Baby Eczema

Despite billions of dollars spent on research worldwide, medical science is still unclear about the origins of eczema. Normally, something in the person's environment will cause the skin complaint to occur almost immediately they come into contact with it. The condition of baby eczema cause distress to the child as the rash becomes more irritated leading to a scaly appearance and eventual cracking. In America the situation is serious with a baby having a one in five chance (approximately) of being diagnosed with this skin condition.

Despite the problems it causes the child and parents, this is only a problem for a couple of years as it has normally disappeared before the child reaches two. In some cases however, the condition becomes chronic and may continue into adulthood. Although this skin disorder can affect someone at any stage in their life, it is most prevalent in infants. About one-third of all patients develop symptoms before their first birthday, and almost all develop symptoms before five years.

Atopic eczema is the type most often found in baby eczema, where the child suffers with an itchy rash that is more often located on the arms, legs, face and head. Whilst atopic eczema is often found in family groups, a child can often have this condition flare up when their skin has not been kept moisturized. Detergents can also trigger the condition in babies but so can fabric conditioners as well. In some instances it would seem that breastfeeding seems to protect the child from baby eczema as opposed to those mothers who stop this practice prematurely.

Other medical conditions, such as respiratory infections, may also act as triggers. Food allergies, allergic rhinitis or mothers who also have an asthma condition are all reasons that could make it more likely that a child will suffer from this disorder. Specialists in food allergies believe that up to 3 cases in ten of childhood cases are because the child has a food allergy; if a particular food is suspected as the likely cause, that food can then be removed from the diet. Removing the guilty foods comes down to trial and error although there are some common foodstuffs that should be looked at first including:

• Sea-Food
• Products with milk as an ingredient
• Bread
• Food prepared using eggs
• Any meals or candy etc. that contain peanuts

Baby eczema can also be caused as a result of the baby receiving antibiotics when the mother gave birth to her child. Babies naturally have more sensitive skin so treating them requires bathing in lukewarm water and then using hypoallergenic creams, using only fragrance free products. To ensure they are comfortable they only dressed in natural cotton clothing once they have been bathed. A baby with this condition can easily cause infection to damaged skin if their nails are not kept short because they will undoubtedly scratch themselves constantly. For infants with more serious baby eczema, antihistamine cream may be prescribed which should help stop the itching; steroid creams can also be used for a short period to help heal the skin. This is a difficult medical condition to not only control but overcome despite being a common complaint.