Baby eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is very common in babies. The statistics out there say that as many as 20% of all children will experience eczema at some point in their life.
There are some factors that can contribute to your baby getting eczema which includes, genetics, skin irritations and an environment reaction. A lot of times eczema in babies does resolve itself and go away with time. However, the time that the eczema stays around varies from baby to baby. Sometimes, children have eczema even into adulthood so figuring out what works for your child in the early years of eczema to get it under control is important. (1)
Symptoms of Eczema
The best ways to tell if your child has eczema is to take them to your pediatrician to have it diagnosed. Some common eczema signs include:
- Dry Skin
- Dry Patches
- Shows up in cheeks, creases and elbows
- Itchy and rough skin
Treating Eczema Naturally
When looking to treat or get your baby’s eczema under control naturally there are two main things to look at:
- How to keep the skin moisturized?
- What irritants are causing the flare up?
Moisturizing the Skin
When looking at moisturizers for your baby’s skin, this process might take the longest. Every skin reacts differently to moisturizers and this can be a trial and error process for you. The body creams to look at that are all natural are brands such as Weleda Baby which had calendula oil in their body lotion that is known to help with skin problems. There is also oils such as jojoba oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter or plain calendula oil. The main item to look for is “hypoallergenic” and no scent lotions since those can cause more irritation to already sensitive skin.
There are brands that have also created eczema skincare products for babies such as Aveeno and Eucerin. There is also a natural alternative to petroleum jelly you can buy such as Waxelene, at health food stores and some great DIY recipes for the petroleum jelly natural alternative you can make at home.
Baths
Babies with eczema do not need to be bathed everyday, since bathing strips the skin even more of the moisture that they need. When you do bathe your baby, it is important to avoid a bubble bath since this also strips the skin. The water temperature for the bath water is best to be lukewarm for eczema, because it hydrates and cools the skin. If your baby is exceptionally itchy, there is also an oatmeal bath you can try which involves oatmeal that you soak in a sack while your baby is in the bath.
Once the bath is done, the best way to keep the skin moist is to pat the baby dry and afterwards to apply the thick lotion or oil right away. Sometimes, if you choose to use oils such as coconut oil it can take a longer time to dry, therefore applying the thick lotion of choice or even the natural petroleum jelly can be a better choice.
Clothing
Wool clothing that does not let the skin breathe can cause more irritation to your baby. Detergent that you use can also cause the irritation in the skin if there is a strong scent to the detergent or it is not a hypoallergenic detergent. When it comes to clothes:
- No wool or synthetic material
- Cotton clothes are most breathable
- Double rinse sometimes if detergent is irritating
Feeding
If you are breastfeeding, then what you are putting into your body has a strong influence on your baby’s skin. Some mothers have found that changing their diets helps the baby eczema a lot. If your baby is already eating solids, looking at individual food that can cause the irritations and eliminating the food one at a time can help in determining which foods cause an eczema flare up. Some common food groups are dairy and gluten.
Some breastfeeding mothers have found that adding Omega 3s that can be found in Fish Oil or Cod Liver Oil supplements to do the trick, as well as adding more water to keep the skin hydrated.
Environmental Allergies
Different things that come up in seasons such as using the heater in the winter time or dust and pollen during spring has also been known to cause eczema flare ups. (2)
The main environmental triggers are known to be:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Pets
- Mold
Its always important to be aware of and know the allergens in order to keep the symptoms under control.
Itching Relief
Scratching can often make the eczema worse and lead to infection, but this is hard to do with babies since they are no aware of their actions. Your pediatrician might recommend over the counter medications such as hydrocortisone creams or anti-hystimines if the itchiness becomes excessive. Using hydrocortisone creams can also cause the skin to thin out, so looking at using them for a short period of time, only when needed is important. (3)
Also, looking at your baby’s fingernails and keeping them short will prevent them from causing more damage to their skin. If nighttime itching is a problem, then there are mittens that you can buy for your baby or simply putting baby socks over their hands can do the trick.
Nutrition and Lifestyle
Avoid all of the junk such as food colorings and additives found in most packaged foods. Also look for ways to cut back on sugar limiting only to 24 grams or less each day. There is also dairy that can be looked at to be cut out as it causes much inflammation so products like milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, or milk solids found in processed foods. Goat milk is another one that seems safe but is best to avoid it. It might be worth trying to remove dairy for 4-6 weeks and see if there are any changes.
The goal is not to avoid dairy forever but instead the goal is to provide the body time to heal and then reintroduce dairy.
If all the eczema symptoms are gone for 2-4 weeks then you can test a small amount of dairy to see if causes a flare up again.
If you need more guidance in this area, do not heistate to reach out!
Natural Remedies
Vitamin D – This vitamin is great in supporting the skin and immune health. Ask your doctor if the vitamin D levels are low and see which dose you can start them off on based on their age.
Zinc – Again ask your doc about this one and if you should continue it or start it. This is a mineral that is food for the skin and can be started with babies as young as 3 months.
Probiotic – Supporting the gut is important in eczema as it balanced the microbiome in the gut. You want to look into a potent probiotic for a proper result. Probiotics are usually good to start for kids after 12 months of age. For a potent probiotic I would usually wait until they are 2 yo but with eczema you can ask your doctor if you can start earlier. A special note on a probiotic is that if you are using a potent one and your child has a reaction then that might mean that they are histamine intolerant and might need a specific probiotic that is for histamine intolerance.
Safety
When to see the doctor? That is a great question. You want to look out for any infections in the skin so if your child is showing signs of increased pain or swelling, redness or tenderness. If there are read streaks extending from the area or any discharge with pus.
You also want to look out for things like their overall wellbeing and if the eczema is interfering with their sleep or any daily activities. I would also look at any fever that might accompany the eczema to see if maybe it is something else.
Final Thoughts
Eczema is very common in children. Most of the eczema is mild but can be severe with itching that is severe covering their whole body. These remedies and ideas are a great place to start with any child that has eczema. You can look into changing things and sticking with it for about 3 months.
If after 3 months you do not see any improvements then some other things need to be looked at like gut health or maybe potential mold toxicity.
Do not hesitate to reach out if you need further support.
God bless you and keep you always.
Krystina
