Forums > Parents with InfantsPage 1 2by: ashpinoza

baby scratching self till BLEEDS! did yours? UPDATE!!

posted 17th Jan '09

okay. so my lil boy is almost 6 months. anyways, since he was a couple months old and could use his hands he has done this, i know some babies accidentaly scratch themselves. but he PURPOUSLY DIGS into his scalp. he doesnt have much hair so its easy to see. he just squeeeeezes and digs in with his fingertips. no matter HOW SHORT his nails are he still cuts the crap out of himself. im not kidding, its BAD. he was doing it only on the right side. he does it on the back of the head, neck and behind ears. but he also just started doing the top back and the left back of the head too. he makes himself bleed and it looks like cats attacked him! now, i have tried everything, like i said his nails are kept short and neat. actualy i just trimmed them day before yesterday and after i did it, we went to the store, and after we pulled him out of carseat when we got home, there was bloody spot as big as my fist in the seat from his head!!!! mittens will not stay on, or socks, he will take it all off, and i was thinking about tying something on, but i worry about cutting circulation off, and actualy read the possibilitty of that too, so no tying them on. also, he has eczema, since born, but he has it on his legs sometimes, and he likes to dig and claw at his legs too and he makes that bleed, so we usualy keep pants on when he has eczema outbreaks. but i cant do anything for the head. it is BAD. i tried lotions, and creams thinking maybe hes doing it cause it itches. i think he is, cause he likes if we lightly itch his head. but it isnt dry or anything. and no matter what he is hurting himself, although he doesnt cry or anything, the cuts dont bother him, but im worried about infections. he has an appointment in a couple weeks, so im going to talk to the pedi at that time, but anyone else have a baby that did this and if so what in the world did you do about it? thanks

UPDATE: well we tried some other stuff, not working. his appointment is next friday and they will look at him then they said. but this morning when i got him out of bed at 8 i laid him down in bed with me to feed him, and seen blood under his nails, i said what did you doooo??? and turned him over and it is AWFUL!!!!!! i took pics to show DH cause he was at work, he couldnt believe it. it makes me mad at him, cause what he does to himself, and i feel bad for him too. and the kid doesnt think it hurts i guess! if you take his hand away when he scratches himself, he gets mad and wants to put it back. grrrr. heres the pics. its HORRIBLE! and this isnt even the worst hes done before!

here is some scabs from the old ones!

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I have 1 child & live in Wyanet, Illinois

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Sara&Levi'sMomma♥

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posted 17th Jan '09

Sara did that. mittens wouldn't stay on, so we ended up putting socks on her hands until she was about 3 months old!

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I have 2 kids & live in Ammon, Idaho

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posted 17th Jan '09

I can't offer advice as that didn't happen with my son, but I imagine that it is because of the eczema. My son had eczema pretty badly when he was younger, though thankfully it went away around 18 months (it does in most cases).

C.

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I have 2 kids & live in Saint Catharines, Ontario

posted 17th Jan '09

Quoting ashpinoza:“ okay. so my lil boy is almost 6 months. anyways, since he was a couple months old and could use his hands ... [snip!] ... to the pedi at that time, but anyone else have a baby that did this and if so what in the world did you do about it? thanks ”

T-Sal shampoo every other night. Let it sit for 2 minutes.

Also, aquaphor on the scalp helps. And it lets you style their hair!!

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I have 2 kids & 2 angel babies & live in Maryland

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I had a BabyBumpBelly

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posted 17th Jan '09

Can you tape socks of mittens on his hands? I know it sounds harsh and mean, but it is better than him hurting himself. Or put bandaids on all his fingertips or somethin lol. Sorry mama, wish I could help. Good luck.

