Eczema is a common skin condition, it is a form of dermatitis,or inflammation of the skin (epidermis). The term eczema s broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions. These include dryness and recurring skin rashes which are characterized by one or more of these symptoms:redness, skin edema (swelling), itching and dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding.
Sometimes the excema can get so severe (infections etc) that the child needs to be hospitalised.
There are many different types of excema but the main issuse is that there are no known cure for eczema so treatments aim to control reduce inflammation and relieve itching (control the symptoms).
My experience of excema comes from the fact thatl I'm a parent with a child (13mths old) who has severe excema and so the information what I share here is not medical. It's simply describing to you what works for my child from my personal experience since my child first got diagnosed with having excema (when she was about 5 weeks old) and hoping that perhaps this information also assists you in some way.
Also if you are a nanny or babysitter who carers for a child with excema you will also need to learn and know how to manage this condition.
What do you do if your baby has excema?
First up is go to your doctor who may prescribe cortisone cream in varying strengths (perhaps Elocon or even Advantan for the body and a weaker cream for the face). Although the creams say apply sparingly (as the creams are said to thin the skin) my experience from talking to dermatologists is that they many say apply the cream "as needed" i.e. when your child has excema hit the excema hard and fast to get it under control.
Although most excema is not caused by reactions to foods I would suggest that if you are unable to keep on top of the excema (is it keeps happening no matter what you do) then ask your doctor (if they havent examined this already) if your child may be allergic to something in her/his environment and therefore would benefit from allergy testing (for example a Skin Prick Test).
If you doctor says no that they don't think the excema is severe enough for allergy testing or that they do not think the excema is caused by an allergic reaction but you would still like the test to be done and/or you think otherwise do not be afraid to get a second opinion. This is your childs health you are talking about after all.
Allergy testing and excema
The Skin Prick Test is done by a specialist (dematologist) therefore you will need a referral from your GP. If you have a referral you can get the test done public (through local children's hospital for example) or done private (ie. you pay). Sometimes the waiting time for getting the test done public is long so it can be worth your while if you are able to to get the test done private.
The test does not hurt and only takes 15mins or so. It is not a 100% accurate but is reasonably accurate.
My daughter had the test when she was 5months old after needing to be hospitalised with her excema and we learnt valuable information like how to do wet dressings in order to manage an outbreak. We discovered she was allergic to peanuts, cows milk, egg and wheat. She was getting all these foods through breast milk (so in some situations milk is not always best!). After we discovered her allergies I had to exclude all the above foods from my diet so they did not pass through into the breast milk. Within a few days her skin had improved remarkably.
Now her skin is great. She rarely needs wet dressings (see below for more information) and steroid cream although every night and morning I put a moisturizer - Dermeze - developed by the Royal Children Hospital (Melbourne) on her entire body as well as ensure I do not dress her too warmly or tightly.
Working with your babysitter or nanny in managing your child's excema
Managing your child's excema takes practise and patience and if you have a babysitter and / or nanny you will also have to work with them in bringing them up to speed on how to implement your child's excema management plan in your absence. You may need to make them aware of how to dress your child (only cotton clothing near the skin for example), how to apply wet dressings if need be and the importance of regular moisturising of the skin. You may even like to download the excema management plan below and share with them.
Remember that there is a lot of information and resources out particularly in your local childrens hospital . Good luck.
