Eczema is a common skin condition in infants and children. It can be identified by a rash of dry bumps on the skin, inflamed patches of scaly skin, and oozing sores often in the creases of a child's knees, ankles, or elbows. The rash can be mild and painless, or itching and painful for the child. Fortunately, there are several easy home remedies to treat both the symptoms and many possible causes of eczema.
Home Remedies to Treat the Itch
Treating the itch from eczema involves getting moisture to the dry, scaly skin. Although any unscented baby lotion or moisture cream can be used to moisturize, food grade oils such as olive, almond, or coconut oil can be a very gentle way to add moisture to your baby's delicate skin. Many moms love that virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature and quickly melts with body heat to provide a convenient, spill-free way to moisturize baby. In addition, according to studies published in the Journal of Medical Food and the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, coconut oil's antibacterial and antifungal properties could help to prevent secondary infections should the sores become open wounds.
Dry air can also be a cause of dry skin, so relief can also be found through the use of a humidifier in the baby's living and sleeping quarters. Soap can also strip essential moisture from baby's skin. Avoid hot baths and soap on the inflamed areas. Instead of soap, finely-ground oatmeal can be dissolved in the bath water to suspend dirt particles and clean baby without the need for drying soaps.
Home Remedies to Prevent Eczema
An infant's sensitive skin can react with many environmental triggers to cause eczema. Avoiding these common allergens can help to clear up the rash. One common cause is irritants from the dyes and starches in new clothing. Wash all of baby's clothes and bedding with a dye and perfume-free laundry liquid before allowing baby to come into contact with them. Grasses, plants, and pollens can also cause eczema to flair up, so bathing baby and changing her clothes after playing outdoors can be a simple remedy.
Some children are also sensitive to synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, nylon, and some papers used in disposable diapers. Switching to cotton, bamboo, or other natural fabric clothes, bedding, diapers, and sleepwear can eliminate this allergen and prevent flair ups.
Eliminating Dietary Causes at Home
According to Dr. William Sears, M.D., pediatrician and author of "The Baby Book," six of the most common foods to trigger allergies are also triggers for eczema. These foods include dairy products, eggs, soy, peanuts, fish and wheat. He suggests eliminating all of these foods from the child's or nursing mother's diet to see if the rash clears. This would include formula made from cow's milk or soy products. It could take up to three weeks for the offending foods to clear the system, but if an improvement is seen in this time, the foods can be re-introduced one at a time and the baby observed for a possible reaction.
References
- "The Baby Book"' Dr. William Sears, M.D. and Martha Sears, R.N. 2003
- "Journal of Medical Food"; In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria; Ogbolu DO, Oni AA, Daini OA, Oloko AP; June 2007.
- "Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin"; Antimicrobial Activity of Saturated Fatty Acids and Fatty Amines against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Takashi Kitahara, Nao Koyama, Junichi Matsuda, Yuko Aoyama, Yoichi Hirakata, Shimeru Kamihira, Shigeru Kohno, Mikiro Nakashima and Hitoshi Sasaki; 2004
