According to KidsHealth, the skin irritation and rashes that characterize eczema affect 1 in 10 children, making it difficult to sleep and increasing the risk of infection. Although daily skin care and moisturizing help prevent flare-ups, children and teens with eczema may also require a variety of treatments prescribed by a health care provider. Before using any alternative treatments, check with your child's doctor or dermatologist to ensure the methods won't worsen your child's skin symptoms.
Medications
Child eczema treatments often involve the application of topical corticosteroids. Doctors prescribe these creams for use in children as young as 6 months, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Corticosteroid creams work by soothing the skin inflammation and irritation of eczema. In conjunction with these creams, doctors may recommend children take antihistamines to relieve inflammation or antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection associated with eczema. Children with eczema may also take calcineurin inhibitors such as pimecrolimus and tacrolimus, which block the immune system from releasing chemicals that trigger skin inflammation and redness.
Barrier Repair Moisturizers
Barrier repair moisturizers, available both over the counter and in stronger prescription varieties, soothe a child's eczema itching and burning while helping to prevent water loss. Unlike regular moisturizers, these creams--applied up to three times daily--repair skin cells and reduce skin dryness, thickening and scaling. Over-the-counter barrier repair moisturizers typically contain an ingredient called ceramide that helps protect the skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, barrier repair moisturizers can significantly improve a child's eczema when paired with an eczema treatment plan, but the cost of these creams often proves prohibitive at between $60 and $300.
Bleach Baths
Taking twice-weekly baths with a small amount of bleach in the water reduces skin lesions associated with eczema and reduces the overall severity of this skin condition, according to the AAD. Doctors have long recommended bleach baths as an eczema home remedy; peer-reviewed studies now suggest that this therapy helps control eczema and reduce the risk of skin infections. Once getting the go-ahead from their child's dermatologist, you should add only small amounts of bleach to the bath water--about 4 ounces of bleach for every 40 gallons of water.
Wet Wrap Therapy
Wet wrap therapy for eczema involves applying moist bandages to a child's skin to reduce skin cracking and redness. After a child soaks in a warm bath and a parent applies moisturizer or medication, parents wrap moistened bandages around the area with eczema. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, wet wraps improve the skin's irritation and moisture retention, making it easier for children with eczema to sleep and decreasing itching by about 74 percent.
References
- KidsHealth: Eczema
- American Academy of Dermatology: Safe and Effective Eczema Medications for Children
- American Academy of Dermatology: Barrier Repair Moisturizers
- American Academy of Dermatology: Bleach Baths May Help Control Atopic Dermatitis
- American Academy of Dermatology: Wet Wraps Can Relieve Severe Eczema
