There’s A Genetic Component
There are a lot of things that parents need to know about this. For example, if a childs parent has eczema, there is a chance that the child will have it as well. According to webmd.com, that is because this condition can be hereditary. But just because one parent has this skin condition, it does not mean that their child will definitely have it as well. It simply means that the child has a higher chance of having it than someone who is not the child of a person with eczema. There are many health conditions that run in families.
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Increased Exposure To Environmental Toxins
There are toxins in the air, water, soil, foods, body products, cosmetics, home furnishings and even clothing. Environmental toxin exposures can directly dampen immune system function, specifically how immune cells develop and how they function. Kids have higher metabolic rates and their bodies absorb more toxins than adults and have difficulty disposing of these toxins.
Children are exposed to these chemicals more than ever. In fact, there are approximately 80,000 chemicals produced and only 8 chemicals are restricted on a government level. This overload of toxins may trigger an immune response, and increase flares of eczema, allergies, and asthma.
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Use These Natural Remedies For Baby Eczema And Help You Baby Find Relief
Mama, I know its hard to see your baby suffering from the discomfort of eczema. Its especially hard when they are experiencing severe itching or widespread inflammation. But even a small flare-up should be addressed so that it doesnt get worse.
Remember, its important to try to figure out the root cause of your babys eczema to keep it away. However, the 7 natural remedies for baby eczema discussed here will help get your babys skin clear and comfortable quickly.
Do you have an additional tip or natural remedy youve used for your babys eczema? Share your success below!
What Causes Eczema In Babies And Toddlers
The redness, dryness, itching and other symptoms of eczema in babies occur when something in the environment causes the immune system to overreact. There are a wide variety of baby eczema triggers, including dry skin, rough fabrics, soaps, detergents, heat, sweat, infections and allergens such as dust, pollen and pet dander.1
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What Does Baby Eczema Look Like
Eczema doesn’t look the same on every baby. In babies with light skin, it usually shows up as patches of red skin. In darker-skinned babies, the rash might look purplish, brownish, or grayish. Eczema can be harder to see on babies with dark skin.
These patches are almost always dry, itchy, and rough.
Babies can get the condition just about anywhere on their body. Most often, it affects their cheeks and the joints of their arms and legs.
Its easy to confuse baby eczema with cradle cap. But there are some key differences.
Cradle cap is much less itchy and irritated. It generally clears up by age 8 months and usually appears on the scalp, sides of the nose, eyelids and eyebrows, and behind the ears. See a photo of what cradle cap looks like.
Wet Ordry Wrap Therapy
Let emollients sink in deeper and find fastrelief with wet or drywrap therapy. This organic eczema treatment for babies allows skincare to work longer and more efficiently. In fact, many eczema sufferershave found relief after one night!
Although wet wrapping can be hard for some children to adapt to and should never be used as a long-term solution, dry wrap therapy can be mucheasier and less messy and can be used for as long as needed with the right clothing.
Remedywear, clothing for eczema, isdesigned to wear dry and can be combined with your favorite emollient forfurther relief. Remedywear is made from TENCEL with zinc embeddedfibers to soothe itchy, dry skin. Styles available for babies up to adults. Perfect for wearing during the day undereveryday clothing or for wrapping overnight for a great night’s sleep.
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Eczema In Babies With Black And Brown Skin
According to the National Eczema Foundation, eczema affects more African American babies than any other racial background. About 1 in every 5 thats about 20% African American babies has some form of eczema. This compares to 10.7% of Hispanic babies, 12.1% of white babies, and 13% for Asian and Native American, respectively.
Eczema doesnt appear red like it does on white skin. Instead of red patches, eczema may cause gray, darker brown, or even purple patches. These discolored patches may still be dry, warm, swollen, itchy, and/or scaly.
When To Talk To Your Doctor About Baby Eczema
Always talk with your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about your babys skin. Thanks to telemedicine, a video visit or quick photo is often all that’s needed to check for eczema.
Occasionally, infections develop on top of an eczema rash. If you see any yellow-colored crusting and scabbing, oozy skin, blisters or pus bumps, be sure to call your doctor right away. Always call if your baby has a fever. Your baby may need an antibiotic and to be evaluated in person.
