Eczema, patches of skin featuring an itchy red rash, can cause discomfort for infants and alarm for their parents. Approximately 20 percent of infants suffer from eczema, reports Baby Center.com. Although pediatricians link eczema to food allergies, the National Institutes of Health says, there isn't enough evidence to support the theory that parents can reduce their babies' eczema risk by introducing certain solid foods later than normal.
Cereal
Infants who suffer from eczema may benefit from consuming formula or breast milk exclusively during their first six months of life and starting solid foods after they're 6 months old, says the National Institutes of Health. The Mayo Clinic recommends that parents offer their babies infant cereal as their first solid food, mixing 1 tbsp. of the formula with 4 to 5 tbsp. of formula or breast milk. Parents can choose rice, oatmeal or barley infant cereal, but they should not mix it with cow's milk. BabyCenter.com says that healthy babies aren't ready to handle cow's milk until after they're at least 1 year old, and those prone to eczema may need to wait longer before trying cow's milk.
Pureed Foods
Once parents are satisfied that their infants are handling cereal well, they can move on to serving their babies a variety of pureed foods such as vegetables, fruits and meats. The National Institutes of Health recommends that parents who are concerned about a possible link between eczema and food allergies in their babies introduce only one type of food at a time so they can monitor the effect that each food has on their infants' skin. The Mayo Clinic recommends that parents use pureed baby foods that contain just one ingredient and wait between three and five days from when they first gave their infants a new food to gauge its effect on their bodies -- including whether or not it triggers eczema -- before introducing another type of food.
Finger Foods
Parents can give their babies finger foods such as cheese, crackers and soft fruits when their infants are between 8 to 10 months old, says the Mayo Clinic website. By this time, parents may already know which types of foods -- if any -- are triggering eczema outbreaks. But the Mayo Clinic recommends that parents continue to introduce new foods one at a time so they'll be able to evaluate the way each new food affects the infant's skin.
