Late allergy onset? Please help...

[Leah]

Can anyone tell me if theor baby has become allergic to fleece and/or other un-nautural fibres later on i.e. not from the start of their nappying.

Amara has a rash and we have tried everything, even a special made up cream from the local chemist he does himself, that other Mum's say works every time!

It is red, raised a bit not ulcerated and does not seem to hurt much, but is very persistent. The chemists cream knocked it back a bit at first but now it is back.

I am now trying hemp as liner in case it is an allergy to fleece or something

I am expecting some silk liners next week so hoping they help.

Any ideas????

[*Tracee*]

Claire was 4 months when she first showed signs of being unable to tolerate synthetic fibres, so it can happen.

Best way to check is to just keep her in natural inners for a week or so. I know in our case it only took a few days to see the difference in her rash.

Good luck

[bilbylove]

Yes Leah, same thing happened to bilby.

For the first 12 months - i could put any synthetic MCN fabric next to her skin - microfleece, suedecloth - no worries.

Suddenly at 12 months - the absolute opposite - unexplained nappy rash reacting to the synthetic fabrics.

i had to change our stash around, so i could keep her in cloth.

Got heaps of advice from this forum and a few others, this is how we do it now (and no more rash!! yeh!).

- cloth wipes and water only for nappy change time
- sensitive wash powder (not very much)
- natural fibre inners
fitted, pockets and aio with cotton or bamboo velour inners
making my own velour topped boosters for our fitteds that had come with synthetic topped boosters (including the lovely ones you made).
night nappies with natural fibre inners (lying in microfleece liners cos i didn't want her lying in wet cloth all night).
- using fitteds and woollies - all the time when rash is present, just when at home when rash cleared up, now we use synthetic lined pockets for outings, but i lay in a double layer flannelette bone shaped liner, so her wetzone is next to natural fibres.

I have read of some bubs who cannot tolerate PUL outers, need the breathability of wool covers.

Apparently, nappy rash needs certain conditions to occur, one being poor ventilation, causing heat in the wetzone. So if you have good ventilation (natural fibres that breathe well), you're decreasing the ideal conditions for nappy rash happening.

My bub is tolerating the 80% cotton/20% synthetic mix of the cotton and bamboo velours, some bubs need 100% natural fibres. If she HADN"T been able to tolerate the 80/20 mix, i would have had to go teh 100% option.

I don't know if what happened to my DD is an allergic reaction, but it certainly pinpointed a skin sensitivity and an inability to tolerate the 100% wearing of it (which she had done previously just fine). Now she has synthetic in her wetzone, just for the night nappies - and is coping with that.

every bub is different . . . and i'm not a medical person, just a mum whose bub rashed to synthetics suddenly, at one year old.

WHile you're waiting for your raw silk liners, you could whip up some double layered flannelette liners, a very cheap easy option, quick and it is working great for us. Hope it helps your Amara's sore skin.

[Leah]

Thanks ladies

Bilbylove - on the natural liners I will keep on going with that ahe been using plain hemp ones for today and I have seen no difference but will keep doing it for a week or so. Will make some more hemp and some flanny ones tomorow I might even have some velour scraps, that would be a nice soft liner!

I just wish something would work!!!

I have also ordered some more of the Bummis flushable liners from Baby Soft Landings

[*Tracee*]

Leah try the velour (cotton or bamboo) as the higher pile will help to keep her feeling a little bit drier

[Leah]

Thanks Tracee - oh bum allergy guru

xx

[kermi]

J showed a reaction around 10 mths to fleece/synthetics....

I found alternating the inners the best solution for him but he does still flare up if his father uses his stash of Rumpsters (reaction rash goes only in the one strip of fleece in them) in a day.

[lesley4]

Katherine had a rash break out - about 10 mths into our cloth journey - and I ended up at the hospital at 5am the day of her christening cause she was absolutely covered - it turned out she was allergic to the washing powder, and the rash had started on her legs and then just spread. We use purity now and have zyrtec on hand just in case she does it again. Fortunately the spots on her face had faded before the christening, but her poor little body was still covered.

She wears fleece nappies now - mine mainly, rarely wears PUL though, and we also find natural fibres next to the skin like bamboo/cotton velour seem the best.

[Leah]

Thanks so much Lesley. We have not changed powders lately but maybe I should try some Purity? I also pretty much have been using Itti D'lish exclusively, maybe she needs a break from PUL?

Today I have tried fitteds and wool, will keep that up and see what happens. I also cut up some velour for liners

[lesley4]

We hadn't changed powders either Leah - but sometimes they change formulations and you don't know, or it's like a penicillin allergy, they aren't always allergic the first time, but develop antibodies and next time you use them you get a reaction - yup she's allergic to penicillin too

We don't have many suedecloth inner nappies either - maybe 3, so they only get used maybe every 2nd day.