About 10 percent of all children, including infants, suffer from eczema, an inflammatory skin condition that causes itchy, red, scaly, painful rashes.
If left untreated, all that scratching can also lead to infection. The best thing you can do for your child: focus on taking steps to prevent itching in the first place. Here are some tips I share with my patients.
1)Talk to your pediatrician about using a bleach bath.
You may have noticed that your child’s eczema gets better in the summer. That may be because chlorine helps kill bacteria that sometimes accompany eczema, which may make flare-ups less severe. To duplicate that effect at home, put your child in a tub filled with warm water and half a cup of bleach once or twice a week. This can be super effective at stopping rashes from spreading.
2) Break out the petroleum jelly.
It can work wonders on dry, cracked skin, especially if you apply to affected areas right after your child has had a bath, and while the skin is still damp. The jelly penetrates the skin and keeps it moist.
3) Moisturize constantly.
In addition to petroleum jelly, you should apply a fragrance-free moisturizer all over skin, at a minimum twice per day—especially after baths, showers, or swimming.
4)Use humidifiers in your home.
When the weather is dry and/or cold, crank up the humidifier to retain moisture in the air and keep your child’s skin from drying out.
5) Stick to fragrance-free
Just stick to fragrance free clothing detergent, dryer sheets, soap, shampoo, and moisturizers. Perfumed products can irritate your child’s sensitive skin.
6) Test for allergens.
Asthma and allergies often go hand-in-hand with eczema, so find out if your child has either.
7) Consider topical steroids.
If your child’s eczema is severe or he or she has a particularly bad flare up, topical steroids, when used properly for short periods, are a safe way to ease both inflammation and itching.
8) Don’t ignore your child’s eczema.
Just don’t ignore your child’s eczema and think it will go away on its own. With all the good treatment options, there’s no need for your kid to be miserable.