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Why Does My Baby Have Dry Skin And Eczema
Have you seen your babys skin lately? It looks kind of dull and dry, with scaly patches here and there. Your baby might have eczema, which is a chronic skin condition that can be very uncomfortable. If your infant has eczema,
it is important to protect them from the sun by using sunscreen with an SPF greater than 30. Many pediatricians also recommend using moisturizers with emollients to help reduce dryness and inflammation of the skin.Do you know what is causing your babys skin to become dry and scaly? Is there anything that you can do to treat it?
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 skins moisture and to keep it soft and tender.
Lukewarm bath: A good warm bath cools the skin and reduces itching. Avoid using 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 inflammation, itching, and dryness but prolonged use of these creams is not recommended. The best is to consult your pediatrician and treat your babys eczema under his guidance only.
Antibiotics: In case of flare-ups, your babys 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 that 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.
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How Is Eczema Treated
There is no cure for eczema. But treatments can help with symptoms. The doctor will recommend different treatments based on how severe the symptoms are, the child’s age, and where the rash is. Some are “topical” and applied to the skin. Others are taken by mouth.
Topical moisturizers. Skin should be moisturized often . The best time to apply moisturizer is after a bath or shower, with the skin patted dry gently. Ointments and creams are best because they contain a lot of oil. Lotions have too much water to be helpful.
Topical corticosteroids, also called cortisone or steroid creams or ointments. These ease skin inflammation. It’s important not to use a topical steroid prescribed for someone else. These creams and ointments vary in strength, and using the wrong strength in sensitive areas can damage the skin, especially in infants.
Other topical anti-inflammatory medicines. These include medicines that change the way the skin’s immune system reacts.
Medicine taken by mouth. These can include antihistamines to help itchy kids sleep better at night, antibiotics if a rash gets infected by bacteria, and corticosteroid pills or other medicines that suppress the immune system.
Other types of treatment can include:
- wet wraps: damp cloths placed on irritated areas of skin
- bleach baths: bathing in very diluted bleach solution
Curing And Treating Baby Eczema
Eczema in babies may be caused by environmental factors, such as low humidity. The use of uncomfortable clothing made from materials like scratchy wool can also irritate your baby, and be a factor in acquiring eczema. Allergic reactions from perfumes, body hygiene products, and even some foods may also cause this skin condition.
1. Keep your babys skin properly moisturized.Use lukewarm water when bathing your baby, which is the ideal temperature for avoiding skin dryness. After bathing, you may apply mild and fragrance-free moisturizers to keep your babys skin soft and supple.
2. Avoid over-cleaning your baby.Excessive bathing, or cleaning of your baby, can have as many damaging effects as not doing enough of it in the first place. The trick is to just wash your babys genitals, hands, and feet with water, and just rinse the rest of the body if your baby is not that dirty anyway.
3. Have your baby wear clothing made out of cotton.Cotton clothing is considered one of the most comfortable kinds of clothing available nowadays. It is thus advisable to choose loose clothes made of cotton for your babies, instead of making them wear tight, itchy, and uncomfortable materials.
4. Feed your baby nutritious and fresh foods.Malnutrition is also one of the factors of eczema. An unhealthy body or immune system is unable to fight eczema bacteria. Thus, you need to feed your baby the right foods he or she needs every day. Avoid giving your baby artificial, and junk, foods.
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Progression Of Eczema In Infants And Children
Baby eczema is most prominent on the cheeks, forehead, and scalp of an infant within the first few months of life, and often tends to make the skin look more red and weepy than at other ages.
The eczema can appear on other parts of the body as well, including the diaper area.
When the infant begins to crawl, usually between 6 and 12 months, eczema will typically affect the elbows and knees, which rub on the ground. The eczema rash can become infected, resulting in a yellowish crust or tiny bumps of pus.
When the child is around age 2, eczema may begin to appear on the inside of the elbows and behind the knees, as well as on the wrists, ankles, and hands. It may also appear around the mouth and eyelids.
This eczema tends to be drier, scalier, and thicker .
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Diluted Bleach In The Bath
If your babyâs eczema regularly flares up, a dilute bleach bathâ a bath where a small, gentle amount of bleach is mixed inâmay help.
A bleach bath helps clean off harmful bacteria that may cause your babyâs eczema to flare up, including the bacteria responsible for staph infections. Research shows that bleach baths may not only clean off this bacteria and reduce infections, but also directly stop eczema flares.
As the American Academy of Dermatology recommends, use ¼ cup of regular strength bleach for a standard tub that will be half full of water, and one teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water for a baby tub.
Measure out the bleach with the measuring spoon or cup, and pour it into the bath as the tub is filling up with water, to make sure the bleach is fully diluted.
