Occurence of Baby Eczema

Baby Eczema, also known as infantile seborrheic eczema or more commonly cradle cap, is a common condition affecting babies less than one year old. The exact cause of this disease is unknown. It usually starts on the scalp or the diaper area and quickly spreads. Although this type of eczema looks unpleasant, it is not sore or itchy and does not cause the baby to feel uncomfortable or unwell. Normally this type of eczema will clear in just a few months.

Many children suffer from infantile or atopic eczema, which is a common form of eczema that won’t stop itching. Infantile eczema is characterized by periods without symptoms followed by further outbreaks of differing severity.

Children who suffer from infantile eczema tend to have dryer skin than other children. They also have a high sensitivity to itching, combined with an increased risk of developing other atopic illnesses - asthma, hay fever and allergies. Most children outgrow their infantile eczema while others may continue to suffer from the condition more or less for the rest of their lives. It is not known what causes the disease, but for three quarters of sufferers infantile eczema, asthma, or hay fever run in the family. It is also common for children with the disease to suffer from asthmatic bronchitis, asthma, hay fever, or some other kind of allergic illness.

Atopic eczema usually becomes apparent before the child reaches the age of five, and most frequently appears when the child is between two and six months old.

Babies with infantile eczema tend to develop an itchy red rash on their cheeks. This spreads over the face, down the neck to the diaper area, and may also appear on the arms and legs. Because of the itching, the child may seem upset, fussy, or irritable, particularly at night or when they are tired.

The rash is normally dry, but if the skin becomes infected with bacteria the eczema will begin to produce pus. This is a danger signal, and you would be advised to consult your child’s doctor if this occurs.

When the child is one-and-a-half to two-years old, atopic eczema may follow a more typical pattern, with the rash appearing behind the knees and in the bends of the arms, wrists, ankles, and neck.

In adults, the typical symptoms are a variant of the pattern found in children. The eczema, dry on a base of thickened skin, normally appears on the torso and is often infected with skin bacteria.

A lot of people who suffer from an inherited tendency to develop allergies also show signs of so-called atopic stigmata: darkness around the eyes and a double furrow beneath them, cracks near the ear lobes and itchiness when wearing woolen clothing or fabrics containing some polyesters or polyester blends.

The goals for the effective treatment of infantile eczema is to try and avoid the triggers that start the rash and to keep the skin moisturized to help soothe the itching and the inflammation. For this reason, a key aspect is the use of emollients (skin softeners and soothers), particularly as substitutes for soap. In this way, the illness can sometimes be controlled. Listed below are some suggestions for avoiding common triggers:

  • Make lifestyle changes before a child is born. If either or both partners in a relationship has an atopic condition, discuss the condition with the family doctor or an allergy specialist before becoming parents. The doctor will be able to advise on diet, which may reduce a future child's risk of developing an allergy and, to a certain extent, infantile eczema.
  • Make sure the child wears cotton clothes - not woolen or synthetic items, which will cause sweating and skin irritation.
  • Wash clothes in fragrance-free detergent. If the local water is hard, add household vinegar when rinsing. Avoid fabric softeners.
  • Watch for infection. 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.
  • Treat known allergies in the child and try to avoid things or situations that make the allergies worse.
  • Understand that infantile eczema may not disappear. It needs constant treatment even when there are no symptoms. However, with consistent skincare a number of the more serious complications can be avoided.
  • Keep the body well hydrated to aid in moisture to the skin and reduce stress to the body.
  • Apply plenty of moisturizer several times a day. In the summer, this should be a relatively thin lotion, whereas in the winter a thick cream should be used.
  • Use non-soap based cleansers when washing the skin, for example aqueous cream. Moisturizers are safe and should be used frequently. Types of moisturizers that may be used include:
    1. Bath/baby oil*, with regular once or twice daily baths
    2. A soap substitute, such as aqueous cream
    3. A moisturizer applied liberally to all areas of dry skin, at least twice daily and if possible more frequently.

*NOTE: When choosing baby oil, it is best to choose one made from natural oils as many commonly available baby oils are made from liquid paraffin, which is a derivative of crude oil. Recent critical claims by various manufacturers and authorities have seen a decline in the use of paraffin in cosmetics.

Cradle Cap

Cradle cap appears as thick, crusty, yellow or brown scales over the child's scalp. Similar scales may also be found on the eyelids, ears, around the nose, and in the groin. Cradle cap may occur in newborns and small children up to the age of 3 years, and is a harmless, temporary condition caused by decreased function of a particular enzyme, resulting in a state similar to dandruff in adults.

Cradle cap is not contagious, nor is it caused by poor hygiene. It is not an allergy, and it is not dangerous. Cradle cap may or may not itch. If it itches, excessive scratching of the area may cause additional inflammation and breaks in skin may cause mild infections or bleeding.

