Baby Eczema

Having a baby can be trying under the best of circumstances but having a baby with dry, itchy skin due to eczema can be especially stressful.

Baby eczema is an often itchy rash that forms on the scalp, face, under the ears and neck. It can also appear on the inside of the knees and elbows, as well as the tops of the ankles. Baby eczema is one of the most common skin problems for baby’s and can be very frustrating. One of the best ways to treat baby eczema is to spot the cause of the eczema and avoid it. Baby eczema is also known as infantile seborrhoeic eczema, and is common in babies less than a year old. It is loosely referred to as cradle cap, because it starts on the edge of a baby’s scalp, and then spreads.

Although it’s not contagious, it is uncomfortable. Baby eczema is quite often triggered by numerous food allergies, and some parents fail to realize that this is the case. Around 40% of the babies that have eczema also suffer from some form of food allergy.
Baby eczema is often interlinked with children who suffer from asthma and other allergies. These are all inherited so again, cannot be avoided.

Baby eczema is also known as infantile seborrhoeic eczema, and is common in babies less than a year old. It is loosely referred to as cradle cap, because it starts on the edge of a baby’s scalp, and then spreads. Baby eczema is eventually cured, but it takes time and patience. This condition looks ghastly, but there are rarely scars left by eczema. Baby eczema is usually passed down from family members. If someone in your family has had eczema in the past, your baby is likely to have it.

Here are some things you can do to minimize flare ups:

1. Avoid scratching and rubbing. Even rubbing against a crib sheet can irritate his skin and make matters worse. In severe cases, infection results. Scratching can increase your risk of bacterial infection and scarring. Use the softest sheet possible in his crib, and keep his nails short. But those babies with either a positive skin test or blood test for food allergy enjoyed a 32 percent greater improvement if they got the probiotic Lactobacillus GG (LGG) supplement than if they got the placebo capsules. More research is needed to clarify the role of LGG, and of probiotics in general, in the treatment of eczema in babies and in older children, but this study suggests that the use of probiotics is promising.

2. Bathe you child with this water, and then pat his skin dry with a towel. Oatmeal bath is really a good and fast remedy for baby eczema and you should have the child bathe twice a day in oatmeal bath. Bath regularly but not too frequently using warm, not hot, water and a very mild soap. Ivory soap is usually acceptable.

3. Use only in hypoallergenic detergents and the clothing should be sent through the rinse cycle twice. Also, you should keep the child’s room and play areas free of dust mites because they are a common eczema trigger.

4. Avoid allergic food such as cow’s milk or wheat. Breastfeeding your baby until they are at least 4 months old is one of the best ways to minimize eczema, however you may need to look at your own diet if they are showing sensitivities. Diet is often a factor and many parents switch their babies from cow’s milk products to soy because of eczema. Other foods may be irritating your baby’s system too.