Baby eczema is a condition that affects up to 20% of babies; 60% of those cases persist into adulthood. Anyone who has a baby suffering from eczema knows that it is absolutely heartbreaking to see their little one so itchy and miserable. So what can you do to help your tiny tot?
Treating baby eczema: Assessing the cause
The first step in treating infant eczema is assessing the cause of flare-ups. This means that a parent should consider both internal and external factors. Internally, the baby may have a weakened immune system that need to be strengthened and restored. Food allergies, including baby formulas, are often directly linked to eczema problems. Externally, babies with eczema may be suffering from allergic reactions from a variety of sources including certain types of fabrics, soaps, lotions, detergents, fabric softeners, dyes and perfumes.
Here are a few things you can do to determine whether the problem is internal, external, or both:
- Have your baby tested for food allergies. In approximately 10% of cases of eczema in babies, certain foods such as dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy, nuts, oats, and fish, even baby formulas may provoke an attack. If you’re breast feeding, your baby may even have an allergic reaction to something in your diet.
2. Keep a food diary. If your baby is already eating solids, note the foods given and the symptoms that arise.
3. Have your baby tested for environmental allergies. Environmental allergens such as dust mites and pollen are common culprits of infantile eczema attacks.
4. Look for other symptoms. Does your baby have an upset tummy, runny nose, sneezing or a cough? All of these symptoms may appear to related to the common cold, but they may also possibly be signs of food allergies.
Baby eczema treatment for immediate relief
Of course, there are measures you can take to provide immediate relief to your little one. For one, you can give your baby an oatmeal bath. Grind 2 cups of oatmeal into a fine powder using a food processor or coffee grinder. Add the powder to a running bath of warm water (not hot) and stir well. Soak for 10-15 minutes, rinsing with clean water and patting dry with a soft towel. Alternatively, you can use 2 tablespoons of baking soda instead of oatmeal. Both oatmeal and baking soda are all natural substances that can help soothe your baby’s itchy skin.
When cleansing during a normal bath, use an all natural soap and immediately moisturize the skin after. Keeping your baby’s skin hydrated is absolutely essential. Moisturizers and emollients, such as lotions and creams should be all natural and hypo-allergenic. Earth mama baby, Burt’s Bees, and California baby makes great all-natural cleansers and moisturizers that consistently receive good reviews. Eucerin, Aveeno, and Exederm are also very effective moisturizers, although not all-natural.
Avoid using steroid creams for relief. If you or your doctor feels that it is absolutely necessary to use steroid cream, do not use it for more than two weeks at a time. Florasone is a great all-natural alternative to steroidal and cortisone creams. You can also apply corn starch to eczema rashes with no side effects. If your baby has a flare-up, you can try applying cool compresses to the areas several times a day, followed by cornstarch or moisturizer.
Make sure your baby wears loose clothing, especially on hot days. Stay away from rough, itchy fabrics such as wool. You may want to consider using 100% organic cotton or other natural fibers for any fabric that comes in contact with your baby’s skin. Replacing your baby’s clothing, towels, and bedding with natural fabrics can help eliminate flare-ups caused by allergic reactions. When doing your baby’s laundry, avoid using any harsh detergent that contain phosphates, dyes, and perfumes/fragrances.
Minimize scratching and skin damage by keeping your baby’s fingernails short. Scratching while sleeping is common, so cover your baby’s hands at bedtime. Young infants may need to have their hands covered at all times as an extra safety measure. You can find some baby clothing that have mitts attached to the sleeve. If not, separate mitts or even socks over the hands can help reduce scratching damage to the skin.
You may also want to consider investing in a quality air purifier to keep the air clean and dust mites to a minimum.
Finding a long-term effective treatment for baby eczema is not easy. But if you follow the tips above, you will be off to a great start!
January 12th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
First off, I just love the baby pic at the top! Secondly, I just feel so badly for the babies that have severe eczema! Have you ever seen this video? — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIZsxRjSyd0 — It’s a magnificent story with a happy ending about a child with eczema.