Treating Cradle Cap in Infants:

  • Massage the baby's scalp gently with your fingers or a soft brush to loosen the scales and improve scalp circulation.
  • Give the child daily; gentle shampoos with a mild soap while scales are present. After scales have disappeared, you may reduce shampoos to twice weekly.
  • Be sure to rinse off all soap.
  • Brush your child's hair with a clean, soft brush after each shampoo and several times during the day.
  • If scales do not easily loosen and wash off, apply some mineral oil to the baby's scalp and wrap warm, wet cloths around its head for up to an hour before shampooing. Then shampoo as directed above. Remember that your baby loses a lot of heat through his scalp. If you use warm, wet cloths with the mineral oil, check frequently to be sure that the cloths have not become cold. Cold, wet cloths could drastically reduce your baby's temperature. If the scales continue to be a problem or concern, or if you child seems uncomfortable or scratches his scalp, contact your physician. He may prescribe a cream or lotion to apply to your baby's scalp several times a day.

Baby Acne

More than 30 percent of babies are born with, or more commonly, develop a rash soon after birth. There are various types of rashes, baby acne being one form. It tends to occur at about the same age as the baby's peak gas production and fussiness. These bumps are quickly fleeting evidence of the connection between the mother's body and the child. During the final moments of the pregnancy, the mother's hormones crossed the placenta into the child. This crossing of hormones aids the maturing of the baby’s lungs. It also stimulates the oil glands on the child’s skin, eventually giving rise to the baby acne.

Fleshy or red pimples can be present at birth, but typically appear at 3 to 4 weeks of age. They occur predominately on the cheeks, but are also quite common on the forehead and chin. Whiteheads are sometimes present. This condition tends to come and go until the baby is between 4 and 6 months old.

The acne will be most prominent when the baby is hot or fussy, which increases blood flow to the skin, or when its skin is irritated. If its skin comes into contact with cloth laundered in harsh detergents, or becomes wet from saliva or milk that it has spit up, the condition may appear worse for several days.

Gentle cleansing with water alone or a mild soap is usually the best 'treatment' until the baby's acne goes away. Avoid vigorous washing and scrubbing and using moisturizers and other creams and lotions, which can make baby acne worse. Since it looks worse than it makes the baby feel, it is usually best to just leave it alone and understand that it will eventually go away.

Often the baby's skin breaks out into pimples, and while most of the acne is in the form of red rash, whiteheads are also common. While the acne will be most visible on the face, a few pimples may appear on the chest and arms as well. If the child is agitated for some reason, heated up, or unwell, the rash may become more severe, causing further anxiety. Similarly, if the baby's skin is irritated, the rash will worsen. Take care not to wash the child's towels or bibs in harsh detergents, as these may irritate the skin if not carefully and completely washed off. Make it a point to gently clean out saliva or milk from its face, so they do not cause further irritation.

Clean the baby's face with water gently, and use a mild baby soap to wash its face. There is no need to rush around looking for a cure. Baby rash disappears on its own, with time, so applying oils and medications will not help, and are in any case, not required. In fact, applying oils will almost definitely cause the acne to worsen.

Make sure this is indeed acne, and the rash is not just because the baby is allergic to something. If it is thought that the child may have an allergy, keep a lookout for any possible allergens, and keep them away from the baby.

If the baby had tiny bumps on its face at birth that disappeared within two weeks, these are called milia and are unrelated to acne. If the breakout looks to have more of a rash or is scaly rather than pimply, or if it appears elsewhere on its body, the baby may have another condition, such as cradle cap or eczema.

Diaper Eczema

Diaper eczema, better known as diaper rash, is a sore, red rash which appears on skin that is covered by a diaper. A type of irritant contact dermatitis, diaper rashes are usually caused by prolonged contact with moisture. In addition, the bacteria found in bowel movements react with chemicals in urine and creates a build up of ammonia and other chemicals which can irritate the skin. There is no apparent link between diaper rash and cloth or disposable diapers.

The best treatment for diaper rash is to keep the area as clean and dry as possible. This requires frequent diaper changes. Gently cleanse the skin after a bowel movement using a mild soap, rinsing with warm water, and then drying the skin completely. If the skin is cracked, you can apply a barrier cream to protect the skin from moisture. It's recommended that you let the child's skin get as much air as possible. You can do this by letting the child nap without a diaper, placing a waterproof pad or open diaper under his or her bottom to protect the bed from urine or bowel movements while the child is sleeping. If you use cloth diapers, avoid plastic pants, which do not allow airflow. It's good idea to use disposable diapers at night because they pull the moisture away from the child's skin.

With treatment, diaper rashes should begin to heal within three days. Because a baby has a large ratio of skin to body weight, it is best to avoid steroid creams, which are absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin. Only use a steroid cream if recommended by your doctor for severe cases of diaper rash.

You can prevent diaper rash by changing diapers frequently so the skin stays dry. Applying a light layer of cornstarch may help to prevent diaper rash. Talcum powder should not be used because it can be inhaled and cause respiratory infections. If you wash your own cloth diapers, be sure to use bleach to sterilize the diapers. Contact your doctor if a diaper rash does not improve with treatment after several days.