Eczema: Diagnosing Eczema in Babies

Even with millions of sufferers worldwide, medical science has not yet discovered the reason why some people suffer with eczema and others do not. Typically, contact with some external allergen triggers an allergic reaction, leading to the typical skin symptoms and changes seen in sufferers. Baby eczema is a rash seen on their face which gradually gets worse unless treated, eventually becoming causing cracking and flaking. Anything up to one fifth of infants in the USA will suffer with this awful skin complaint.

Luckily, for most young children, the condition has disappeared before they have their second birthday. There are some cases though that do not clear up, even becoming serious enough to continue when they become adults. Almost anyone can be affected by this problem at any time in their life but it is babies that are most likely to suffer. Approximately 33 percent of sufferers have had the condition before they were twelve months old and the majority before their fifth birthday.

Seen as a red, itchy and scaly rash, baby eczema is usually of the more common atopic eczema variety. Strangely, atopic eczema is also hereditary and often starts when the baby’s skin is not moisturized regularly. Mothers must be watchful about the types of detergents their baby’s clothes are washed in as these are known to trigger inflammation. 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.

Although asthma triggers could also include other respiratory problems and medical conditions. It has also been found that if the baby’s mother has asthma, they are more prone to suffer with this condition but other contributing elements include food allergies and allergic rhinitis. Food allergies are believed to be responsible for anything up to 3 cases in ten; once the foodstuff causing the problem is discovered, it is just a simple matter of taking out of the child’s meals. Although the process of diagnosing which food is responsible is often a case of trial an error, there are some that are often found as the cause including:

*Marine foods including shellfish *Cream and other milk products *Bread *Products containing eggs *Meals or foodstuffs where peanuts have been used in the preparation

Doctors also know that baby eczema can also be the result of the antibiotics received by the baby at birth. Treating babies requires a little more thought as they cannot tell us what irritates them so only bath them in lukewarm water and use fragrance free, hypoallergenic creams. Once they have dried, they need to be dressed in soft natural clothing made from cotton. 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. Unfortunately, baby eczema sometimes needs further help and in these cases, the doctor might prescribe the use of antihistamines to relieve the itching; when required it is not uncommon for the child to have steroid cream applied to the affected area but this cannot be done for very long. Whilst this may be a common complaint around the world, at the present time, easing the symptoms of the condition is the best we can do.

Related posts:

1. Eczema Explained
2. Benefits of Breastfeeding
3. Quick Glance: Diagnosing Asthma
4. Quick Relief Solutions For Yeast Infection