Conference moira::parenting_v3

    If the rash is red, rather splotchy and irregular looking and found 
    in the warm, moist folds of the neck, it could be a yeast infection.  
    Yeasties love those kinds of places to grow. The diaper area and
    mouth are also favorite gathering places.  
    
    The fact that it 'kind of went away' and then came back could 
    also indicate yeast. It is a *very* stubborn organism. Properly 
    treated, it disappears rather quickly.  Lotrisone and Mycolog,
    both antifungal agents, are the most common ointments prescribed
    for cutaneous candidiasis (yeast).  
    
    For an accurate diagnosis, see your pediatrician.
    
    Jodi-whose_kids_are_very_prone_to_the_yeastie_beasties_:^)
    

    	I agree with Jodi, it could be yeast infection.  Shayne gets these
    ALL the time.  Lotrisone works wonders, so does Nystatin (liquid, given
    orally).  The problem we had is that as soon as the rash went away, we 
    quit using the cream, and in a few days it would come back.  Now we use 
    the Lotrisone, until it is used up.  Since this we are working on a
    record of not getting the infection back.  Hope I didn't just jinx our
    luck this time. 
    	Shayne gets the infection in diaper area, mouth and neck folds. 
    
    FWIW, 
    Malinda

I have a different opinion... sounds like eczema.

Our son has had a problem with this since the early weeks.  It starts red,
then gets crusty, as you mentioned (our pedi called it 'alligator skin.')
Over-the-counter cortisone cream (a la Cortaid) works only the first or
first few times... after that, you have to move to prescription.  The best
way to keep it under control is to catch it at the very start of each
re-occurence.

We now have a tube of Elocon, a prescription cortisone cream, which we keep
with all the other essentials... A&D, etc.  It has worked wonderfully.  We
have to use a little about every month or so.  Usually about 5 days of
application and the eczema goes away until next time, next place.

Put lots of lotion on your little guy... it all starts with dry skin.
Also, heat and strange materials tend to exacerbate it--we try to keep Alex
in soft, cotton clothing.  It helps.  Don't worry, it's not a serious
problem.  Just itches if it gets too far along.

Anyway, that's my guess!


Marty

    It sounds more like eczema or yeast, but  is it possible that he
    got into something like nettles, or was handled by someone who had
    been working in the garden?  That will sometimes cause that sort
    of rash.
    
    --bonnie

    I agree with the eczema possibility.  My son, now 13 months has 
    it all around his mouth.  I have a perscription that the doctor 
    gave me for it, and it makes it go away quite fast, but within a
    few days, it'll be back.  The doctor said that he will probably
    have it for a long time, and then he will grow out of it.
    

    Well, from the descriptions, we're hoping for the yeast infection ...
    it sounds like less of a pain-in-the-neck (pun intended) ...
    but it could just as easily be eczema.  Thanks for the info.  We'll see
    the pedi on Monday and get a diagnosis.
    
    Steve

    Well, it got much worse very quickly, so we saw the pedi Sunday.  It's
    the yeastie beasties ... or athletes neck if you read the lotramin
    box.
    
    Also, he had, to quote the pedi, a 'whopper of an ear ache' on the left
    side, and a moderate case on the right side.  Without ever fussing or
    indicating he wasn't well (at least until today, he was quieter than
    usual).
    
    So back we go on the antibiotics.  And lotramin for the rash.
    
    Steve

    That will be $47.00...8^)
    
    Just be glad it *wasn't* eczema, that's stubborn stuff!
    
    Jodi-

	By the way, I don't if you mentioned to the doctor that you were using 
cornstarch on the rash, but if you didn't, you might want to before you use it 
again.  If I understand correctly, while CS is good for chafing and so on, it's
a no-no for yeast.  It apparently feeds the beasties.

Tracey

    Steve, 
    	I second the advice from Tracey re: CS.
    
    Also thought I'd add that antibiotics can have an effect on the yeast 
    infection.  Shayne gets the YB's everytime we have him on amoxicillian, 
    he just finished up his prescription this morning and has a horrible 
    case in the diaper area. The Lotramin (sp?) is getting quite the work 
    out this month.
    
    Malinda

    Keep up the yogurt - it helps with yeast infections, and to replace
    (good) yeast that the antibiotics tend to strip away.
    
    
           

    Lynn, 
    	 I'm not sure I agree with the yogurt.  I had to take Shayne off of
    yogurt completely as it made the yeast infection worse and seemed to
    bring it back on.  Maybe he is allergic or something.......
    
    Malinda

    Milk allergies could be a factor. In general, though, yogurt helps
    restore the natural bacteria after taking antibiotics for a yeast
    infection (they've now done research on the benefits for women with
    vaginal yeast infections).
    
    

	Hmmmmm...

	Shayne must have a problem with yogurt.  

	When Katie was one antibiotics for about 7 months for persistant ear 
infections,she had continuing problems with yeast infections and thrush.  One of 
the pedi's in our practice reccomended yogurt (as an alternative to some 
horrible purple stuff to paint the mouth with (whose name has just slipped 
irretrievably from my brain even as I typed this sentence...)).

	Once we started her on yogurt, we NEVER had a recurrence of thrush and 
rarely had yeast infections on her bottom.  (And when we did it only took one 
or two applications of an antifungal ointment to clear it up instead of constant
use to keep it under control.)

	Plus yogurt is good for her anyway.  It's a major staple of her diet.

