamine intolerance can be an elusive topic. This article gets into the weeds and explains it in the context of infant eczema, since histamine intolerance is a common cause.

Since histamine is a complex issue that isn’t applicable to every eczema case, I would recommend reading the more basic articles above first, or listening to the podcasts that offer an overview of eczema as a whole, and then to research histamine intolerance only if that’s your suspected root-cause. One particular reason to pursue the histamine issue is if you’ve noticed that probiotics worsen the eczema. If it’s relevant to your case, this article breaks down a complex topic impressively well, and makes it relevant and simple.

Informative Podcasts about Root-Cause Treatment of Eczema:

Most of what I’ve learned about eczema came from listening to experienced practitioners on the forefront of it. Though podcasts aren’t always thought of as an evidence-based way to learn new things, in fact, many experts do share detailed research and practice during interviews, and this was how much of my original understanding of eczema began to take shape.

Best, it’s one of the easiest, most convenient ways to fit extra information into your day; Listen while driving, washing dishes, or taking a talk.

Note: If this is your first foray into a fuller outlook on eczema, it will likely take a while to adjust to the mindset of realizing that eczema is best treated as a symptom, rather than a condition in itself. So, if you’re like me, you’ll be overwhelmed at first.

It is complicated; many conventional doctors don’t bother to get in the weeds of what drives eczema under the surface. But understanding the beast is the only way to conquer it and heal your child. So, just keep digging! Keep listening to these brilliant doctors, and soon all the ins and outs will become familiar to you.

“Getting Rid of Eczema for Good, with Dr. Ana Maria-Temple” (Wellness Mama Podcast). Specifically geared toward childhood and baby eczema, although other topics are touched upon as well, listening to this will help you get your bearings as far as the basic approach of someone who digs for a “root cause.” She does talk about a lot of other childhood issues too, like tylenol and the controversy around fevers. Take what you want! Dr. Temple is also a great place to start because she herself offers many eczema resources for parents, including groups and courses.
“Addressing the Root Cause of Eczema, Allergies, and Asthma with Dr. Nelli Gluzman” (Wellness Mama Podcast). Dr. Gluzman is at the forefront of trying to address all prongs of the “allergic march” at once, by healing the child’s body. This is an informative listen, but please be aware that from what I’ve seen, this doctor’s protocol is more intense than most; don’t get overwhelmed, if your child’s case is mild, you most likely won’t have to do as strict a protocol as hers.
“Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Eczema” (Real Food Radio). This podcast is by Ayla Barmmer and Nicole Halovach, two research-based and popular holistic nutritionists. The episodes are from a few years back, but I found so many gems of information and insight from these 2 women when I listened over nearly the entire spread. This one about eczema is short, and not overly detailed, but gives a nice overview of what drives eczema. It was my first foray into holistic eczema approaches and treatment, and is a nice way to get your feet wet. Ayla and Nicole both see patients privately, and are wonderful resources (they see adults, though, not children-so this would be if you personally wanted guidance!)
“Childhood Gut Problems, Skin Rashes and Food Allergies with Jennifer Brand.” (Well-Fed Women) Jennifer Brand is another wonderful clinical nutritionist who has dedicated her corner of expertise on just infant and childhood eczema. This is her thing. Listening to her speak about the connection between all these different phenomenon in children will help you see how connected the gut, the skin, and the immune system truly are. Things like birth history, antibiotic usage in early life, and diet all play into the development of healthy or unhealthy gut and immune systems. Luckily, infancy and early childhood is really the easiest time to reverse any damage. Give this one a listen!

Holistic Practitioners for the Treatment of Infant and Childhood Eczema

The best advice if you want to figure this out ASAP, without the steps of trial and error, is to work with a practitioner familiar with childhood eczema. Here are several practitioners I’ve heard great things about, though I don’t know them personally.

