Baby Eczema Symptoms

Eczema is a medical condition where areas of the skin become itchy, rough and inflamed causing distress, agitation and bleeding. Several different types of eczema exist, the most widespread suffered by babies being atopic dermatitis, which is also known as atopic eczema.

In Greek eczema means to “boil over” and this refers to the severe stage of acute eczema. Eczema, hay fever and asthma are grouped together in a complex known as atopy. The cause of eczema is not entirely understood. Genetic, immunological as well as skin barrier defects are important factors. External factors often influence the condition. The barrier function of the skin is less effective which allows more water loss from the skin. An increase in skin bacterial infections especially by staphylococcus aureus can be seen.

Baby Eczema Symptoms:

  • Itching
  • Dryness of the skin
  • Skin Inflammation
  • Secondary infection of the skin
  • Frequent flare-ups of eczema activity
  • Family history of eczema, hay fever or asthma

The first signs are red, scaly, itchy patches that typically appear on baby’s cheeks but can also appear just about anywhere. Eczema usually first appears between three months and two years of age. Many babies outgrow eczema and symptoms usually decrease as a child gets older.

Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened or scaly. In fair-skinned people, these areas may initially appear reddish and then turn brown. Among darker-skinned people, eczema can affect pigmentation, making the affected area lighter or darker.

In infants, the itchy rash can produce an oozing, crusting condition that occurs mainly on the face and scalp, but patches may appear anywhere.

Treatment for the Baby Eczema:

The goal of treatment is to relieve and prevent itching, which can lead to infection. Since the disease makes skin dry and itchy, lotions and creams are recommended to keep the skin moist. These solutions are usually applied when the skin is damp, such as after bathing, to help the skin retain moisture. Cold compresses may also be used to relieve itching.

Over-the-counter or prescription creams and ointments containing corticosteroids, such as hydrocortisone, are often prescribed to reduce inflammation. For severe cases, your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids. In addition, if the affected area becomes infected, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to kill the infection-causing bacteria. Other treatments include antihistamines to reduce severe itching, tar treatments phototherapy and the drug cyclosporine for people whose condition doesn't respond to other treatments.

The FDA has approved two drugs known as topical immunomodulators (TIMs) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe eczema. The drugs, Elidel and Protopic, are skin creams that work by altering the immune system response to prevent flare-ups.

Baby Eczema Creams:

Steroid creams are among the most common treatments for eczema. What these creams do is they act as a local anti-inflammatory product. When the skin is affected by eczema, an inflammatory reaction occurs. This baby eczema cream will act against this process, stopping the itching. The best steroid creams are only available with a doctor prescription, and most of them can only be used under medical supervision. Unfortunately, strong steroid creams can affect children growth, and affect the hormonal level; therefore you must use milder creams, which will have no secondary effects on your children’s skin.

Baby Eczema Types

What Baby Eczema Types are out there?