Eczema and Your Baby

There is nothing worse than seeing your baby suffer from Eczema. Eczema is an allergic reaction to the environment and/or food that causes the skin to become inflamed, dry, and often ooze. I have found that it is best to treat this condition naturally rather than use often dangerous steroidal creams that usually do not work.

The causes of eczema are many and varied and depend on the particular type of eczema that a person has. Atopic eczema is thought to be a hereditary condition, being genetically linked. Some people with atopic eczema are sensitive to allergens in the environment. There is an excessive reaction by the immune system producing inflamed, irritated and sore skin. Associated atopic conditions include asthma and hay fever. Other types of eczema are caused by irritants such as chemicals and detergents and allergens such as nickel.
 

As eczema is a very individual condition, finding the right treatments is a trial-and-error process. Fortunately, there are many ways to ease the suffering and a huge number of products on the market especially formulated for treating the condition including soap-free washes, emollients, topical steroids and other treatments such as wet-wrapping, natural therapies, immunosuppressant creams, etc. The right treatment regime for the individual can make a big difference to the condition of the skin.
 
It is important to have the condition properly diagnosed by your GP and it is wise to visit a Dermatologist who specialises in skin conditions.
 
Some other strategies for reducing the severity of eczema include the use of cotton clothing and bedding, reduction of dust mites and keeping the sufferer as cool as possible. The use of a suitable infant formula and following an appropriate diet (strictly under the direction of a professional dietitian) can also help.

 

• "Oil" your baby's diet. The skin's softness is highly influenced by the amount and types of healthy fats in your baby's diet. In older children, I regard dry, scaly skin as a clue that the child may not be incorporating enough healthy fats, such as omega 3's, into the diet. In fact, one of the newest treatments of eczema in both children and adults is to eat oily seafood and take daily fish oil capsules. If you are breastfeeding, you can increase the healthy fats in your breast milk by upping your own dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids. I suggest eating at least four ounces of wild salmon twice weekly (wild Alaskan salmon is not only the highest in omega-3 fats, but also the lowest in pollutants) as well as taking a daily fish oil capsule at a dose of at least one gram. An especially good supplement for pregnant and lactating mothers is Neuromins, which contains DHA, a highly nutritional omega-3 fatty acid that is also added to most infant formulas. If you are formula-feeding, be sure you feed your baby a formula whose label reads "enriched with DHA and ARA." If dry skin is still a problem as your baby gets older and begins eating solid foods, offer her such healthy-fat foods as wild salmon, avocado, and flax oil.
• "Wet" your baby's skin. It's quite possible that your baby's skin is under-hydrated, both inside and out. If you're formula-feeding, offer your baby an extra four to eight ounces of water a day. If you're nursing, try adding one extra feeding to give her additional fluids. After her baths, instead of toweling her completely dry, gently blot her skin of excess water. Let the areas of skin that are particularly problematic air-dry. Dressing your baby in loose-fitting cotton clothing and sleepwear also allows the skin to breathe.
• Dry heat (such as central home heating) is one of the main causes of dry, scaly skin conditions. So it makes sense that your baby's skin is suffering in the cold winter months. To counteract the dry heat, use a moist heat source: Run one or two vaporizers in your baby's nursery. The condensation of the water releases heat and humidifies the air, making your baby's sleeping environment more skin-friendly. As an extra perk, the humidified air will keep her tiny breathing passages from drying out.