Eczema, a skin condition that often develops between the ages of six months and two years, affects between 10 and 15 percent of all children, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics reports. Around 65 percent of children with eczema develop the condition by one year of age, and 85 percent show symptoms by age five, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases adds. Often called atopic dermatitis, eczema causes skin to become first dry, then red and itchy. Scratching can cause weeping and crusting. A number of treatments exist to treat eczema.
Causes
Eczema often runs in families. Children with eczema often have a parent with the condition or with another type of atopic disease, like hay fever or asthma. Around 50 percent of children with eczema eventually develop asthma or hay fever, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Eczema is associated with an autoimmune response that causes inflammation of the skin.
Exposure to known allergens and environmental factors such as harsh soaps, overheating, rough clothing or stress can worsen eczema. Avoiding triggers helps control eczema.
Topical Treatments
Keeping skin moist by applying creams and ointments within three minutes after bathing and applying creams every day, even when eczema is under control, helps decrease outbreaks, Keepkidshealthy.com advises. Lukewarm bath water rather than hot helps reduce eczema. Steroid creams applied immediately after bathing, followed by a lubricant to hold in moisture are typically prescribed to decrease dryness and immune responses that trigger rashes.
Oral Medications
Oral steroids may be prescribed in severe cases but must be carefully monitored by health care personnel, since long-term steroid use can cause skin thinning, bone loss, diabetes, high blood pressure and increased susceptibility to infection, the National Institute of National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases warns.
Antihistamines reduce itching and scratching; antibiotics reduce the chance of developing secondary infection. Pain relievers such as children's acetaminophen and ibuprofen may help with discomfort. Drugs that suppress the immune system may be given for a short time in severe cases.
Alternative Therapies
Ultraviolet light therapy can help children over twelve. Phototherapy should be done only under the careful monitoring of medical personnel to reduce long-term risks of skin cancer, the National Institute of Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases warns. Wet wraps or commercial compresses help relieve discomfort and moisten the skin in severe cases of eczema.
Complications
Medications such as steroids and immunotherapy and treatments such as phototherapy can have long-term negative health effects. Medical instructions for eczema treatments must be followed exactly as prescribed.
