Natural Eczema Remedies For Your Kids
Eczema is one of the most common reasons parents bring their children to see me at CentreSpringMD. Its actually a topic that is near and dear to my heart because both of my kids had eczema.
My sons eczema was easily manageable with good moisturizing, but my daughters was pretty severe. The conventional recommendations from her pediatrician and my colleagues were to use topical steroids on her, but I just couldnt fathom following that advice . Her eczema involved practically her entire body, and I knew steroids were not a solution that could treat the root cause. Navigating how to manage something so simple as my babys eczema helped steer me towards Integrative Medicine and a more holistic approach to pediatric care in general. Im happy to say that my baby is now 5 years old and is happily no longer dealing with the itchies, as we used to call her eczema.
Here are five natural remedies for your childs eczema.
If after 2-3 weeks of avoiding gluten and dairy there is absolutely no improvement, you can try avoiding other commonly allergenic foods like eggs and peanuts/tree nuts. If none of those eliminations work, then getting tested for IgE allergies as well as IgG sensitivities might be next steps. We offer both kinds of tests at CentreSpringMD and often use them to guide dietary changes for children with eczema.
- 1 part coconut oil
- 1 part avocado oil
- 1-2 parts shea butter .
How To Treat Baby Eczema & Natural Remedies
Youll find plenty of lotions designed to relieve the itching and redness of eczema, but unfortunately many conventional products designed to treat baby eczema are loaded with harmful ingredients like EDTA, PEG, and petroleum products.Yikes!Not exactly what you want to rub on babys sensitive skin!
Heres how to naturally provide relief for your baby.
Natural Eczema Remedies For Babies
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Eczema can be the one of the worst things to have to watch your baby go through when youre a parent. These natural eczema remedies for babies will your help your child feel more comfortable.
Could that red patchy area of skin be eczema? Thats a question that often crossed my mind when either of my kids had patches of really dry skin, especially in the wintertime.
Eczema can be the one of the worst things to have to watch your baby go through when youre a parent. Its uncomfortable, itchy, and the treatments for it can sound really harsh ? or only be somewhat effective.
While I, personally, have never had eczema, I have seen family members struggle with it for years, and many of you have reached out looking for natural remedies for eczema as well.
Eczema is a tricky issue because it can be caused by so many things, but here are five natural eczema remedies for babies that can be helpful and will work for your little one!
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Natural Remedies For Baby Eczema
Posted by allnaturalmothering
Baby eczema, medically known as atopic dermatitis, is a common skin condition that effects an estimated 10% of all children. If your baby is one of them, then you know how uncomfortable this dry, scaly, often itchy skin rash can be for little ones.
Luckily, theres a lot you can do to help your babys eczema flare-ups and relieve their discomfort!
Today, Im going to share some of the top natural remedies for baby eczema that you can try right away. These include: probiotics, cod liver oil, vitamin D, homeopathic remedies, coconut oil, shea butter, and oatmeal baths. Read on to learn more!
Complementary And Alternative Treatments
There are several natural treatments that have been shown to be effective controlling eczema symptoms. Many of these studies looked the effects on adults, so be sure to consult with your childs doctor prior to starting any natural treatments for eczema.
- National Eczema Association | 505 San Marin Drive, #B300 | Novato, CA 94945
- 415-499-3474 or 800-818-7546
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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Eczema
The signs of eczema :
- are mainly dry, itchy skin. Because it is so itchy, it is often called “the itch that rashes.”
- include redness, scales, and bumps that can leak fluid and then crust over
- tend to come and go. When they get worse, it is called a flare-up.
- may be more noticeable at night
Symptoms can vary:
- Infants younger than 1 year old usually have the eczema rash on their cheeks, forehead, or scalp. It may spread to the knees, elbows, and trunk .
- Older kids and teens usually get the rash in the bends of the elbows, behind the knees, on the neck, or on the inner wrists and ankles. Their skin is often scalier and drier than when the eczema first began. It also can be thicker, darker, or scarred from all the scratching .
