Eczema is a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy inflammation that typically presents during infancy. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition is related to an immune system malfunction and often occurs in conjunction with allergies. Particularly in breast-fed infants, eczema may be a manifestation of food allergy, and foods that the mother consumes may seem to make a baby's eczema worse.
Background
According to the Mayo Clinic, eczema can affect any area of the body but most commonly affects the arms and areas behind the knees. You may notice that your baby's symptoms get better and worse without a distinct pattern, although eczema worsens in some infants during winter months when the air is less humid. Most nursing mothers notice no change in their infant's eczema related to dietary intake, but in rare instances a mother's diet can affect her baby's condition.
Eczema and Food Allergy
Severe eczema in infants can sometimes be the only sign of a food allergy, typically to milk or soy. Milk protein passes more easily into breastmilk than do other proteins and thus is a common allergen in infants, even those who are breast-fed. Other symptoms of a food allergy can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme fussiness and poor weight gain. In these circumstances, avoiding milk and soy for several weeks to ensure that the protein is no longer in your breastmilk may significantly improve symptoms.
Food Avoidance and Eczema
You may notice a worsening in your baby's eczema shortly after the baby nurses but not notice any other systemic symptoms. In this case, your doctor may conduct allergy testing to the most allergenic foods---milk, egg, soy, wheat, nuts, fish and shellfish. If your infant is allergic to any of these foods, you can undergo a trial in which you cut them out of your diet. Your doctor should supervise this type of elimination diet to ensure that you are re-introducing these foods if you note no improvement in the baby's symptoms. Additionally, you'll need physician guidance about food avoidance when your baby begins eating solid foods.
Benefits of Dietary Change
If your baby is severely affected by eczema and has evidence of food allergy, avoidance of allergenic foods may provide significant improvement in symptoms. The eczema rash may become smaller, itching may improve and the need for topical or anti-itch medications can decrease. If changing your diet is effective, you will need to avoid the allergy-causing food the entire time that your infant is nursing. Once your child begins to eat solid food, he will also need to avoid the allergens.
Considerations
According to a 2007 study published in the journal "Pediatrics," breast-feeding does not increase the risk of eczema. For most infants, the mother's diet is not a contributing factor in the infant's eczema. The best treatment for eczema typically involves a daily moisturizing regimen, good skin care and the application of topical anti-inflammatories.
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