January 25th, 2010 at 5:21 am
Eczema is a phrase used to describe a wide range of different skin problems that trouble people throughout their lives, from babies, infants to fully grown adults. The causes of the eczema are irritant contact and allergic contact eczema are also common and tend to be brought on by either prolonged (irritant) or immediate (allergic) exposure to a specific allergen. Suffering from one type of eczema increases the chance that you will develop other types, so if your baby suffers with topic eczema you may notice that exposure to certain things in his or her environment causes flare ups. For the curing the eczema following steps should be followed Moisturize , Careful bath times, Avoid detergents, Choose cotton, Go dust free, Keep pets away, Diet, Minimizing scratching
January 28th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
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January 28th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it
February 26th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I never realised this before, but you have a very good point indeed!
May 20th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Has anyone found using special baby soap for washing clothes helps?
I am trying to find anything that can help, organic clothing seems to be making a difference!
June 24th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
switching to organic cotton clothing helped my 6 month baby – its not just a fad, it really does work.
October 12th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Great article on baby eczema! As you mentioned, one component of an effective coping/treatment regimen is using cotton clothing. The reason for this is cotton is typically loose and breathable, which helps promote comfort. Organic cotton is best to prevent any allergic reaction.
Sock Monkeys Clothing takes this one step further by adding padded and covered hands to prevent little ones from scratching their itchy skin. This is extremely helpful in preventing damage to the skin such as bleeding, infection, and scarring. Also, the seams are on the outside to prevent aggravation and chafing.
It is not a cure, but truly helpful to provide relief and peace of mind. Best of luck to all the parents out there dealing with this…it CAN get better…
January 26th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Thank you for this information. My sisters baby has eczema, and it’s so sad to watch him suffer. I will let her know about your blog, and we’ll have to check out that sock monkey clothing!
February 13th, 2011 at 3:48 am
Great info on baby eczema! I wish I would have read this earlier when my baby’s eczema was really bad and I was freaking out. I read many, many websites on eczema but never thought to look for a blog. I did a ton of research on possible treatments and have tried many. First, I changed all the soaps we use, detergents, blankets, etc. I am breastfeeding so at the same time I was cutting out foods in my own diet that are linked to eczema and allergies in babies. (nuts, dairy, wheat, eggs, tomatoes…there were more but I cant remember. I also must have spent hundreds of dollars in buying products. Just to name a few, evening primrose oil, kukui nut oil, calendula cream, chamomile, vitamin e , goldenseal, violet…the list goes on. Anyway It was very frustrating because nothing seemed to work. I also read that since I am breastfeeding that I should take omega 3, a b complex, and kelp. I started doing that right away because I figured it couldnt hurt plus it would be good for my own health aswell. My baby’s eczema started at around 3 months right after his vaccines (dont know for sure if that was a coincidence) he is now 6 months and his eczema is very much under control.
I purchased 100% Emu oil because it sounded like it would be promising when I read about it and it was. It works so well in taking the red out of (in my baby’s case) his cheeks. His eczema was so bad on his face that it would crack, bleed, pus, scab and peel. Someone actually asked me if he had fallen on his face. The emu oil is excellent for soothing the dry spots and just overall works wonders. What was frustrating though is that the oil would soothe him for a while but the spots always came back.
My mom one day randomly told me to try manuka honey and OMG he really hasnt had any eczema spots since the 2nd day after putting that stuff on him. I mix it together with a little emu oil because the honey is very sticky and WOW… I am so happy and relieved how well it is working. Everyone should try this, you cant go wrong having these products on hand anyway!
The remedies I mentioned earlier worked fine but never took the eczema away.
Currently I am taking omega 3, b complex, and kelp. I am eating all foods (I dont think that was ever a problem) I put a few drops of kukui nut oil in his bath, I use the emu oil and manuka honey for his spots and for the rest of his body california baby calendula cream or lotion. I hope this helps someone!!! Be careful not to let your child under 3 put the honey in his/ her mouth!
March 22nd, 2011 at 7:56 pm
My niece had eczema as a child and still has the scarring from it today. I wish I had this information when she was dealing with it. Thanks for the info. Great post.
April 2nd, 2011 at 11:13 am
Mamai, thanks for the tips. I am going to try the Manuka honey and hope it helps. I hate using the cortisone but I’ve had no choice on the weepy parts. Also use the California Baby calendula cream