Dr. Ana-Maria Temple: She offers an amazing course where you go through the learning program with other mothers, and get to have that communal support while implementing the exact strategies Dr. Temple uses in her practice with children. If you take a look at her website you’ll see how inspiring the transformation stories are- it literally brings tears to my eyes to see how children can be in such intense discomfort and pain that simply resolves when you give their bodies the tools to heal. But truly, this is the power of root-cause medicine; I’ve experienced it with my own eczema and my baby’s, as well. Here is the link for her course, if it sounds like it’s right for you to explore.
Christa Biegler: She is known as the “eczema nutritionist,” and that sums up how she’s mastered the ins and outs of this complex condition. I’ve spoken with her one-on-one and this women has an amazing grasp on the various systems at play in atopic dermatitis. She can put together the pieces of your story and take a good guess on what’s going on right away, and she is also excellent at explaining the situation in layman’s terms if you (or your spouse) are new to this and need a bit of convincing! She has excellent resources on her site like an eczema quiz, but can of course do consults and one-on-one care for you or baby, which she tries to keep affordable and accessible. (Again, here is her book if you wanted to start with that)
Jennifer Brand: Like Christa, healing infant and childhood eczema naturally is Jennifer’s specialty. I love how caring she is with children and how many amazing free resources she already has on her site. You can become well-versed in the terms, methods, and approaches of root-cause immune and skin conditions just from perusing her free resources (and her informative Instagram posts), and can of course gain from her personal guidance and expertise by joining her practice, as well.
Dr. Nelli Gluzman– Dr. Gluzman runs Blossom Pediatrics, which is NYC-based (with a NJ branch as well)- for any tristate people out there who would prefer to be seen in person! After watching her own child struggle with allergies, eczema, and recurrent infections for too long, she explored more holistic avenues and was able to finally get to the root of these issues. Now, she has an entire practice dedicated to bridging that gap for frustrated parents. She offers a complimentary 15-minute session to see if you’re a good match, but also has plenty of educational online courses for parents to peruse. (I haven’t taken these courses, so just want to say that I can’t vouch for how strict of a protocol she is promoting. I think she generally sees severe cases, so if that’s your child, a stricter protocol may be your best route and she might be the right messenger for that).
Megan Garcia– Megan specializes in all the early life digestive and immune issues, and employs remedies based upon TCM, or traditional Chinese medicine. If that sounds interesting to you, she’s a valuable resource when it comes to healing infant eczema naturally, especially in the context of related complaints like reflux. She understands the underlying connection between gut, immunity, and skin dysfunction- which is often just a reflection of issues with the other 2 prongs. I think her warm and caring style and personalized approach will appeal to many. She offers baby wellness packages, which range from one session to ongoing support. I love that she offers such personalized support based on your baby’s needs and will always be just a call or text away while you’re working together. Here is her sign-up page.

Just to note: I truly think just booking a discovery call or initial consult with someone is the best first step, although it’s hard to take that jump and feel ready to start paying for personalized care. (I feel bad having to clarify this, but I am not affiliated with any of these people, I promise. This is heartfelt advice since I’ve been through this too and it’s just so frustrating).

Taking the initiative to book a first session means you can see if that practitioner seems like a good match, while also gaining whatever conceptualization they help you formulate of your child’s case. It’s hard to grope in the dark and try to figure this out on our own, and we often need people in our corner who have the experience and can make things more clear.

In Conclusion:

Best of luck with everything! I hope one, or all, of these resources offered you some information, clarity, and most of all, hope! It’s overwhelming to feel in the dark about what’s going on with your kid- so please combat that with an ACTION!

Choose something here as a first step- Educate yourself with the books, articles, podcasts, or give your child the gift of personalized care by signing up for one of these practitioners.

Your child’s health is worth doing whatever is in your ability!

Or if this isn’t applicable to you, hit the SHARE button to spread this information to other parents you know.

(You can also read more in-depth about baby/child eczema in this post.)

Note: Some links may be affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you choose to make a purchase. This is at no extra expense to you. Please know that I only recommend products I believe are truly valuable for you.