Eczema is a common condition that affects approximately 10 to 20 percent of infants and children, according to the National Institutes of Health. It usually starts between 2- and 6-months of age but can last well into the teenage years. It's an unpleasant disease for both children and parents to deal with, but research is helping to provide treatments and new insights.
Definition
The word "eczema" can mean a family of skin conditions that causes the skin to become swollen, irritated, and itchy. It's also called atopic dermatitis, with "atopic" referring to conditions that occur when someone is overly sensitive to allergens such as pollens, molds, dust, animal dander and certain foods, and "dermatitis" meaning that the skin is inflamed, red and sore.
Causes
Although it's not fully understood why some people get eczema, it seems to be a primarily genetic overactive immune system and barrier defect, gaps in the skin that allow skin to lose water too quickly. If you or your spouse have the condition, there's a 50 percent your child will have it, too, although as many as 30 percent of affected children have no family members with the disorder, according to the National Eczema Association.
Symptoms
Your dermatologist will take a complete medical history to determine if your child has eczema or some other skin condition, but in general, symptoms in infants include dry scaly skin with tiny white bumps or patches. Occasionally patches will be red and ooze, and the skin may become so dry it cracks and bleeds. Patches tend to occur near skin creases such as the inside of elbows and behind the knees but also occur in the neck, wrists, hands and feet.
Prevention/Solution
If your child has eczema, avoid dry skin by taking lukewarm baths with a moisturizing soap and use a moisturizing lotion two to four times a day. Avoid skin irritants by having your child dress in cotton and avoid all perfumes, and keep home humidity levels between 25 to 40 percent, according to AskDrSears.com. Keep your child's fingernails short so he can't transfer bacteria under the nails to the skin when he scratches. You can also provide your child with an over-the-counter antihistamine or a topical steroid cortisone cream or try a tar cream or bath emulsion. Your doctor may also prescribe Tacrolimus ointment for flare-ups or an antibiotic for any surface bacterial infections.
Studies
A study in Ukraine presented at a 2010 New York Academy of Sciences symposium reported that children 1- to 3-years of age with moderate to severe eczema showed marked improvement in symptoms after taking the probiotics Lactococcus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis. A separate study published in the journal "Allergy" in 2009 showed that daily probiotic supplements may reduce the risk of eczema by 58 percent during a child's first two years of life. Evening primrose oil also produced significant improvements in eczema symptoms in children in a 1996 Swedish study published in the "Archives of Disease in Childhood," while research at Northwestern University, published in the journal "Pediatrics" in 2009, discovered that giving children with severe eczema regular baths of diluted bleach reduced the severity of the condition.
Considerations
Children with eczema are more susceptible to bacterial skin infections. Contact your pediatrician if the itching keeps your child awake at night, the rash is infected with pus or honey colored scabs, the rash becomes raw and bleeding or your child has a fever. Although eczema can come and go, most children are greatly improved by school age, with about half of patients having no symptoms by age 20, reports the American Academy of Dermatology.
