Easy Methods to Treat Baby Eczema Effectively

You may have observed your baby having patches of red skin. The skin is dry, rough and always itchy. In young babies, eczema is most prominent on the cheeks, forehead, and scalp. At 6 to 12 months of age, it is often worst on the crawling surfaces, the elbows and knees.

Around the age of two the distribution changes and tends to involve the creases of the elbows and knees, the wrists, ankles, and hands. It may affect the skin around the mouth and the eyelids. Older children and adolescents may have eczema only involving the hands.

Eczema is an immune system reaction that can be triggered by certain soaps, creams, allergies, and detergents, and may worsen with stress, heat, and sweat. Heredity is a big factor for the child to have eczema problems. There are no cures for eczema, fortunately eczema can be controlled.

Factors and reasons are not common in children to have eczema. Listed below are common eczema triggers you can avoid for your baby:

• Dry skin:  This is often caused by low humidity. During winter when homes are well-heated and the air is dry, baby’s skin becomes itchy.
• Irritants:  Wollen clothes, perfumes, body soaps  and laundry soaps makes the baby’s skin become itchy and triggers the patches / flare ups.
• Stress:  Major reason for increase in eczema flares. Children may react to stress by flushing, which leads to itchy, irritated skin.
• Heat and sweat: Both heat and sweat can make the itch of infant eczema worse.
• Allergens: Certain food items do not gel with the baby. You need to be alert and identify when the patches develop suddenly and that food needs to be excluded from diet to minimize eczema symptoms.

Caring for your baby’s skin is the only solution to manage baby eczema when the condition is mild. The methods are easy to adapt and make your baby’s childhood days enjoyable.

• Moisturizers : A good moisturizer will help your baby’s skin retain its natural moisture. Apply immediately after a bath, especially when he baby’s skin is wet. Preferably select  fragrance-free cream, or ointment such as petroleum jelly,
• A lukewarm bath: Avoid hot water for bath. Baby’ skin becomes dry by losing the natural protective oils. A lukewarm bath helps hydrate and cool the skin, and may lessen itching.
• Topical steroids:  Consult your Pediatrician on the condition of baby eczema. The doctor may prescribe Over-the-counter steroids like hydrocortisone creams and ointments which help lessen the redness and inflammation of a baby’s eczema, when used as directed. Apply the topical steroids only on the red itchy skin area.
• Caution regarding topical steroids: Though these creams are safe, they can lead to thinned skin and other issues if applied for too many days to the same part of the body. Do not apply more than 2 times a day at the affected areas.
• Bleach baths: Bleach baths are safe and are similar to bathing in a chlorinated swimming pool. Bleach baths are made by pouring ¼ cup of bleach into a half-filled bathtub. For babies with eczema, 1 to 2 teaspoons of bleach may be added to 4 liters of water in a baby tub. Ensure the bleach is totally diluted in water to avoid baby’s skin coming in contact. Bleach baths can be done twice a week.

If the eczema begins to ooze pus – or small yellowish blisters appear in the eczema, consult a doctor at once. The eczema is probably infected and will need medication. It indicates baby eczema is severe in the child, skin care can be complemented with:

• Ultraviolet light therapy
• Antibiotics for rashes that become infected

Practices to be followed at home to minimize the baby’s eczema conditions:

• Bathe your baby for no more than 10 minutes in warm water. Hot water  to be avoided.
• Use mild, unscented body and laundry soaps. Perfumed, deodorant, and anti-bacterial soaps can be rough on a baby’s sensitive skin.
• Use soap only where your baby may be dirty, such as the genitals, and hands and feet. Simply rinse off the rest of your baby’s body.
• Pat your baby’s skin dry; don’t rub the skin.
• Apply a moisturizer while your baby’s skin is wet.
• To minimize the irritation of clothing rubbing on the skin, dress your baby in loose clothes made of cotton.
• The baby itches and scratches the rashes. Therefore keep your baby’s nails clean and short so he’ll be less likely to infect any broken skin. In the nights use cotton mitten or old socks to prevent baby itching. He may dislike and pull them off when awake.
• Always wash new clothes before putting them on your baby.
• Use a mild, fragrance-free detergent to wash your baby’s clothes.
• Avoid overdressing your baby as it can make your baby hot and sweaty, triggering an eczema flare.
• Keep your child away from cigarette smoke.

