Baby eczema causes and treatments

As you know, eczema is one of the most common skin problems for children. Baby eczema causes is a condition of extra-sensitive and dry skin. Most of infants will outgrow it by the time when they are 2 to 3 years old. Children who still have it will usually outgrow it by the time when they become teenagers. If eczema runs in the family, it is more likely to be a lifelong condition. Even so, it is often worse in the first years of life.

Most of infants will outgrow it by the time when they are 2 to 3 years old

Eczema is a vicious cycle! Something irritates your baby’s skin, making it inflamed and red. It itches. He rubs it. The skin becomes more and more inflamed. The outer protective layer of the baby’s skin is lost. The affected area is extra-sensitive to irritants, and dries out easily. He continues to be exposed to whatever it was that triggered the episode in the first place. Even more rash develops. The cycle perpetuates itself.

1.     What are the reasons for eczema in babies?

Many different things can be the trigger or irritating agent for baby dermatitis. Here is a list of common triggers for parents to watch for:

-      Moisture, such as saliva or milk

-      Rubbing the skin

-      Common housedust

-      Overheating

-      Dog or cat dander

-      Wool or other scratchy fabric

-      Clothes washed in irritating detergent

-      Body soap

-      Cigarette smoke

-      Water

Occasionally, the baby eczema causes can be is affected by an allergic reaction to food or foods in the baby’s diet. In general, breast milk is tremendous for controlling eczema (in fact, 6 months of nursing can actually prevent eczema in some children). In some cases, if the nursing mother is consuming dairy products, nuts, seafood, eggs, or possibly other foods (which vary from individual to individual), the baby will be negatively affected. Foods children directly consume that can make eczema in babies worse include egg whites, cows’ milk, citrus like tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, and lemons), nuts and chocolate. If you are using a cows’ milk-based formula, you should try using a soy formula or another hypo-allergenic formula.

2.     What are the treatments for eczema in babies

The first step in treating eczema is to identify the baby eczema causes and avoid it if possible! You may not see an immediate improvement, but if you are going to successfully treat eczema, it is important to break the cycle! Here are some tips for you:

- Avoid situations that will make your child sweat - don’t pile on blankets or put him in a blanket sleeper.

- Cut eggs, cows’ milk, citrus fruits, and peanut products from his diet.

- Wash his clothes in a laundry detergent made for sensitive skin.

- Avoid dressing your baby in wool or any other harsh material (cotton is excellent).

- Avoid long baths to keep baby’s skin healthy. Long baths and soaps are the problem for most children. When the skin prunes, this disrupts the moisture-retaining layer of sensitive skin.

Avoid long baths to keep baby’s skin healthy

- Aim for brief baths, frequent, in lukewarm water, and use a small amount of very mild cleanser, don’t use any unless he is particularly dirty. These brief baths will hydrate the baby’s skin, not dry it out.

- Apply a moisturizing lotion to the affected areas at least twice a day. Apply the moisturizer immediately following his bath, while he is still damp. Consider moisturizers which are hypoallergenic and fragrance free. Regular moisturizer use will keep the skin moist and help protect the skin from other irritants. A humidifier for the room can also help prevent the skin from getting too dry which reduce baby eczema causes.

- Using the mildest form of cortisone will break the cycle. It is not recommended for everyday use. On his face, an over-the-counter strength cortisone cream will usually be sufficient. Do not use anything stronger than the over-the-counter cortisone, unless prescribed for his by her pediatrician. Once the cycle is broken, gradually reduce, then stop, using the cortisone over one week to prevent rebound.

- Recent studies showed that Vitamin D and DHA, one of the important omega-3 fats found in breast milk, can help prevent eczema in young children.

If the baby dermatitis is not adequately controlled with the above measures, you should ask for your doctor an oral medication or stronger creams to control the itching.

Asking doctors for advices

You can help minimize baby eczema causes, but her skin will remain sensitive until she outgrows the condition. A rash on your baby’s face invites you to look beyond the shallow covering of the outer layer of skin to see her true beauty that lies beneath.