Then, bathe your baby for the length of time that your dermatologist recommends. Make sure plenty of bleach water gets on all areas of your babyâs body. Use a washcloth to gently apply the bleach water to babyâs head, neck, hands and feet.
Like with all natural eczema treatments, always ask your dermatologist before starting a dilute bleach bath treatment. For more details on how to give your baby a bleach bath, check out our article on bathing eczema babies.
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Surprising Ways Parents Make Eczema Itchier
Some itch-relieving techniques that people use can make eczema itchier. To prevent this, dermatologists recommend that you avoid:
Telling your child to stop scratching: This rarely works and can leave your child feeling stressed. Stress can cause eczema to flare.
Using anti-itch products: This may seem strange, but anti-itch products often fail to relieve itchy eczema. To make matters worse, some contain ingredients that can cause eczema to flare. Only use an anti-itch product if your childs dermatologist recommends one.
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How Is Eczema Treated In Babies
Baby eczema is treated in largely the same way as adult eczema. The initial treatment for eczema is emollients. These are cleansers and moisturisers that are specifically designed for very dry skin. They create a barrier on the skin, sealing in moisture, reducing inflammation and itchiness, and helping to prevent flare-ups.
What Causes Eczema In Infants And Children
Eczema is brought about by the complex interplay of a genetic predisposition and the childs environment. Many things from the climate to possible allergens can cause eczema to flare. We know that eczema tends to run in the families with a predisposition to other atopic diseases, such as food allergies, asthma and hay fever. Individuals with atopic dermatitis may lack certain proteins in the skin, which leads to greater sensitivity. Parents with eczema are more likely to have children with eczema. However, the exact way it passes from parents to children is still not known. Most children who have eczema will show signs of the condition in the first year of life. It tends to wax and wane in severity.
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How We Made Our Picks For The Best Eczema Creams For Babies
We relied on several different factors to pick the best eczema creams for babies. First, we analyzed a range of products and determined which ones were most effective, particularly seeking out options that were given a seal of accpetance by the National Eczema Association. The What to Expect editorial team also conducted research focusing on popularity, innovation, design, quality, value and ease of use for baby eczema creams. We also sought out input from pediatricians and pediatric dermatologists, and road-tested products at home with our own families. And no roundup would be complete without checking with parents in the What to Expect community to hear their thoughts on the best eczema creams for babies.
Here, the best baby eczema creams to help moisturize your little one’s dry, irritated skin.
See registry advice and a custom baby gear checklist
What Should I Do If My Babys Eczema Gets Worse
If your baby has wet, weepy skin and their eczema is not getting better with steroids, their skin may be infected and they may need antibiotics. If your babys eczema flare does not get better with the standard treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence , your GP should refer them to a dermatology specialist. If they suspect an allergy, they should refer them to an allergist or joint dermatologyallergy clinic.
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Use Apple Cider Vinegar With Baby Wipes
Another tip for apple cider vinegar is for wiping your babys sensitive skin with baby wipes. Take 1 cup or 2 cups of cider vinegar and put it in a baggie with unscented baby wipes. You can put this bag in the refrigerator overnight, and the next day it will soak up all the apple cider vinegar. You can then use the wipes to gently wipe any mess the baby had made or when changing diapers. This can be a convenient alternative to apple cider vinegar baths.
You can also use these wipes to prevent eczema, wiping your infants feet, hands, and between all crevices, between the toes, fingers, neck, or anywhere eczema might pop up.
How Long Does Baby Eczema Last
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, while some babies may continue to experience eczema through adulthood, many will outgrow it around age 4.
Baby eczema may also evolve as your little one gets older. According to the National Eczema Association, it might appear on babys face in early infanthood but pop up in key areas like the knees, elbows and hands as they get older. As they approach big-kid territory, eczema often hides in knee folds or elbow creases and other sweat-prone spots.
Whether eczema is an acute or perpetual problem for your child, its reassuring to know that there are many baby eczema treatments and preventive measures you can take to reduce the symptoms and alleviate the itch.
No one likes to see their baby in discomfortand the appearance of any rash can be disconcerting. But if you recognize eczema, you can rest assured that its common and treatable.
About the experts:
Anna Bender, MD, is a pediatric dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian in New York City. She received her medical degree at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Latanya Benjamin, MD, FAAD, FAAP, is a Florida-based pediatric dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon and Society for Pediatric Dermatology board member. She earned her medical degree at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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