Healthy Food Choices for Eczema

Eczema is a type of allergy marked by itchy, red skin patches. Most children with eczema also have food allergies. Learn more about eczema in this health and nutrition video.

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Avoid known food allergies
Breastfeed babies if possible
Avoid eczema with hydrolyzed cow's milk

About this Author

David Hill is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also works as the vice-president of Cape Fear Pediatrics, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. David attended Rice University and Texas Medical School of Houston. He writes a monthly column for the Wilmington Parent, as well as, grant regular interviews with television channel WWAY regarding health topics. Sharing his extensive knowledge in a way that is accessible, and maintains healthy lifestyles is what Dr. Hill strives to achieve.

DR. DAVID HILL: Today, we're going to talk about eczema. Eczema is a type of allergy related to allergic rhinitis and asthma except that it affects the skin. You usually get itchy, red bumps or lines frequently in the folds right here in front of the elbows, behind the knees or on the face and neck but it also likes the trunk, the back and any other part of the body really. You can also see dry, flaky, scaly areas. We know that eczema is an allergy and so in the past, we've concentrated a lot on trying to restrict foods thinking the food allergies might contribute. About one-third of children who have eczema will have an allergy to a given food and if you have a diagnosed food allergy, you may be able to help your eczema by avoiding that food. However, most people with eczema won't get any better by avoiding foods. It just makes life a little bit less fun. The most important dietary intervention you can make to prevent eczema in your child is to breastfeed your child if you can. Not all women can breastfeed so when you're choosing a formula, if you have a family history of allergies, eczema or asthma, you might consider a hydrolyzed casein based formula like Alimentum or Nutramigen in place of a cow's milk based formula. To review, eczema is a type of allergy that affects the skin. We used to think that what mothers ate while they were pregnant made the difference in their children's risk of getting eczema, we now know that's not true. We do know that children who have food allergies might need to avoid those foods to improve their eczema. We also know that in children with a risk of allergies due to family history, nursing or using an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula may reduce their risk of getting eczema later in life. That is diet and eczema.

Healthy Food Choices for Eczema Video

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