nasty scratches

Due to baby's dry skin, she has made some nasty scratches on her neck and face. Do I need to apply anything on these scratches? Thanks!

Hi, I always applied sudocreme to mine and it did the trick. I sill use it too.


HTH, BB

Watch these scratches, Gabbie, for possible infections. If memory serves me right, your daughter has eczema which is probably why she got scratches as her skin is itchy. The scratching episodes are extremely hard to watch for a mum. I would recommend you cut her fingernails right back to prevent any more open wounds / scratches. My daughter have scratches from eczema too and I normally leave them alone - wipe with cotton balls soaked with boiled filter water and that is it. Don't introduce bacteria onto them by constantly touching or feeling the scratches. I also wiped her hands more often to keep them bacteria free. Eczema is not the problem, infections are so the idea is to keep the scratches clean and germ-free. If you find yellowish ooze coming out or the skin around any scratch swollen, I suggest medical help immediately.


If you wish to put cream on them, make sure it does NOT sting (Mustela does, so do not put it on her sratches or cuts!!!!!!). I don;t know if sudocream stings but do not use the same tub for bum bum and scratches as there is a strong possibility bacteria from bum bum might be transferred in the unused cream in the tub; open a new tube just for scratches. Another mummy with eczema kids, katetam, said Bioderma atoderm cream doesn't sting as well. I use vaseline on scratches only where the skin is so dry it flakes but apply only a very thin layer as the skin needs to breathe or your baby might end up in acne-looking spots.


Have you brought your duaghter to the doc? Am I correct to say her rashes are not the mild, it-will-go-away-on-its-own type? There are plenty of preventive and management measures for dry skin but if your daughter has recurrent flareups, it would be best to determine the cause of the flareups.


Good luck and do update us on her progress.

I use tea tree ointment from Thursday plantation. Blitzes bacteria right away and I keep putting it till the scratch has healed.

Thanks Mummybee1! Yes bub has mild case of eczema and so far bioderma and vaseline seems to work best. I'm also using oilatum bath oil. Her face has improved heaps but there are recurrent flareups on her neck and she is always scratching her face, neck and head!

My baby was also scratching his face and it really looked bad. Took him to the doc who prescribed a tube of 1% hydrocortisone called Hydrotopic Cream and a tub of QV cream. Told me to mix both so the hydrocortisone is diluted to 0.5%. It's done the trick.

Try putting socks on your baby's hands, they stay on better than those little mittens... socks that are long enough to reach elbow worked best for us.

Sorry but I don't recommend socks. Tried it on my daughter before and ended up she scratched more, made cuts worse and made skin red cos she derived more pleasure from the friction generated from rubbing the rough woven surface of the socks on her skin. I did consider stitching silk (or any smooth fabric) mittens, but never got around to it cos I find fastidious fingernail cutting works.

I suggest using Lucas Paw Paw ointment from Australia

Agree with mummybee1 - socks, mitts etc made baby's face red and raw cause she rubbed it anyway. Pocoyo, of course the doc would prescribe a steriod cream! Its a short term temporary fix that simply doesnt work in the long run, in fact worsens the situation if your baby has a long term allergic reaction.