Baby Eczema – What You Need to Know
If your baby has eczema, it is absolutely important that you take care in treating your child. Just like eczema found in adults, it is important to first understand how eczema is developed, what can cause potential irritations, and the specific type of eczema that your child may have. While this article is designed to help educate you on your child’s eczema (sometimes referred to as baby eczema), remember to see a specialist if you require further assistance, or if it appears that symptoms worsen.
Atopic Dermatitis: The Common Form of Baby Eczema
Baby with atopic eczema
Atopic dermatitis (known as atopic eczema) is the most common type of eczema, and this is especially true in infants. Usually when you see eczema and baby eczema brought up in general topics and questions, it refers medically to atopic dermatitis. Atopic dermatitis is typically a chronic, familial disease, and may occur in relation to other atopic diseases such as asthma and hay fever. Infants afflicted with baby eczema tend to show lesions particularly on the face and scalp, but patches can occur anywhere on the body. These lesions will appear as an oozing, crusting rash in infants, but as the child grows older, the rash tends to become dryer.
Most cases of baby eczema improve once the child grows into adolescence; only 25% of these children will continue to show complications throughout adulthood. For the time being, however, you must be sure that you or your baby do not irritate any rashes when it can be avoided. If your child scratches the rash, the skin becomes inflamed and extremely sensitive, causing further susceptibility towards irritability. Irritants, or some of the causes for atopic dermatitis in babies include diet, allergens, temperature, chemicals (such as those found in harsh soaps and detergents) and even through breastfeeding.
Foods that have high levels of histamine, such as cheese, yogurt, tomatoes, fish, and fermented foods such as soy have high levels of histamine. If your baby has histamine intolerance, it is recommended that you change their diet and find foods that can provide the nutrition that your baby needs. Allergen prone foods, such as nuts cheese, wheat, corn, and corn syrup are also linked to breakouts.
A temperature related rash will occur when sweat and heat build up in a sensitive area. This is a common cause of diaper rash found in babies, which is a related type of eczema. A soiled diaper, combined with the sweat from your baby and the heat can cause an infection. Remember that your baby’s skin is extra sensitive compared to an adult, so you must keep your baby clean whenever possible.
Be aware that breastfeeding is proven to help prevent the development of allergic disease in infants, but if you or the baby’s mother happen to maintain a diet that would trigger outbreaks in the baby, such as allergens or histamine, then the effects are still passed along to the child. Also, parents or other adults should be wary when it comes to smoking around infants. While this is a health hazard all on its own, it can also be detrimental to babies with eczema who have dust allergens.
Cradle Cap: Seborrhoeic Dermatitis in Babies
Baby with cradle cap
Have you ever heard of cradle cap, either directly in relation to your child or indirectly? You may be wondering what that is, and you may even know that it is a type of eczema. You might even lump it into the same generalized category when people use the term baby eczema. However, be warned not to make that mistake! So what is cradle cap, exactly?
Cradle cap is actually a form of Seborrhoeic dermatitis in infants. It typically occurs in infants younger than three months old, and is typically non severe. Infants with cradle cap appear to have a crusty, scaly, yellow and sometimes greasy rash on the scalp, and sometimes appears around the ears and eyebrows or eyelids. The cause of cradle cap is not bacterial, nor does it come from allergens, and as stated by online health website WebMD, does not indicate that your baby is not being cared for. Being a form of seborrhoeic dermatitis, the cause it typically a fungal infection, or overactive sebaceous glands. It may also occur due to a deficiency in biotin, or excessive amounts of vitamin A.
In most cases, cradle cap will resolve itself in just a few days, without any treatment needed. However, if conditions worsen, or if the baby has other fungal infections or immunity disorders, it is advised to consult a doctor. Because it is often difficult to tell what specifically caused the cradle cap, medical advice should help bring clarity and peace of mind.
As with anything in life, understanding a problem is the first step toward resolving it. The information you have just read should give you an idea on the difference between general baby eczema and cradle cap (remember, these two terms may be used synonymously, but refer to two different skin conditions), what may be the cause of eczema in your baby, and how to reduce the irritants. While the eczema is non contagious, it is imperative that you maintain good hygiene for both you and your baby. If you know your baby has food allergies or intolerances, change your baby’s diet. It’s the small changes that will add up in the end, leaving you with a healthier baby.
Tags: allergens, atopic eczema, baby eczema, child eczema, cradle cap, eczema causes, infant eczema, seborrhoeic dermatitis
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