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I have 1 child & 1 angel baby & live in American Fork, Utah

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Gray'sBlessedMommy

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posted 17th Jan '09

It sounds to me as if he has some sort of allergy..I know I scratch and dig into my skin when I am extremely a litired and irritated..My daughter does the same but not to the extent of your baby boy-she is 4 mo old..I have to use hydrocortisone creams on my face and hands and I take beenadryl because the scratching can get so bad...he may need an antihistamine that is safe for babies..my dr prescribed Sildec-pe when my daughter was congested and irritated..whenever she starts the eye rubbing, excessive crying and scratching i give her a little less than 0.3ml...try some benadryl cream for him hope that helps til u get to the dr...good luck

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I have 3 kids & live in New Jersey

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K[♥ E&C]

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posted 17th Jan '09

My son did that from 3 months on. He had HORRIBLE cradle cap. We used T-gel every other day, hydrocortizone cream and kept a hat on him. After 3 months it's finally going away and his scratching habit is getting broken. Every time he reaches up I pull his hand away and just tell him no.

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I have 2 kids & live in Nevada

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JessicaRabbitBNH

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posted 17th Jan '09

Also,my pedi did prescribe Orion some antihistamine for the scratching around 6 months old.
We used to sparingly, and it mostly just put him to sleep... but it worked.

I feel you on the bleeding. Long car rides used to be out of the question because Orion would be free to dig at himself through the entire ride. One night when we got home he was covered in blood from scratch marks on his face. I mean, he just gouged chunks out. It was horrifying.

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I have 2 kids & 2 angel babies & live in Maryland

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ashpinoza

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posted 17th Jan '09

yeah he digs chunks out too and we have tried EVERYTHING, the gave us aquaphor, we use cortizone, per pedi recommendations, his head isnt dry at ALL, he USED to have bad cradle cap and its gone now and has been for a while. we use the special wash they told us too, and the taping thing, they say no cause of circulation.and he has almost no hair lol so i can see his skin, and he has one little patch of eczema back on the neck, that has been there since birth on and off, but none where he gouges himself. little stinker its terrible!

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I have 1 child & live in Wyanet, Illinois

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ashpinoza

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posted 17th Jan '09

i think i could ask about the antihistamines, that may be the only thing i can do at this point, but i worry about giving meds like that to him but its better than takin chunks outa his head!

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I have 1 child & live in Wyanet, Illinois

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K[♥ E&C]

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posted 17th Jan '09

Quoting ashpinoza:“ yeah he digs chunks out too and we have tried EVERYTHING, the gave us aquaphor, we use cortizone, per ... [snip!] ... back on the neck, that has been there since birth on and off, but none where he gouges himself. little stinker its terrible!”

Sounds like it's just out of habit now from when he had Cradle cap.

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I have 2 kids & live in Nevada

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JessicaRabbitBNH

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posted 17th Jan '09

Quoting Kelly [♥Ethan]:“ Sounds like it's just out of habit now from when he had Cradle cap.”

Could be.
Orion will still scratch at his head and face when hes agitated or angry out of habit.

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I have 2 kids & 2 angel babies & live in Maryland

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K[♥ E&C]

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posted 17th Jan '09

Quoting Jess ♥ Orion:“ Could be. Orion will still scratch at his head and face when hes agitated or angry out of habit.”

Ethan is the same way. I have to make sure his nails are trimmed every other day. At one point it looked like I let my cats wreak havoc on him lol

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I have 2 kids & live in Nevada

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ashpinoza

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posted 18th Jan '09

Quoting Kelly [♥Ethan]:“ Sounds like it's just out of habit now from when he had Cradle cap.”

no he never did it with the cradle cap at all. it started after that was long gone.

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I have 1 child & live in Wyanet, Illinois

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Cultha2 posts

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posted 30th Apr '09

Really sorry to see that your LO is scratching himself. We had the same problem and as our DS got older he would just take off socks or scratch mitts. Eventually we tried http://www.scratchsleeves.co.uk which stopped him from damaging himself.

baby scratching self till BLEEDS! did yours? UPDATE!!

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