What Else Is Happening At Johns Hopkins Today
We go out of our way to provide the comprehensive care our patients with eczema need. On a case-by-case basis, we communicate with one another whether in allergy, dermatology, psychology or infectious disease to put together the best course of treatment for each child.We are optimistic that future therapies and approaches to care for those with even severe eczema are going to be greatly improved with more research and that the creation of the Eczema Day Treatment Unit will help us conduct cutting edge research and answer questions we face every day seeing and treating patients.
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What Foods Trigger Eczema Flare
Just like some foods can help improve eczema, some foodsinflammatory foodscan make eczema worse.
Cows milk is one of the most common triggers of baby eczema. Other common triggers include: eggs, soy, gluten, nuts, fish, and shellfish.
Other inflammatory foods include:
- Refined sugar: Though hopefully youre not feeding baby processed sugar anyway!
- White bread and other products made from refined, processed flours: These are sneaky ingredients in toddler snacks, such as cereal bars, crackers, and breakfast tarts.
If you arent sure what food is causing your babys distress, try an elimination diet and keep a food diary. You may be surprised just how many foods can cause flare-ups!
If you are having a hard time pinpointing the triggers, consider getting food sensitivity testing done.
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
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What Causes Eczema To Wax To Flare
Different “triggers” can make eczema worse. For infants, these can be irritants such as wool, certain detergents or extreme temperatures, or other immune triggers, such as food allergies and asthma, and even pet dander.
Most kids with the condition have the hardest time in winter, when the air is cold and dry. A small percentage has a harder time in the summer, when it is hot and humid.
When To Call A Doctor
Make the call if your babys eczema doesnt begin to get better within a week of starting over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams. It may be time for a prescription medicine.
Also check with your doctor if yellow or light brown crust or pus-filled blisters appear on top of the eczema. This could be the sign of a bacterial infection that needs antibiotics.
You should call your doctor if your baby is around anyone who has cold sores or genital herpes. Eczema can make your little one more likely to pick up those germs.
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Where On The Body Can Eczema Appear
Eczema can appear in any area where your child has come into contact with one of their triggers.
For example, if they have a grass allergy and rolled around in the backyard, they might have rashes anywhere there was exposed skin.
A child could get eczema around the outside of their mouth after eating acidic foods, like pineapple, or in the folds of their skin if they were sweating.
If your child had eczema as a baby, you might think youre a pro at identifying it. However, the symptoms of eczema in toddlers are actually different from the symptoms in babies. As kids get older, the location of their rashes can change.
Babies are prone to rashes on their faces and heads remember cradle cap? Thats a kind of eczema! Toddlers and older kids are more likely to get eczema in the following areas:
- creases of their elbows
How To Cure Baby Eczema & What Is The Best Treatment
The treatment of baby eczema shares specificity with that for allergies yet, there is not just a single all-valid remedy, and doctors usually prescribe more complex combined treatments.
Some of the basics home remedies for baby eczema include moisturizing, careful bath times, avoiding detergents, using cotton clothes, being careful about the babies diets, and keeping pets away. Besides, make sure your babys environment is dust-free, and always cut the babys nails short to reduce scratching.
Fortunately, There Are Several Remedies And Treatments For This Skin Disease.
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What Are The Different Types Of Eczema
Contact Dermatitis: This is a red itchy rash that is caused by coming in contact with an allergen.
Atopic Dermatitis: This causes red, dry, itchy skin. In babies this most commonly occurs on the face, scalp, and skin creases.
Dyshidrosis: This is a condition that causes blisters to develop on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. The blisters are filled with fluid and are most commonly caused by seasonal allergies.
Cradle Cap or Seborrheic Dermatitis: Cradle cap causes crusty patches on an infants scalp. It is not painful or itchy, and usually resolves itself in a few weeks or months.
Natural Ingredients In Eczema Moisturizers
These natural ingredients commonly show up in moisturizers for baby eczema, including moisturizers approved by the National Eczema Association. However, not all of them are clinically proven to treat baby eczema.
Calendula: Calendula comes from the marigold flower, and may help reduce inflammation when applied as part of a baby eczema moisturizer. It has been used for many years to treat various skin conditions, including baby eczema. Studies haven’t yet proven it effective, though.
