Eczema

Roughly 1 in 8 babies will get eczema where there is a family history of allergic conditions i.e. eczema, asthma or hay fever. Babies often start to get eczema from 2 months old. Your baby may scratch the itchy patches and as a result, the eczema may get infected. Saliva from drooling can also cause irritation on your baby’s cheeks, chin and neck.

Most babies eventually grow out of eczema, however if you think your child has eczema you should visit your GP. Do not cut out important foods such as milk, dairy products, wheat or eggs without discussing this with a health professional first.

Eczema usually appears on the cheeks, chin, forehead and scalp. It can spread to other areas of the body.

Please see tips on soothing your child’s eczema below:

• Apply unperfumed moisturiser to sore areas several times a day to help keep skin moist
• Avoid aqueous cream as this causes burning, stinging, itching and redness
• Avoid soap and never use baby bath and bubble baths as these dry and irritate the skin
• Try to keep your child’s bedroom cool – getting hot and sweaty can make eczema worse
• Steroid creams can stop eczema getting worse. Use as directed by your GP or pharmacist
• Some fabrics can irritate the skin. Try and avoid wool and nylon clothing, stick to cotton instead
• Try to identify and avoid things such as soap powder, animals or chemical sprays and cigarette smoke
• If your child likes to play on the floor use a cotton mat over the carpet or remove carpets altogether to avoid contact with house dust mite products

Your home and work environment can help or worsen your eczema. There is no cure for eczema, but treatments can help ease symptoms. Many children will find their symptoms naturally improve as they get older. There are many things that can affect eczema.

The main treatments are:

1. Emollients – used every day to stop the skin becoming dry
2. Topical corticosteroids – creams and ointments are used to reduce swelling and redness during flare-ups

Other treatments may include topical pimecrolimus or tacrolimus for eczema in sensitive sites, which are not responding to simpler treatment. Antihistamines can be used for severe itching and bandages can also be used to allow the body to heal underneath.

There are also things you can do yourself to help ease your symptoms and prevent further problems:

• Try to reduce the damage from scratching such as keeping your nails short and clean to minimise damage
• Avoid triggers – your GP will help you to establish what might trigger the eczema flare-ups. Once you know your triggers, you can try to avoid them
• Dietary changes – some foods can trigger eczema symptoms. You shouldn’t make significant changes to your diet without speaking to your GP first
• Emollients – moisturising treatments applied to the skin to reduce water loss and cover it with a protective film. You can speak to your pharmacist for advice on which emollient to use