Tracey

    Lynn, 
    	Thanks for the information, Shayne LOVES yogurt and I have felt 
    really bad not letting him have it again. I think I will try it again
    and see if it helps, maybe his problem is really that he doesn't have 
    enough natural bacteria, since he has been on antibiotics for 4 out of
    6 months I know there has got to be something going on.  
    	You have made my day, thank you very much!!!!!
    
    Malinda

    re: .14 "yogurt is good for her anyway"
    
    I know this is off the subject, but I just have to ask.  When you
    folks (not you specifically, Tracey) advocate yogurt as a diet
    staple...what type/flavor of yogurt do you use?    All the fruit
    flavored yogurt labels that I read list milk, sugar,....i.e. there's
    an awful lot of sugar in them!   Are there any specifics types or
    flavors that are better than others?
    
    Thanks,
    Carol

    Carol,
    
    The yogurt labels you're describing are for "flavored" yogurt - they've
    ADDED sugar/fruit/vanilla/etc.  Plain yogurt comes without any of that
    and you can find it made with whole milk, lowfat, and nonfat.  Look for
    it right in with the flavored stuff, just a different color label.
    
    There are a whole bunch of references to yogurt in the Family Cooking
    note here.  We use it instead of sour cream and I mix it with stuff for
    the kids lunchboxes: combos of fruit, fruit cocktail, granola, etc.
                                                                      
                                                                      

    If I'm not mistaken, yogurt that has added sugars will and 
    does promote yeast growth. So it is important to use the
    unflavored/plain yogurts.  If that doesn't appeal to you
    or your little ones, add flavor extracts or fresh fruit
    and maybe a packet of Equal sweetener, whip it up with a
    blender and voila~ great tasting yogurt snack with little
    to no sugar.
    
    Jodi-
    

    re a few back
    
    the purple stuff is probably potassium permanganate ...
    
    Stuart

    The 'purple' stuff is most likely Gentian Violet, 
    a topical antifungal.
    
    Jodi-
    

    Most flavored yogurt has enough sugar and the like to resemble ice
    cream in (non)nutritional value.  When I get the kids yogurt, IU get
    the plain stuff, and add a bit of jam, or the like, for color and
    flavor without much sugar.
    
    		- Bruce

	Bingo!  Gentian Violet it was.  Nasty stuff!

	re: sugar in yogurt.  Unless you smear the yogurt on the diaper area,
I doubt it will encourage the growth of yeast. :-)  

	I do use plain yogurt with Katie.   I also use some of the flavored 
yogurt.  Yeah, it's got sugar, but it doesn't bother me.  The rest of Katie's 
eating habits are exemplary.  She gets whole wheat, low salt, low sugar crackers
for snacks.  She eats a well rounded diet.  She hardly ever gets cookies or 
ice cream.  She never gets candy.  (We just don't have it in the house. This is 
for MY benefit. :-) ) She definately does not have a weight problem.  (She's 
apparently following in my husband's footsteps.  He's 6' and weighs about 
145 lbs.)

	Moderation in all things.

Tracey

    Tracey,
    
    I'm not worried about the sugar from a weight standpoint (though
    Jason is certainly "solid").   It's the behavioral changes that
    it induces in him that kinda bothers *me*.
    
    Carol

    For children under age 2, get a plain yogurt that is not low-fat or
    no-fat; before 2, they need the higher fat content. I typically bought
    WHitney's vanilla or lemon yogurt and added some type of fruit. The
    texture of Whitney's is thick, and Ryan seemed to prefer it.
    
    Now, Ryan eats the same low- or no-fat Dannon that I do - small cups
    that come in a six pack, and have peach and or banana/strawberry mixed
    in. 
    

>apparently following in my husband's footsteps.  He's 6' and weighs about 
>145 lbs.)
>
>	Moderation in all things.

That's moderation?

	6' and 145lbs is not moderation, I grant you.  Gary is a skinny fellow.
But it's genetic.  He doesn't attempt to stay that way.  In fact, this is about 
as heavy as he's ever been. When I met him, he weighed 130! 

Tracey  

> When I met him, he weighed 130! 

How did you manage to see him?

    He's not alone in the world ... I too can hide behind telephone poles!
    
    Stuart

RE .*

I didn't know cornstarch would aggravate a yeast infection -- that's good 
information to have.  The pedi also told us that the hydrocortisone we were 
using tends to "feed" the yeast and make the infection spread faster.  She 
said it's the logical thing to use on a rash, 'cause 99% of rashes on 
babies can be cleared up with hydrocortisone, but in the case of a yeast 
infection it's very much the *wrong* thing to do.

Michael had just been on an antibiotic for an ear infection, and we feel 
like that probably gave the yeasty beasties the opportunity to get started. 
Whenever he's on an antibiotic, we give him lots and lots of yogurt because 
it helps avoid the diarreah that he tends to get when the medicine kills 
off the good buggies that live in his intestinal system.  If it also helps 
yeast infections, than that's even better.

Pat buys Dannon lowfat yogurt for Michael, and mixes it with his babyfood 
fruits.  He eats it fine with no added sugar.

Steve

BTW, for those who are interested, Lotrimin is no longer a prescription 
drug.  It's over the counter as of the first of August.  So those of you 
who have been paying $4.00 for it with your PCS card will now have the 
privilege of paying almost $7.00 a tube for the same stuff.