Best Preventive measure for baby eczema.

Doctors advise continuing breast milk for at least up to six months (preferably one year) as you introduce your baby to solid food.

Baby eczema isn’t contagious, but because it’s intensely itchy, it is very uncomfortable, and scratching is a major problem. If untreated, the rash can be unsightly, so it may become embarrassing for the child and parents in social gatherings. Fortunately most children outgrow the itchy irritation of eczema before school age.

A key aspect is the use of emollients (moisturizers that soften the skin), particularly as substitutes for soap. In this way, the illness can sometimes be controlled. Moisturizers are classified based on their oil and water content. The more oil a moisturizer has the more effective it is in treating dry skin

Do follow the easy methods to treat your baby’s eczema and make her look like a princess.

How To Keep Your Baby Comfortable and Healthy in Summer

Summer has set in with the heat and you need to keep your baby cool and comfortable. Your baby’s health is most important and you need to protect your little one from all external conditions that would affect his health.

Choice of clothes

Select cotton clothes of light colors. Baby will be comfortable as it does not attract the heat and sweat does not get trapped which is a major cause for prickly heat to occur. Preferably use cotton nappies unless it cannot be avoided like traveling, attending a function. If you are using disposable nappy ensure baby is retained in cool environment.

Stay indoors during peak hours

To avoid the peak time of the sun’s heat, it is recommended that you do not go out between 10 am to 5 pm. In case situation demands you going out with the baby then wear suitable clothes, cover the baby’s head and keep away from direct sunlight as baby will feel drained and may fall sick due to the heat wave.

You can take the baby out in the evenings in his pram and show him the world around him. This will be a good exercise – walking schedule for the parents too.

Baby has to be given more liquids

Baby has to be given liquids in addition to milk. If baby is less than six months and exclusively breast fed there is no need to give boiled & cooled water separately. If baby is on formula feed you need to feed baby with water, coconut water or fruit juices in addition to milk. For kids above 8 months, appetite has increased, avoid buying food and drink from the road side vendors. Baby may fall sick due to unhygienic conditions at the stalls or the contaminated water used in the process and handling. Train babies to have homemade stuff. Carry water and food when you go out with the baby.

Avoid using excess talcum powder

Consult the doctor if baby skin has rashes. Apply coconut oil or olive oil while massaging your baby and to cool the baby’s skin. Wash away all oil during bath time. Consult a doctor for the right sunscreen to be used when you plan an outing.  Use a mild moisturizing soap. Apply talcum powder scarcely and after all moisture is wiped from the body.

Keep your baby from direct air of cooler or AC

Ensure your baby is way from direct cool air from the Air cooler or AC. This will ensure baby does not catch cold. After bathing your baby do not place him under high speed of fan or AC. Baby will feel cold and become uncomfortable.

Let baby enjoy bath time

You can give him extra bathes. Need not wet the hair and head, the body should be addressed. Place baby in a small bath tub and fill lukewarm water into the basin up to stomach level when baby sits in the tub. Never, ever leave the baby alone even for a single moment. Give him some water toys, your baby is going to enjoy this play in water and will definitely make noise for taking him out water

Protect baby from insect bites

Keep baby within mosquito nets. Insect bites will leave rashes on body that will swell and ooze. Summer is the time for allergies and health problems due to extreme hot conditions. Wear long sleeved clothes and full covered thin pyjamas. Avoid standing water in and around your house which lead to breeding of mosquitoes. Protect your home with mosquito mesh on windows and doors

Follow all precautionary measures to keep your baby healthy this summer. If your baby is comfortable he will play and be normal throughout the day. If he is uneasy with the heat he will definitely put you to task.

Read: How to keep your Baby Healthy during Weather changes?