My baby has scaly red patches on his skin that seem to be very itchy. What is this ugly rash?
It sounds like eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), a skin rash that often appears in the first year of life. Eczema usually shows up on a baby's forehead, cheeks, and scalp, but it can spread to the arms, legs, chest, or other parts of the body.
Your baby'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.
What causes eczema?
No one knows for sure, but we do know that the tendency to have eczema is often inherited. So your baby 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 baby's environment or diet — or in your diet if you're breastfeeding. The rash can also be aggravated by heat, irritants that come in contact with your baby's skin (like wool or the chemicals in some soaps, lotions, and detergents), changes in temperature, and dry skin.
How common is eczema?
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, although many babies with the condition improve by the age of 2.
What can I do to treat my baby's eczema?
Taking good care of your baby's skin is crucial. Here are some tips:
• Try to keep your baby'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 babies 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 baby at the end of his bath so he isn't sitting in soapy water. As soon as you get your baby 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 baby'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 baby's clothes and bedding.
• Rapid changes in temperature can make eczema worse, so try not to let your baby 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 baby 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 in his crib, and keep his nails short. Put him to bed with cotton mittens or socks on his hands, if he'll tolerate them.
If your baby has a lot of trouble sleeping because of the itching, talk with his doctor. She may suggest an appropriate dose of antihistamine that will cut down on the itchy feeling and make your baby more drowsy, too.
• During a flare-up, you can try applying cool compresses to the area several times a day, followed by a moisturizer.
Could my baby's eczema be caused by a certain food?
Eczma 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 baby'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 them from your baby's diet, if he's started on solids, and from your own diet if you're breastfeeding. (Note that your baby shouldn't drink cow's milk until his first birthday, but if he's prone to eczema you might want to delay giving him milk and other potential allergens for even longer.)
Eliminate suspect foods 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 breast milk and your child's system. If you're using formula, your doctor may suggest that you try switching to a soy-based variety. This isn't always the solution — some children who are allergic to milk are allergic to soy as well — but it's worth a try.
Researchers continue to study the links between food and eczema. German researchers recently found a correlation between a maternal diet high in margarine, vegetable oils, and citrus fruit during the last four weeks of pregnancy and eczema in children by 2 years of age.
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.
Does breastfeeding help?
Studies show that breastfeeding from the get-go does help prevent eczema in babies who are prone to getting it because their parents have it. Whether it helps a baby who already has eczema is controversial, but experts agree that it doesn't hurt.
What should I do if the rash doesn't get better?
Talk with your baby's doctor or a pediatric dermatologist. If the rash doesn't get better after following 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 baby 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 baby develops a fever or other signs that he may have an infection (the area is warm to the touch or oozing, for example).
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 baby's eczema under control.
source from http://www.babycenter.com
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