Have you noticed red patches of dry skin on your baby's skin? Your baby may be having a skin disease called eczema. But do not worry, eczema is a common disease that is easily treatable. It usually disappears over time. Read this article to learn more about it.
What does Eczema look like?
Eczema appears as red patches of dry skin. The skin feels rough and itchy. It may also appear on other parts of the baby's body but the most common spots are the cheeks and around the joints of the limbs. There is another disease that looks like eczema called cradle cap where the patches are less red and scaly. It usually appears on the scalp, nose, eyelids, eyebrows and behind the ears.
What causes eczema?
Eczema are common in some families. If you or your husband had eczema as children, it is likely your child will have it too. The reasons sometimes is ascribed to an imbalance of the skin functions, causing an increased loss of moisture allowing the bacteria to get in through the skin. The reason may as well be an imbalance in a type of fat cells that leads to the dehydration of the skin.
Eczema usually disappears by school age. Except for some rare cases where eczema could persist until puberty. It can disappear for a few years then recur but sometimes the skin remains dry.
What could worsen eczema?
This may vary from one child to another but there are common things to avoid:
• Dry skin: This causes itchy skin, especially in low humidity level areas.
• Irritants: Like clothes made of wool or polyester, fragrances, soaps and laundry detergents.
• Stress: When the stress levels are high, this reflects on your baby and the cheeks look more flushed.
• Sweat and high temperatures: Both can worsen the itchiness.
• Allergens: Some scientists believe that avoiding some food could alleviate the eczema symptoms. Cow milk, peanuts, eggs and certain fruits are on the list of food to be avoided.
Some tips to help alleviate the symptoms:
• Choose a good brand of unscented moisturizing cream. Use it after each bath.
• Bathe your baby in lukewarm water for no longer than 10 minutes. Avoid warm to hot water.
• Use unscented baby soap. Regular soaps could irritate your baby's skin.
• Pat dry your baby's skin and avoid rubbing.
• Moisturize your baby's skin while it is still damp.
• Put your baby in loose cotton clothes.
• Wash all of your baby's new clothes before first use.
• Do not dress it in several layers or cover it with several layers of blankets. If the baby feels hot, it will start sweating triggering more eczema.
• Trim your baby's fingernails and file them so it does not scratch its skin. You could put mittens or long stockings on its hands.
• Buy a cream that contains hydrocortisone from the drug store. It helps alleviate the symptoms. Be careful though when you use it. Read the instructions carefully and avoid using it over a long period of time as it may cause skin thinning.
When to contact your doctor?
• If the symptoms do not get better after having used the hydrocortisone cream for a week.
• If yellow or light brown scabs or pus-filled blisters start to form.
• If your baby is around a person with herpes.