Infant Eczema HQ

Baby Eczema Treatment Options And Tips

Baby or infant eczema is a skin condition that usually consists of itchy scaling or thickening skin, and usually affects the face, arms, elbows, and knees. Most infants will only experience eczema during the first two years of life and never have symptoms again. Baby eczema treatment can consist of several options, and should be discussed with your primary care giver. There are some baby eczema treatment options that can be used to help alleviate some of the symptoms.

Baby Eczema treatment tips:

• Prolonged baths can contribute to outbreaks of eczema. Prolonged exposure to water tends to dry out the skin preventing the outer layer of skin from maintaining moisture. The use of soaps, especially ones with additives such as fragrances can irritate the skin, resulting in severe eczema outbreaks. A good baby eczema treatment option is to only use moisturizing soaps and never scrub the affected area with a wash cloth, gently wash and rinse the affected area.

• Avoid clothing made of wool or polyester. Only dress your baby in cotton because it allows the skin to breath, other harsher material can cause sweating and irritation to the skin.

• Avoid heavy clothing or blankets that may cause sweating. If it is humid, only dress the child in a diaper and let the skin breathe. Sweat can cause the skin to become irritated and lead to severe outbreaks of eczema. Some parents find that the use of a humidifier helps prevent the skin from drying out.

• Only use non-biological detergent for baby clothes. Never use any detergent with fragrances or deodorizer; these chemicals will also irritate the skin.

• Studies surrounding baby eczema treatment have shown that dairy products are linked to babies with eczema. This includes eggs, cheese, cow’s milk, ice cream, or other products containing high amounts of dairy. Other foods high in acid should be avoided and foods such as wheat, berries, fish, chocolate, peanuts, peanut butter. Breast feeding should be maintained for the first year of a baby’s life to help build a strong immune system.

• Use a moisturizer twice a day to keep the skin from drying out, and right after bath time while the skin is still wet to help lock in moisture.

• If the baby has severe breakouts of eczema, the use of scratch mitts may be necessary to stop their scratching. Scratching will irritate the rash and cause it to spread.

The medical community is still in debate on what is the actual cause of eczema, but most studies have shown that most outbreaks are triggered by an allergic reaction to certain foods or external exposure to allergens that absorb through the skin. This is the reason for the avoidance of certain foods and the necessity to avoid any skin exposure to fragrances or chemical additives.

Eczema is quite common in infants due to the skin being thin and still developing during the first year of life. Skin care and proper nutrition are essential to the treatment of baby eczema, and to help strengthen the skin and immune system.

Your primary care giver may prescribe a baby eczema treatment in the form of a antibiotic ointment for baby eczema treatment to prevent infection in severe cases. If the skin becomes infected, an oral antibiotic may also be prescribed.

Baby eczema treatment depends heavily on the caregiver at home. Staying on top of baby eczema treatment plans for the baby is always a necessary ingredient for eczema relief.