Collaborative Post
Baby eczema can look very scary and no parents could stay calm when rough red spots appear on their kids. However, such a rash does not necessarily mean that a child has such a disease. In addition, it’s quite easy to treat and may pass over time. The baby eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, occurs in about 10-15% of infants. The most common symptoms are red rough spots on the skin. These spots can appear on any part of the body, but they often occur on the cheeks or the folds of the arms and legs.
Nowadays, it is unknown exactly what causes a kid’s atopic dermatitis. The disease occurs as a result of a malfunction of the immune system. Anything can be the cause of such a failure. However, it is known that the most common cause is an allergy to certain creams, detergents, and shampoos. An important factor is a heredity. That is, if the parents have eczema, the probability that a kid can have the disease will be about 50%. Fortunately, in most cases, children recover from the illness before they reach school age. Only a small number of kids have atopic dermatitis for many years.
Factors that Provoke Baby Eczema
Even though there are no official reasons that cause the illness here are some common factors that might lead to infant atopic dermatitis:
- food is one of the most common reasons for eczema because kids’ immature organisms are not able to absorb all the products. That’s why parents should carefully set up their kid’s menus. For example, organic formula due to its natural content can reduce the risk of appearance of different skin and digestive issues. In case, your little one is breastfed, you should carefully monitor the food you are consuming
- atopic dermatitis can occur after severe stress, or it can be a reaction to vaccination
- the disease often occurs in winter, when the heating dries the air in the room too much. In other words, the illness can develop when the baby’s skin is too dry
- experts found out that children are more likely to get eczema from consuming such products as whole cow milk, peanuts, and citrus fruits
- besides, atopic dermatitis can be caused by irritating woolen clothes, soap, and cosmetics
- according to repeated studies, it was proved that heat worsens the symptoms of eczema and sweat acts as an irritant.
Relieve the Symptoms
It is impossible to cure baby eczema completely, as it is a chronic disease. However, some methods can reduce redness and itching. First of all, you should try to eliminate the allergen that can cause a negative reaction. There may be cases when allergic inflammation occurs without obvious clinical signs. In such cases, therapeutic vitaminized cosmetics help to eliminate the symptoms. It is important to bathe a newborn properly. Soaps can not be used. It’s advisable to use special medicated shampoos.
When it comes to bathing, check the hardness of your water. 60% of UK homes are supplied with hard water which contains minerals that can impact skin health. To further clarify, if you are in a region with hard water, your tap water will likely contain calcium and magnesium. While the minerals are OK for consumption, they can contribute to adverse skin conditions. When water is heated for bathing or showers, these minerals combine with soaps or shampoos to leave behind deposits that remain on the skin. This residue makes the skin feel tight and irritated as it dries because it strips out the skin’s natural oils and clogs pores. To combat these effects, a water softener is commonly used to remove these minerals from the water. Soft water is gentler to the skin and relieves sensitive and eczema-prone skin because as you shower or wash, you won’t have the residue left on your skin and it will aid with skin hydration.
Washing clothing in soft water is another advantage for sensitive skin. The absence of these minerals in the washing process allows less detergent to be used, and when the garments are dried, there is no residue left behind to give them a rough or coarse feel. This softens your clothing and towels so that not only do they feel gentler on the skin, but you’re also not exposing it to the minerals that are left on dried clothing which can continue the irritation.
An important role in relieving the signs of the illness is a specific diet. So, if possible try to maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible. Foods that exacerbate allergies, you should exclude from the diet. If breastfeeding is not possible, you need to consult a pediatrician to help you in selecting formula that won’t severe the symptoms. As it was mentioned before, the organic formula could be a good solution. The point is that the ingredients from which such formula is made are fully natural without any chemicals and preservatives.
Milk protein, eggs, fish, peanuts, and soy are some of the most common allergens. That’s why the abrupt or premature start of complementary food is the reason for the deviation of the ratio of microorganisms in the intestine, which in turn increases the risk of eczema.