Recognizing Baby Eczema Symptoms
Signs of eczema can appear as early as 2 months after birth
Eczema symptoms vary widely depending upon a person’s age. Generally, eczema is a condition that causes reddened, irritated and itchy skin, sometimes resulting in cracks, flakes and even lesions. Baby eczema or atopic dermatitis is the most common form and is usually found in newborns and infants. In babies, these symptoms can manifest themselves from 2-6 months after a child is born.
In babies, eczema usually shows on the forehead and cheeks, forearms and legs and on the neck and scalp while in older children it also appears on the insides of knees and elbows. In grownups, baby eczema symptoms can include blisters with oozing and crusting and even ear discharge or bleeding. Because eczema causes itching, scratching the skin can produce raw areas leading to lichenification or thickened skin.
Aside from baby eczema or atopic dermatitis, there are other types of eczema which manifest their own individual symptoms. Among these are contact eczema, seborrheic eczema, nummular eczema, neurodermatitis, stasis dermatitis and dyshidrotic eczema.
The symptoms of nummular eczema are round patches of irritated skin that get very itchy. They usually appear on the arm, back, buttocks and lower legs and become crusted or scaly. Nummular eczema is not very common, comes and goes, and occurs mostly in old men with a history of atopic dermatitis, asthma or allergies.
Neurodermatitis is a type of eczema that starts in a specific part of the skin with an itch, as from an insect bite. When scratched, the skin becomes very irritated and inflamed. It finally turns into scales found on the head, wrists, forearms and legs. Neurodermatitis occurs mostly in adults and affects women more than men.
The symptoms of stasis dermatitis are irritated skin on the lower legs. The condition is recognized by itching and discoloration on the skin of the legs. As it progresses, stasis dermatitis can cause blisters, skin lesions and ulcers. Afflicting older people, stasis dermatitis is found in almost 7% of people over fifty years old. This condition is sometimes referred to as varicose eczema because it is related to problems with blood circulation in the legs.
Dyshidrotic eczema symptoms appear as irritations and clear blisters on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. More common during the spring and summer months, it affects up to 20% of people with hand eczema.
Causes of most types of eczema are still unknown. However, identifying eczema symptoms correctly can greatly help in finding the right treatment for the condition that is available.
Different Types of Eczema in Babies
Atopic dermatitis isn’t the only one that affects babies
Although infantile or baby eczema, medically called atopic dermatitis, is most common there other types of eczema in babies. Eczema is a skin condition characterized by redness and skin irritation leading to rashes, bumps and even skin lesions. It is often found in infants and manifests symptoms as early as two months after a child’s birth. The most prevalent form is atopic dermatitis although there are many other types which can affect babies.
Contact eczema produces redness, itching and burning sensations in a localized part of the skin. It is caused by the skin coming into contact with a substance that produces allergic reactions, or with common irritants like acids and other chemicals. Other items that may cause contact eczema in babies are soaps and detergents, jewelry, cosmetics and fragrances. Different people are allergic to different things making it difficult to pinpoint the source of contact eczema in babies. A process of elimination of the things a baby gets in contact with is the most practical way of isolating the cause of this type of baby eczema.
Seborrheic eczema is another common type of eczema in babies. Also a condition with an unknown cause, seborrheic eczema manifests itself usually as dandruff or cradle cap in babies. Yellowish, oily and scaly patches appear on the scalp, face and other parts of the body. This condition tends to run in families and is aggravated by oily skin, weather conditions and emotional stress.
Dishydrotic eczema produces blisters on the palms and soles that itch and burn. Although it affects grown ups most of the time, it can occur at any age. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men and it is more common in warmer climates, and during the spring and summer months. Dishydrotic eczema, too, has no known cause.
The prevention or treatment of eczema in babies calls for keeping the skin from becoming dry or getting in contact with irritating substances. Avoiding frequent hot baths, the use of scented soaps and baby products will minimize the baby’s exposure to chemicals that can cause flare ups. Excessive scrubbing and dressing a child up in coarse and irritating fabrics like wool can help ease the discomfort caused by eczema. Keep the baby away from known allergen like certain foods, dust, carpets and maybe even pets.
Because a baby’s natural tendency is to scratch an itchy spot, keep your baby’s fingernails short. Put light gloves on your baby to prevent scratching instinctively at night. Apply a cool compress to areas of the skin when they start to itch. Drinking plenty of water adds moisture to the skin and will help prevent or alleviate eczema in babies.
Baby Eczema Causes and Treatments
It’s hereditary and many things can aggravate it
There are a lot of unanswered questions about baby eczema causes that stand in the way of finding a proper treatment. The skin condition, also know as atopic dermatitis, can manifest itself as early as 2 months after the baby is born and affect about 20% of young children. Slightly more common in girls than boys, the child usually gets over the problem by the age of three.
Eczema causes are attributed to genetic influences aggravated by the environment. A defect of the skin that prevents it from acting properly as a barrier, as well as a flaw in the body’s immune system are also being identified as possible eczema causes. Studies indicate that persons suffering from baby eczema belong to families with a history of allergies and are prone to developing asthma later in life.
Baby eczema may come and go pointing to environmental factors as eczema causes that can trigger flare ups. Among the more common eczema causes of this type are soaps and detergents, fabrics, fragrances and dyes that a person comes in contact with. Acidic foods like dairy products and tomatoes and even tobacco smoke may contribute to the condition. Excessive heat, perspiration or a dry winter air are also possible eczema causes. In other words, once you have baby eczema, almost anything around you can trigger a flare up.
Because eczema causes are not definitely pinpointed, treatments of the condition vary. There is no known cure and medications are meant to address the symptoms. Cortisone treatments in the form of creams or ointments are commonly used with good results. In more serious cases, oral or parenteral cortisone medication is prescribed at a greater risk of side effects like atrophy of the skin.
Based on an immune system deficiency as one of the eczema causes, immunomodulators are a treatment option gaining popularity among dermatologists. Concerns about possible skin cancer resulting from the treatment have been overcome by the significantly dramatic results alleviating the suffering of young children afflicted by baby eczema. Immunosuppressants are another form of medication directed at addressing the immune system deficiency in the case of severe eczema.
On a different level, treatments for eczema include antihistamines to relieve itching, moisturizers to prevent excessive drying of the skin, light therapy with UVA and UVB lamps. Lifestyle changes are also suggested, in the light of findings that food allergies may contribute to eczema outbreaks. As long as baby eczema causes remain a question mark, the search for treatments of the condition will have to go on.
