My preschooler has scaly, itchy red patches on his skin. What is this ugly rash?
It sounds like eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), a skin rash that tends to appear in a child's first five years. At this age, eczema is most likely to show up on the arms, legs, and trunk, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Your child's rash might look like dry, thickened, scaly skin, or it might be made up of tiny red bumps that can blister, ooze, or become infected if scratched.
Eczema isn't contagious, but because it's intensely itchy, scratching can be a problem. And the rash can be unsightly, so it may present a social challenge for your child as well, especially as he gets a little older.
What causes eczema?
No one knows for sure, but we do know that the tendency to have eczema is often inherited. So your child is more likely to have it if you or a close family member has had eczema, asthma, or allergies.
Eczema is not an allergic reaction to a substance, but it can be provoked by allergens in your child's diet or environment. The rash can also be aggravated by heat, irritants that come in contact with your child's skin (like wool or the chemicals in some soaps, lotions, and detergents), changes in temperature, and dry skin.
How common is eczema in children?
About 20 percent of infants and young children have eczema. It usually starts in infancy, with 65 percent of patients developing symptoms in the first year of life and 90 percent developing symptoms before age 5. In about 60 percent of cases, the condition persists into adulthood.
What can I do to treat my child's eczema?
Taking good care of your preschooler's skin is crucial. Here are some tips:
• Try to keep your child's skin from becoming too dry. Talk with his doctor about how often to bathe him. Many experts now believe that daily bathing can be helpful for children with eczema. Just don't make the water too warm, because very warm water dries out the skin faster than lukewarm water.
Use mild soaps, and wash and shampoo your child at the end of his bath so he isn't sitting in soapy water. As soon as you get your child out of the tub, pat his skin dry (don't rub), and then apply plenty of moisturizing ointment, cream, or lotion within the first few minutes.
• Allow your child's skin to breathe (and not become overheated) by dressing him in smooth natural fabrics, like cotton. Avoid wool and other scratchy materials, which can irritate his very sensitive skin.
• Switch to mild, fragrance-free soaps and shampoos, or those made for sensitive skin. Use mild, fragrance-free detergent for washing your preschooler's clothes and bedding.
• Rapid changes in temperature can make eczema worse, so try not to let your child get too hot and then cool quickly, or vice versa.
• Pollen, dust mites, and animal dander can also trigger or worsen eczema. You may want to consult an allergist, who can provide tips on how to reduce allergens in your home. These may include more efficient ways of vacuuming and dusting, using air filters, and possibly getting rid of carpets and upholstered furniture.
• Help your child avoid scratching. He may try to get relief by scratching with his hands or by rubbing his face against his sheet when he sleeps. But scratching and rubbing can further irritate or inflame his skin and make matters much worse.
Use the softest sheets possible on his bed, and keep his nails short. Put him to bed with cotton mittens or socks on his hands, if he'll tolerate them.
If your child has a lot of trouble sleeping because of the itching, talk with his doctor. She may suggest an antihistamine that will cut down on the itchy feeling and make your child more drowsy, too.
• During a flare-up, you can try applying cool compresses to the affected area, followed by a moisturizer.
Could my child's eczema be caused by a certain food?
Eczema is not a specific allergy, but in some children, certain allergenic foods can trigger eczema or make it worse.
If you or your doctor suspects that your child's eczema is affected by certain foods, the mostly likely culprits are cow's milk and eggs, followed by soy, wheat, peanuts, and fish. You may want to try eliminating suspect foods from your child's diet one at a time, giving each test a couple of weeks because it can take that long to get all traces of the food out of your child's system.
Keep in mind that while food may be a trigger in as many as 30 percent of children with eczema, it's the main trigger in only about 10 percent of eczema cases. You'll still want to be conscientious about skin care and other factors.
What should I do if the rash doesn't get better?
Talk with your child's doctor or a pediatric dermatologist. If the rash doesn't get better with the suggestions above, your doctor might suggest trying mild topical steroids, which can be bought over the counter. A steroid cream or ointment sometimes works wonders to help break a stubborn cycle of eczema.
A short course of oral steroid medication can help get eczema enough under control that the other methods you try will work more effectively. Researchers are developing new drugs to help eczema sufferers, like topical immunomodulators, so if your child continues to struggle with the condition, ask his doctor to keep you up-to-date on remedies.
Be sure to give the doctor a call if your child develops a fever or other signs that he may have an infection (the area is warm to the touch or oozing, for example).
You may also want to talk with your child's preschool providers and other caregivers about his eczema. Explain that the rash is not contagious, but that it may prompt teasing of your child.
Encourage your child to talk about his feelings related to his eczema, and be a good listener. Role-play how he might explain his condition to his buddies. If you think he needs more help, talk with his doctor about counseling.
Will my child always have eczema?
Maybe. Many kids outgrow eczema, but there's no way to know ahead of time.
The good news is that the condition usually becomes less severe with age. And there are ways to manage it. By following the measures mentioned above and treating any flare-ups immediately, you can help keep your child's eczema under control.
source from http://parentcenter.babycenter.com
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