Aloe Vera: Aloe vera has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that help fight skin infections. It may also help to soothe dry skin. So, it has been used in moisturizers to help treat baby eczema. Although its antibacterial properties are proven, more research is still needed on aloe’s effectiveness on baby eczema.
Vitamin B12:One randomized controlled study has shown that topical vitamin B12 improves eczema symptoms in children.
Another key piece of baby eczema care is to identify and remove your baby’s eczema triggers. Read this article for more on the triggers that may cause your baby’s eczema to flare, and check out this article for more on caring for your baby’s eczema.
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your babys health.
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How Is Eczema Diagnosed
There is no specific test used to diagnose eczema. The doctor will look at the rash and ask about symptoms, the child’s past health, and the family’s health. If family members have any atopic conditions, that’s an important clue.
The doctor will rule out other conditions that can cause skin inflammation, and might recommend that your child see a dermatologist or an allergist.
The doctor may ask you to ban some foods from your child’s diet, switch detergents or soaps, or make other changes for a time to see if your child is reacting to something.
What Caused My Babys Eczema
There is no single cause of atopic eczema. Eczema is a complex condition it is genetic but also involves an overactive immune response to environmental factors, which cause eczema flares. Because the atopic gene is hereditary, it runs in families, and is responsible for three conditions: eczema, asthma and hay fever.
Fifty per cent of people with eczema have an additional genetic element a difference in a skin protein called filaggrin which leads to further problems in the skin barrier. All atopic conditions can be linked to allergies in some people, but there are also many universal irritants, such as soap and heat.
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Where Do Symptoms Of Eczema First Appear
Eczema most commonly appears on the face, neck, behind the knees, between the elbows, wrists, ankles, and fingers.
Depending on the age of your child, the appearance of eczema can occur in different places of the body. For example, infants have eczema on their face and scalp. As the baby gets older they may experience breakouts on their trunk, arms, legs, and neck.
What Is Baby Eczema
Eczemaa condition that causes the skin to become red, itchy, and inflamedis one of the most common skin problems in babies.
There are several types of eczema, but the most common in babies is atopic dermatitis. This type of baby eczema causes dry, scaly, and itchy patches on babys skin that often appear on the scalp, forehead, and face.
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What Laundry Detergent Should You Use If Your Child Has Eczema
Make sure that all the laundry is washed in a fragrance-free detergent. It wont help to follow any of the tips above if perfumed or chemically-laden softeners are used in the laundry process. Instead of softener rather use two tablespoons of white vinegar in the wash. It can be added in at the same place as you would add the softener. It doesnt smell, keeps whites perfect and softens clothes.
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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Does Eczema In Babies Go Away
There is good news: Most children outgrow their eczema.
According to the experts at the University of Iowa Stead Family Childrens Hospital, many children see a big improvement in baby eczema by the age of three. About 66 percent of children with childhood or baby eczema outgrow it and only suffer from occasional dry skin during their teen years.
If your babys eczema does not let up, try keeping a journal to identify the triggers, then work to avoid those triggers. In the meantime, you can ease symptoms by treating baby eczema naturally.
Treatments For Atopic Dermatitis And Eczema In Children
At Boston Children’s Hospital, we are uniquely qualified to determine the best course of care for children with skin problems. We’re known for our science-driven approach we’re home to the most extensive research enterprise located in a pediatric hospital in the world, and we’ve partnered with a number of top biotech and health care organizations but our physicians never forget that your child is a child, and not just another patient.
Although there is no cure for atopic dermatitis, treatment can decrease your child’s skin dryness and irritation, making her more comfortable. In severe cases, your child’s physician may prescribe your child medications to help alleviate her atopic dermatitis symptoms. Common medications include:
- steroid creams and ointments
- topical medications to help decrease skin inflammation
- examples are hydrocortisone, mometasone or triamcinolone
What can I do at home?
What is the treatment plan if a food allergy is triggering the atopic dermatitis?
How long will treatment take?
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