Eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), is a skin rash that often appears in the first years of life. you will notice it on the baby’s forehead, cheeks, and scalp, but could also spread to the arms, legs, chest, or other parts of the body.
This rash could look like dry, thickened, scaly skin, or it can be made up of tiny red bumps that can blister, ooze, or get infected if scratched. Eczema is very itchy, so scratching can be a pain in the neck. So you want to put mittens on the baby’s hands , and always keep their nails short to prevent bleeding from scratching.
If the scratching gets really bad to the point the baby is not sleeping at all, then i would recommend getting hydrocortisone cream , usually an over the counter topical steroid . You can get this from any pharmacy or drug store . If this doesn’t help talk to your Dr they may recommend a stronger steroid cream , normally Triamcilone. The doctor would give you a prescription to take to a pharmacy, you would need to let the doctor know what emollient or cream you use daily . the pharmacy would then mix that steroid in like aquophor or the cream you had told the doctor… This actually does work pretty good. You use it 2x a day ( morning and night). The Steroid Triamcilone comes in different strenghths so it is safe for babies. Your Dr will prescribe accordingly.
You have to be careful though as to how much of the steroid creams , esp the OTC (over the counter ) ones you are using as they can thin out the skin, and make it really red to the point if the baby scratches it would bleed easily. but overall they do help especially at night time for the really severe cases. They soothe the problem areas and curb the itch. I find it better to use what the Dr prescribes as it may be just the right strenghth for your child.
Eczema is not contagious.
No one really knows what causes eczema, but we do know that it is hereditory. If someone in the family has had it or had asthma or allergies then there is a high percentage for the baby to get it. It is not an allergic reaction to something, however it can be triggered with something in the child’s diet or mom’s diet if she is breastfeeding. Dairy, Wheat, soy, eggs can be cuprits. Also sudden changes of temperature – too hot, or too cold, irritants from chemicals in laundry or bathing soaps or lotions, or even wool can cause a flare up.
There isn’t really a cure for eczema . You can only manage it.
one key thing is to really moisturize, moisturize, and again moisturize the skin. People with Eczema tend to lose the natural moisture in the skin too fast. you always want to keep replenishing that as much as possible. When you give the baby a bath, do not leave them in the water for too long, this will dry out their skin. Always moisturize immediately following a bath so you can lock in that moisture. Moisturize with every diaper change. Try at least 3x a day. Avoid soaps and lotions with perfumes.
Julian had really bad eczema, so bad that during flare ups it was triggering his asthma. What worked for us was a combination of CeraVe cream and cleanser. The Cerave skin products do not dry out the skin. They lock in moisture and if you apply the cream, it will continue to work throughout the 24hr period. Julian is 3 years, has outgrown his eczema, but i kept using this products on him. They are truly that good! They are a bit pricey, but they were worth every penny.
During winter we bathed him every other day or some days we would skip even 2 days, and we would apply Cerave first then before bed we would apply a layer of aquophor. During summer with the heat so high Cerave cream alone was sufficient. Remember you do not wat them to bee too hot or too cold, this will cause a flare up of the eczema.
I would recommend only dressing them up in cotton, fabrics that allow the skin to breath. That is why wool makes the condition worse. Even if you don’t have skin issues when you wear wool and get hot , your skin gets itchy…so imagine if you were already itchy to begin with and are dressed up in wool.
The good news is, most kids do outgrow eczema by 2-5 years. Some do take this to adulthood, but again, it can be manageable.
There’s hope..hang in there!
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