Eczema is a common skin condition found in many children, from infancy to adolescence, but it tends to be more common in infants. Eczema can vary in how long it lasts, and while present on the skin it can be a source of discomfort for your baby. Fortunately, the use of probiotics may be able to offer some relief from eczema.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live cultures of bacteria. Bacteria are found everywhere on our body, such as on the skin, in your eyes and in the digestive tract. There are many types of probiotics for different applications, and some are being explored as treatments for eczema as a possible source of natural relief from the condition.
Eczema
Eczema is a type of skin rash that usually develops before your child reaches 1 year of age. Its cause is unknown, but it causes dry, thick and irritated skin to develop in many different places, such as the forehead, cheeks, chest, arms or legs. Eczema can lead to skin infections and can be very itchy, creating a lot of discomfort for your child.
Topical Treatment
While there are many other treatments known to soothe eczema, Dr. Athos Bousvaros of the Harvard Medical School reports that probiotics are being explored as a way to treat eczema. While some clinical studies have suggested probiotics can improve the condition of eczema, there are still questions to be answered regarding the safety of their use and the proper way to utilize them. Still, it is possible probiotics could become widely recommended as an eczema treatment.
Prevention Benefit
Much of the known benefits of probiotics in regards to eczema are connected to preventing the condition, rather than treating an existing one. According to BabyCenter.com and ScienceDaily.com, research has shown that expectant mothers who consume yogurt -- a dairy product containing live cultures of bacteria -- had children who were less likely to develop eczema. Probiotics can also be consumed through other means, such as probiotic milk.
Expectant Mothers' Use
Drinking one glass of probiotic milk each day starting at week 36 of the pregnancy and going through the first three months of nursing yielded a 40 percent less likely chance of the infant developing eczema prior to his second birthday, according to ScienceDaily.com. Given this information, a mother can give her child an increased chance of avoiding eczema by making simple changes to her diet.
