Although it is known that eczema is caused by a reaction to a substance and it affects the body’s immune system, the real cause is still to be discovered. Although it can be hereditary, it can also happen when a person comes into contact with something that causes the body to react by producing a rash. The condition of baby eczema cause distress to the child as the rash becomes more irritated leading to a scaly appearance and eventual cracking. in the USA as many as twenty percent of infants will be treated for this complaint at some point.

In the majority of these cases, the condition resolves by the time they reach two years of age. Not every child is so lucky and it can follow them into adulthood when the condition may even become severe. Although this skin disorder can affect someone at any stage in their life, it is most prevalent in infants. As many as a third of all sufferers developed the condition before they were twelve months old,

Seen as a red, itchy and scaly rash, baby eczema is usually of the more common atopic eczema variety. A lack of moisture within the baby’s skin is often thought to be the trigger to atopic eczema, which is often a hereditary condition. Washing powder is also known to trigger attacks but fabric conditioners can also have a similar effect. In some instances it would seem that breastfeeding seems to protect the child from baby eczema as opposed to those mothers who stop this practice prematurely.

However, other problems the baby might have including those of a respiratory nature or an associated medical condition could also act as an asthma trigger. Studies have also shown that it may be more common in those infants who suffer from allergic rhinitis or food allergies, or whose mothers suffer from asthma. Food allergies are thought to account for up to 30 percent of childhood cases,if a particular food is suspected as the likely cause, that food can then be removed from the diet. some of these groups are mentioned below:

Marine foods including shellfishDairy products, especially milkWheatAny type meal prepared using eggsAny meals or candy etc.

Physicians are also aware that baby eczema can also be caused when the child is given antibiotics after their birth. Treating babies requires a little more thought as they cannot tell us what irritates them so only bath them in lukewarm water and use fragrance free, hypoallergenic creams.Once out of the bath they need to be dried off carefully and then clothed in a soft natural cotton fabric which should prevent irritation. Keeping the baby’s finger nails short is an important point not to overlook as they can inadvertently scratch inflamed skin making the situation worse. Antihistamines to ease the itching sensation can be prescribed by a pediatrician in more severe cases of baby eczema,steroid creams can also be used for a short period to help heal the skin. It is not yet possible to completely cure this skin complaint but at least a number of treatments can help ease the situation.

The skin complaint known as Eczema causes the upper layers of skin to become inflamed. These rashes are characterized by redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, with possible crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or even bleeding. Eczema treatment is often tacked initially by drugs that stop someone from itching which then in turn reduces the situation worsening by scratching.

Moisturizing creams and lotions are used to help ensure the dry skin. This is the most important self-care treatment that one can use in atopic eczema because the use of anything that may dry out the skin or that removes natural oils from the skin should be discontinued. Emollients or moistening agents can be applied and can vary in thickness depending on the condition of the skin they are to be used on. Some emollients can actually compound the situation like aqueous cream for example as they actually make dry skin worse. For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid cream or ointment may be used like Hydrocortisone or Desonide corticosteroids; although they do not cure eczema, they are highly effective eczema treatments, controlling or suppressing the symptoms in most cases.

Warnings are always given when using corticosteroids though as their overuse will often make the skin become more fragile and make the condition worse than it was. Research has shown that one of the reasons for Eczema could be the type of diet the sufferer has and any allergic reactions they may have to certain foodstuffs. For these people, identifying the allergens could allow an avoidance diet, although this approach is still in an experimental stage. Those foods indicated in being Eczema triggers are wheat, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, Soya, coffee and nuts but varies from individual to another. There are now thousands of people who have found benefits from taking aloe vera supplements to relieve the symptoms of eczema.

Non-conventional medical approaches to eczema treatment include traditional herbal medicine and alternative therapies. Patients should inform their doctor, allergy consultant or dermatologist if they are pursuing one of these treatment routes. Eczema using either of these alternatives will still face similar efficacy problems to conventional medicine. The use of antibiotics for the treatment of Eczema has happened owing to the fact that open skin would allow the entry of harmful bacteria.

This can also be a problem for Eczema victims who have a problem refraining from scratching as they are liable to just infect other areas as well. Tender, often open skin which is infected this way will just take longer to heal unless the proper antibiotic is given quickly. A more recent form of Eczema treatment is the use of light, normally UVA but often UVB and Narrow band UVB can also help on occasion. On the negative side though, we now know that exposure to UVA light can cause skin cancer after prolonged exposure. If you want more information on Eczema treatments you would be advised to seek help from your doctor.