So it has been a while since I have updated my blog on this subject. Please refer to my last blog on this subject in case you are not up to date (Hives and Rashes and Eczema, Oh My!). After I blogged we waited the six weeks to go see the allergist in the meantime I made sure to follow the instructions the allergist told me to strictly follow until our next appointment. The instructions were basic keep him out of the sun between 11 and 3. When he IS the sun, make sure he has a long sleeve UV protective shirt on and loads of sunblock. Sunblock is a huge issue for J. He can barely use any of the brands. The only one that does not make him break out in to a rash is Mustela. Now, I can use Neutrogena Baby, but sparingly, and not on his face. Mustela is expensive but we do not have a choice, we live in South Florida and it is a daily MUST. We went on vacation and had a great time at the beach. No skin or allergy issues. Just pure fun. 

Finally the six weeks passed and it was time to go back to the allergist. J’s hives had all cleared up, he was not sick, did not have a rash, he was in perfect shape to be tested. I went armed with a bottle of milk, toys, books, his “binky” (or “boto” as he renamed it), and tons of snacks. I was not sure what we were in store for. Luckily, the testing was pretty easy. The ‘prick’ was very mild and J barely felt it. They pricked him about 100 times. The pricks were all placed on his back. After waiting for 15 minutes. The testing was over. Results: J is not allergic to ANYTHING! I was so relived. According to the doctors J’s hive outbreaks were due to a virus and nothing more.

However, very recently I received the allergist’s diagnosis in the mail and there it was: Urticaria (hives), allergic rhinitis, and ECZEMA. Eczema? I couldn’t believe it. I was told it was not eczema. So J broke out into hives AGAIN this month. It is a pattern. First he gets a slight rash on his torso, diarrhea for a week, and then once the diarrhea disappears, the hives appear. It seems to have been a virus again. No fever or vomiting just discomfort. This time it was not nearly as bad as before. Thank goodness. And it was gone in a couple of days. 

Time passed and then we started to notice that J was getting what appeared to be a diaper rash or burn on the sides of his hip and rings around his legs. The exact places where his diaper is constantly rubbing against his skin. Someone mentioned that he could be allergic to his diaper but I thought that was impossible since he has been using the same brand (Pamper Cruisers Ultra Absorbency) since he was born.

After about two weeks the rash began to get worse and worse no matter what we did. J started to tell us that the rash was hurting him and he did not want to put his diaper on. We tried putting tissues on the areas so the diaper would not rub against them but that did not work. So we went back to our trustworthy Dr. E.  I went with the allergist diagnosis in one hand and concern in the other. Is this eczema? Is it hives again? I couldn't figure it out. 

Dr. E looked at it and immediately said it was an allergic reaction to the diaper. He has seen many cases of the same rash recently and there is no explanation. He believes the Pampers company has changed their formula or has added a new chemical that is causing this reaction in toddlers with atopic allergies. 

We had to switch to Seventh Generation Chlorine Free diapers. Side note; I was concerned about overnight leakage since J would sometimes wake up wet even with the ultra absorbency diapers. So I have been putting a feminine pad in the diaper. I make it into a rainbow shape and place it as a blocker on the front inside part of the diaper before I put it on him. Just a quick tip in case you have the same issue. 

We have also been putting a prescription medication lotion on the rash called Cutivate (as recommended by Dr. E) for about a week. He is finally getting better. 

But I have to say we have changed our lives a little. I continue to flush out his wipes with before I start using them. I was given this tip before I was born and I still do it. It flushes away all that extra chlorine and it makes the wipes must softer to the touch. I also went back to my first blog on this subject (Hives and Rashes and Eczema, Oh My!) and reread, my friend, trusty LC's tips on controlling Eczema. Feel free to go back to it if your child has atopic allergies. It will certainly help. I will keep everyone updated on this subject. Oh, and don't worry I am in the process of writing an "informative" e-mail to the Pampers Company.