Rash in child

[katieham]

My daughter had a dry, sore rash around her mouth from around 1 yr. Health professionals advised steroid creams but these only worked temporarily - the rash always came back as soon as we stopped using them. We removed cows milk (but not goat and sheep) from her diet at 1.5 yrs and it was immediately effective. She's now 3 and the rash has recently returned. We've cut out goat and sheep milk for the past 2.5 weeks but it doesn't seem to have any effect. What should we do?

[Dr Adam Fox]

this is strange as cow's, goats and sheeps milk proteins are broadly the same. I would calm it with some weak steroid cream and then use regular moisturiser/barrier cream to keep it under control. Is her nose blocked??this could be the problem causing 'lip licking' eczema.

[katieham]

Thanks Dr. Fox, Her nose isn't blocked. We've used steroid creams several times but are reluctant to use them again as they seem to have a kind of habit forming effect (i.e. the rash has got worse when we've stopped using them even when we've reduced very slowly).