4. Eczema in Babies & Children
What you will learn in this module
Childhood Eczema and What it Looks Like
Diagnosing Eczema in Children
Managing Eczema in Babies and Children
Childhood Eczema and What it Looks Like
Having a baby or child suffering with eczema can be very challenging for both the little one and the parents however, there are always ways parents can help ease the pain and itching of a young child with eczema. We will cover many solutions in this course.
Before we get into the details, let’s have a look at some fast facts:
A topic dermatitis is the most common chronic inflammatory skin disease in infants and children.
The average age for onset is three months old, though it can occur after this. The majority of children with eczema will develop it before the age of five.
The severity of eczema will change at different stages during childhood and sometimes the redness and itching are very mild, while other times it may get worse.
In many cases, eczema goes into remission and symptoms may disappear for months, years, altogether.
Approximately 30% of infants and children with a topic dermatitis experience food allergies as well. The most common are eggs and cows milk.
For some children, the condition may improve but then reappear at the beginning of puberty. Often the reason for this is to do with the new stresses in their life; hormones, teenage anxiety, harsh skin cleansing products, and toxic cosmetics and toiletries.
What eczema Looks Like in Babes and Children
Eczema looks differently in infants and toddlers than it does in older children. As children grow the location and appearance of eczema changes. So, it is important to be well informed.
Infants (0-6 months)
At this age, eczema will typically appear on the baby face, cheeks, chin, forehead and scalp. Occasionally the chest or even the limbs, though it usually doesn’t appear in the nappy area. The skin frequently looks red, and because it is sensitive, may even start to weep liquid in places.
Young Babies (6-12 months)
As babies start to crawl, eczema often appears on their knees and elbows. These are the easiest areas to scratch or rub when crawling along the carpet. So this means, these are the areas that generally become infected. You can identify this if you see small blisters or tiny swellings filled with puss and if a dry, yellow crust starts to form across the babies rash.
Toddlers (1-3 years)
in toddlers, the eczema generally appears in the elbows and knees, wrists, ankles and hands. Some toddlers start to develop signs of atopic dermatitis around their mouth and occasionally the eyelids. In addition, the rash can become thicker and scallier looking.
Children (3 years +)
As children get older, eczema can start to appear on the hands, feet, behind the ears, and on the scalp. This may also be seborrheic dermatitis, which is another form of eczema.
Common Triggers in Infants and Toddlers
It is very important to understand and avoid the triggers that set off an eczema flare up. For example, specific triggers can include:
Harsh soaps, bubble bath, and perfumes
Washing powder and detergent
Environmental conditions, such as cold and dry air, damp
Being too hot or cold
Certain scratchy fabrics like wool and some synthetics
Animal fur
Common allergens, such as dust mites, pollen and mould
Some foods such as cows milk, eggs, peanuts, soy and wheat
Tobacco smoke
Bacterial skin infections
Sweating
Part 2: Diagnosing Eczema in Children
Diagnosing eczema in children can be a challenge as different children display different symptoms. Cradle cap, for example, is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis, although it can look awful, it generally does not cause any distress. Cradle cap usually clears up within weeks or a few months.
Although, if you feel your child has eczema, the first thing you really should do is check your family history as to whether there are any past cases of allergies or asthma. We already learn in this course that there is a genetic link.
Diagnosing Food Allergy and + Eczema Flare Ups
If you suspect your child’s eczema is triggered by certain foods, the tip here is to do a simple elimination test to see if any foods are triggering a flare-up.
Steps to take:
Remove the suspected food from your little ones diet for at least two weeks, the eczema should than greatly improve.
When the eczema flare-up has reduced, re-introduce the food again.
If the suspected food is triggering flare-ups, you’ll quickly notice the infected Skin becoming itchy and read again. Most occasions the flare-ups occur within 2 to 3 hours of eating the food. If the eczema does not flare-up, your child isn’t allergic to that food.
While it may be distressing to see eczema returning to your child’s skin, you will now be better informed how to help your child in the future. You should avoid giving this food to your little one.
Depending on what the food is, you may need to chat with your health provider about substituting the nutrients from the food with other food sources or high quality child supplements. We will discuss some great options in this course.
Part 3: Managing Eczema in Babies and Children at Home
Depending on how severe the eczema is, a medical professional may prescribe a steroid cream, emollients, or antihistamines. It is important you know exactly how to take care for your child’s eczema at home for when a flareup occurs.
The following home tactics may help:
Always avoid dressing your baby or child to warmly. Sweating can be a trigger for eczema, and can also cause a heat rash, which will only add to your child’s itching and uncomfortableness. Dress in light, loose clothing stop
If heat is a trigger, keep a fan in the bedroom, this will keep the temperature cool, always ensure they are shaded from the sun.
Keep your Childs nails trimmed and clean and use mittens to prevent them from scratching and tearing their skin.
Apply a gentle natural moisturiser frequently to the affected areas. We will discuss some great alternatives in the next module.
Give your baby a lukewarm bath to help moisturise the skin. It’s very important not to keep them in the bath for more than 10 minutes, and always pat dry. Do not bathe them more than once a day, and if possible, every second day. Bathing can have a drying affect on sensitive skin.
Use fragrance free and alcohol free baby wipes. I will give you some recipes to make your own. Most wet wipes contain chemicals which irritate the skin. Look for those that contain soothing ingredients, such as aloe vera or make some natural baby wipes with essential oils.
Soaps and shampoos a a major contributor to trigger your child’s eczema, look for skin friendly products made with natural products. dōterra has a fabulous range of toxin free products which we will highlight in the next few modules on this course.
Relieve Itchy Flareups
While the above list are important ways of reducing the possibilities of flareups at home, when they do occur it can be really distressing time for both you and your child. You may feel overwhelmed and may not know what to do beyond allowing them to scratch to relieve the immediate discomfort. Try to stop your child from scratching as much as possible since scratching can make the skin feel even more itchy. Scratching can also lead to open sores which can lead to skin infections. Keep your child's nails cut short. Wearing cotton gloves at night can also help.
Gentle natural skincare is the first step in making the skin feel less itchy. In the next module we will go into the details of ditching toxic products for more clean ones.
Wet wrap treatments. Apply wet wraps after bathing and applying topical moisturizers.
Here's how:
Apply prescribed medicine to areas of rash and apply moisturizer to surrounding skin.
Soak a pair of pajamas or onesies in warm water.
Wring out the pajamas until they are damp and not dripping.
Put the damp pajamas on your child, with dry pajamas on top.
Make sure the room is warm or provide a warm blanket, so your child doesn't feel cold.
Keep the wet wraps on for at least a half an hour, or leave them on overnight.
After removing the wet wraps, reapply moisturizer.
Antihistamine medicines like diphenhydramine and hydroxyzine may help your child feel drowsy so they fall asleep more easily instead of scratching their skin. However it’s important to know that Antihistamines do not take away the itch, they are a bandaid and not the solution.
Pinch or Pat Skin
Strange as this may sound, a gentle pinch or pat around the affected areas can reduce the itching. The important thing is to be mindful not to pinch the skin with eczema. As your child grows, you can teach them to do the same things themselves as a means of helping them move through the need to scratch and possibly then infect the skin.