The Dermatologist

The peds doctor continued to pump us with antibiotics thinking our unexplained redness would go away. When it didn't... he sent us to a dermatologist...

The Dermatologist... he made me the angriest of all the doctors put together. He diagnosed my child with eczema before I had even removed him from the baby buggy. He laughed at me when I said it is not eczema. He didn't listen a word I said. He said that it was eczema and that I would be back in three days thanking him for saving my child. He said he could've diagnosed him from across the waiting room. Apparently all red faced babies who are teething have eczema.

Diagnosis - Eczema
Treatment - no bathing, cover the child in vaseline from head to foot, no water, use prescribed ointment
Medications - antibiotic and steroid ointment

He told me that it is a RASH, and it was nothing that I was doing to my child or that I was putting into my body because I am breastfeeding. His diagnosis was a RASH. He gave some speech about how my child was too clean and I bathed him too much. I hadn't bathed him in 2 weeks, but according to him the water I wasn't using was causing this red scaled bumpy skin.

Against my better judgement I went to the store and bought all the ointment creams he suggested. Vaseline, Aquafor, Eucerin, Steroids, and more antibiotics.

I covered my child's face from chin to forehead in vaseline. Within minutes the red rash around his chin and ears spread from ear to ear and slowly continued to crawl across his nose and across his forehead. I headed back to the PEDs doctor even more panicked. The PEDs doctor called the dermatologist while I waited to discuss his remedy. He stood by his answer saying that my child has eczema and that he stands by his diagnosis.

The steroids... I didn't cover my child in this medicine which was suggested. I took a tiny amount and placed it around his ear to see what effect it would have. The nickel size red patch reduced to the size of a dime and then a few hours later it was three times the size and oozing with a yellow liquid that turned into a crust and the next morning blood was oozing from his ear.

Photo - after ointment remedies (soon spread to nose and forehead)