Infant or baby eczema is a condition that scares many parents. This dermatological problem affects the skin on the neck, the face, the upper chest and the scalp during the first months of life. Later on it may occur on the forearms and shins. There are a number of facts regarding baby eczema that parents should be aware of. Parents should notice if there occur tiny blisters which may open and leak some fluid or if the baby’s skin is very dry overall. If the baby’s condition is really serious, it may involve the whole skin.

Generally speaking such manifestations do not involve the area around the mouth, the nose or the diaper areas that are usually free of eczema. Do not mistake the skin thickening on shins and forearms specific to the toddler age for baby eczema, this tiny issue appears because of the crawling.

What Is Baby Eczema?

The symptoms common to eczema, dermatitis and to baby eczema implicitly include skin scaling, inflammation and reddening of the dermis and even cracking. Even if eczema can occur almost anywhere on the body, the scalp, the chest, the forehead and the joints are the predisposed areas for the development of baby eczema. In very severe cases, baby eczema can become extremely itchy and irritating for the baby and it can even disturb their sleep. Very many babies suffer from atopic eczema but this usually occurs because of a genetic predisposition. This condition tends to occur and develop somewhere around the age of two or three months. Atopic eczema represents an oversensitivity of the immune system that involves reactions to the allergic reactions to the environment in conditions normal for other people. Whether babies develop eczema because other members of the family suffer from atopic conditions such as asthma, hay fever or eczema it is still not very clear and certain. Another possibility for babies to develop baby eczema may be prolonged exposure to a specific allergen.

Treating Baby Eczema

Regarding the treatment of baby eczema it must be pointed out that there is no specific catch-all treatment, unluckily, since it is an allergic condition. Fortunately several treatments and remedies have been developed and so far they’ve been really good at alleviating eczema symptoms. These remedies for baby eczema include moisturizing, careful bath times, avoiding detergents, using cotton clothes, being careful about the babies’ diets, and keeping pets away. Besides, parents should make sure they keep the baby’s environments dust free, and always cut the baby’s nails short to reduce scratching.

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Infant Eczema is a very irritating condition that causes dry skin, scales, red splotches, itching, and crying. For parents the experience of Infant Eczema is almost as traumatic for them as for their infant. The condition seems to appear overnight and can last for what seems an eternity. In the US about 10% – 20% of infants get some form of this condition yearly.

Cradle Cap is the most common form of Eczema. However, it usually occurs in a very mild case and does not cause the sores and itching that Atopic Eczema causes. In most cases Cradle Cap will go away after a few weeks of regular shampooing and moisturizing the head. In some cases the doctor will prescribe medication to relieve redness.

Infant Eczema can occur for many reasons. It seems to occur most often in families where one or both parents have some type of allergy. This Eczema is called Atopic Eczema and occurs on the body of the baby.

Atopic Eczema in infants usually appears on the forehead, cheeks, arms, legs, scalp, and neck. In some cases it may show up on other parts of the body. The eczema may appear as red splotches, then scaly red splotches, and as it gets worse it may cause the skin to crack and bleed. 

Eczema causes the skin to dry and itch. Sometimes the itching will be so bad that an infant will cry and scratch at the spots. It reduces the skins ability to protect the body from losing fluid. It also reduces protection from heat and cold. The wounds that are caused by the Eczema and scratching create more opportunity for bacterial infections.

Most of the medications that are available to relieve the itching will also make the skin dry out so they are not really helpful. Most babies grow out of Eczema by the time they are two years old. In the meantime, there are some things that a parent can do to make it better. 

In studies it was found that forty percent of Eczema in infants was the result of allergens. Reducing itching and applying moisturizer to the skin will help to strengthen a babies skin. It is important that the moisturizer be free of perfume or alcohol.

Washing clothes, then rewashing in plain water will remove the detergent from baby’s clothing. This will help if it is an allergy to the detergent that is being used.

Changing clothing to soft, natural fibers will help tremendously. The clothing needs to be loose fitting and very soft.

Switching dairy products, for soy milk and egg substitutes in the diet of mom if breast feeding will reduce the possibility of allergens being passed through the milk.

Anytime that a new fabric, soap, or food in introduced be very watchful of any changes in the Eczema. This is especially true when the Eczema has cleared up. One can narrow down what the allergy trigger is by reintroducing items one at a time watching for a reaction after each introduction.

Getting advice from the pediatrician will be very helpful in relieving any itching or addressing issues that are not being triggered by allergies. In many cases the pediatrician will take further tests when parents have removed all allergens from an environment.

Finding a cure for eczema can prove to be a challenge. However, new research has shown that an all natural cure commonly referred to as Beat Eczema has proven very successful in eliminating eczema. To get more information, go to Infant Eczema.