Eczema is a medical condition also referred to as Atopic Dermatitis . It usually appears as a skin rash on children below the age of five. It normally tends to appear on the scalp and the cheeks but later spread to the chest, arms, and legs and even in severe cases it spreads on the rest of the body. When the child is less than one year, the condition is likely to appear on the inner side of the elbow, the wrist, ankle and the knees back parts. The rash appears thickened, dry or scaly skin and it is usually made of minute red bumps that develop infection or ooze after scratching. Baby eczema is a condition, which appears and then disappears on its own.

The condition cannot be passed from one person to another though it is intensely itchy and it gets very uncomfortable. When left untreated, it can be a nuisance to a point of causing a social challenge to the affected child. It is diagnosed through physician examination on the child’s skin but it is recommended that a dermatologist should do it. Its cause is still a mystery to medical practitioners but its tendency to occur is attributed to hereditary factors. It is important to clarify that eczema is not a reaction from drugs or elements though allergic related factors like pollen and cigarette smoke may trigger it. In some cases it may be triggered by diets from the mother if the baby is breastfeeding or its diet. Excessive heat is known to aggravate the rash and other skin irritants like chemicals from fragrances, detergents, lotions and soaps. Drastic change of weather especially that makes the skin dry. Extreme stress may trigger the rash.

Eczema is a rampant condition in infants and children as research shows that around 30% of children suffer from the condition. 65% of all infants develop the symptom during the first year in life. It is hard to tell if a child is likely to develop the symptoms but its risk decreases with increase in age. Most of the affected children outgrow the symptoms by the age of two years and the rest percentage outgrows it before they reach adulthood.

This condition may be easily prevented if the parent reduces the factors triggering the symptoms. This can be achieved through disinfected baths and using a recommended moisturizer. The parent should ensure that the bathing water is not too warm as it is likely to dry the skin more compared to lukewarm water. A non-soap cleanser or a mild soap should be used in the bath then followed by shampooing after the bath. Excess water from the skin should be patted gently using a soft towel. The moisturizer should be applied before the skin dries up completely to seal the baby’s natural moisture inside. A parent should ensure that their babies are clothed with natural fabrics to avoid irritating the skin and the cloths should not be too cold or too warm.

The child should be discouraged to scratch the affected part as it only worsens the condition. To reduce scratching, the babies nails should be maintained short and the parent should used the softest linens for the baby’s beddings.

Baby Eczema – Tips to Treat Baby Eczema

Baby Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin disease found in infants during the first few months.  This is very common and approximately 10%-15% of infants have this disease and many children outgrow it with age.

Baby Eczema is a bit scary as inflamed red scaly blister-like patches appear on the baby’s face, scalp, hands and wrists, and at the joints of arms and legs or almost all over the body.  Baby Eczema is very itchy and scratching almost aggravates it.  The skin of these babies is almost dry, rough, and itchy.

Causes of Baby Eczema:

The real cause of Baby Eczema is unknown.  Generally speaking eczema runs in allergy-prone families.  It is a genetic condition which is passed on from parents to their children and these babies generally have high levels of histamine.  Basically it is the reaction of the immune system which gets triggered by certain allergens like soaps, creams, detergents, sweat, and heat.

Tips to treat Baby Eczema:

Moisturizers: You can apply moisturizing baby creams, petroleum jelly or other low-strength creams immediately after a bath to retain the skin’s moisture and to keep it soft and tender.

Lukewarm bath: A good warm bath cools the skin and reduces itching.  Avoid using of soaps or perfumed products and pat the skin dry with a soft towel.

Topical steroids: Some over-the-counter topical steroid creams and ointments can alleviate the inflammation, itching, and dryness but prolonged use of these creams are not recommended.  Best is to consult your pediatrician and treat your baby’s eczema under his guidance only.

Antibiotics: In case of flare-ups, your baby’s pediatrician will prescribe antibiotics to minimize itching, rashes and to prevent infection.

Baby Eczema can be controlled but not cured.  There are various other home treatment options which you can use to alleviate the symptoms.  Medications can only hide the symptoms.  If your baby is prone to eczema then external allergens can aggravate the inflammation and itching.  Generally, babies do not have a strong immune system and their digestive system is also underdeveloped thus keep them away from all external allergens.

You can give your baby relief from Baby Eczema by:

Breast feeding:  breast feed your child instead of giving cow’s milk or any formula products.  Keep a check on your diet also and avoid foods that may trigger eczema in your little one.

Cotton Clothing:  Babies who have eczema have very sensitive skin.  Very often they can not tolerate disposable diapers so replace these with cotton cloth diapers.  There are many comfortable eczema clothing available in the market; you must skip to these cotton clothes.  Cotton clothes will let the skin breathe and keep your child dry and sweat-free.  Night-time is the worst time for the babies so ensure that your baby is comfortable in 100% cotton pajamas.

Moisturizers:  You can apply your baby natural aloe vera gel or cream to soothe the itching.  Also massaging with flaxseed oil, primrose oil or applying cream which contains chamomile can alleviate skin itching and dryness.

There are various other things you can consider to control Baby Eczema.  For example keep your baby’s nails trimmed or slip on mittens to avoid scratching.  Avoid over dressing your baby and also avoid using woolen blankets.

In brief, Baby Eczema can be treated with good gentle home-care. But do not assume that your baby has eczema, consult your pediatrician and then adopt any treatment.  If your baby eczema is recurrent and widespread or the blisters become pus-filled then consult the doctor immediately.