Treatment for Baby Eczema

The rise in baby eczema has become more and more widespread in recent times and can cause a lot of distress, especially for a new parent. Nothing could be worse than to see your lovely baby covered with red, dry, or scaly skin which he or she can’t stop scratching. When you have eczema one of the hardest things to do is to stop scratching, and as hard as you try sometimes, you just have to have a hard scratch.

Trying to stop your baby from scratching his eczema can be a real problem. The major concern is that the constant scratching may lead to the condition getting worse and an infection developing. Not only that, in more severe cases, baby eczema can be so itchy and irritating that it may even disrupt baby’s sleep which is not only distressing for your baby, but also for you as a parent.

The good news is that baby eczema is easy to treat and there are several steps you can take to help. Here are some tips that may go some way to reducing itching, improving the condition of your baby’s skin and indeed avoiding further flare-ups.

• Keep skin moist by applying a generous amount of moisturizer several times a day, especially after a bath. This helps to prevent the skin from becoming dry and itchy.

• Avoid using soaps, shampoos or other skin products that contain perfumes since they may irritate the skin. Look for products that are fragrance-free or hypoallergenic.

• Use a non-biological liquid laundry cleaner because these do not contain bleaches and enzymes which can cause irritation to the skin.

• Make sure your baby wears clothing that allows the skin to breathe. Ideally the clothing should be 100% cotton.

• Using cotton bedding will stop your baby from overheating. Overheating can aggravate eczema. Make sure that you wash the bedding regularly in hot water (55 degrees C or more) since this stops dust mites (a common trigger factor).

• Keep your baby’s nursery as dust free as possible by keeping furniture and soft toys to a minimum. Vacuum the carpet as often as possible, or even better get rid of the carpet and have wooden floors. Wash down furniture with a damp cloth rather than a dry one and avoid using any harmful cleaners.

• Keep your home as well ventilated as possible.

• Keep furry pets away from your baby as pet hair and dander are common irritants.

• Do not smoke near your baby as tobacco smoke has been found to increase the risk of eczema

• Breastfeeding your baby until they are at least four months old is one of the best ways to prevent eczema.

• Allergies to particular foods have been found to trigger eczema. The most common culprits are dairy products, wheat, seafood, soy products and nuts. If you are in the process of weaning your baby, try to introduce one food at a time so that you can notice if there are any reactions. Seek the advice your pediatrician if you find that your baby is allergic to any particular food.

• You can discourage scratching by making sure that your keep your baby’s nails short and by putting them in an all-in-one sleep-suit with attached mittens.

It can be very distressing to see your baby suffer with eczema, but the good news is that most babies grow out of it by the time they are two or three. Baby eczema is easy to treat, but takes a lot of hard work and patience on the part of the parent. By following some of these tips you will hopefully avoid baby eczema and have a happy and healthy child.

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