Sunday, April 18, 2010

Eczema for Baby: How to Cure your Baby's Eczema

Chronic red, itchy, dry skin is often diagnosed as eczema. When eczema affects a baby, is it particularly difficult to treat because all treatment must come from the parent and it is up to the parent to keep the baby from scratching at itself. Around 20 percent of all babies have eczema to some extent. But you will be relieved to know that for most infants with eczema, the condition usually improves by age 2 and only 60 percent of cases continue on into adulthood, usually with less severity.

We still do not know enough about eczema to understand of the causes, but many are known and these causes can vary drastically from person to person. Genetics certainly play a role, so if eczema or undiagnosed skin conditions are present in your family tree, there is a higher possibility eczema for baby will affect your child. Other factors, beyond genetics, can play a role in if your baby gets eczema or not. Making changes to a baby's life like the food they eat or the clothes they wear can greatly impact how much eczema for baby will be endured.

If you really want to help relieve eczema for baby, you need to get to the root of the trouble. Fabric, which touches your baby's skin all day long in some form or fashion, can be a source of skin irritation. Purchasing clothing and bedding made from organic cottons is an option. For those of you who find these organic products too highly priced, there is an experiment you can conduct with the baby clothes you already have. Always to be sure to wash new clothing or bedding before putting it on your baby. Dyes and chemicals are at their strongest in clothing before their first cleaning.

You should review the food your baby eats. Allergens can be a big cause of eczema and food allergies are the biggest among them. Babies who are breast fed experience far less eczema then babies fed with formula. An excellent decision is to make as much of your baby's food as possible so that he is not ingesting the artificial flavors and preservatives found in packaged baby foods.

When it comes time to give you baby a bath, the decisions you make can have a big influence on a child's eczema. Make sure you are using nothing hotter than lukewarm water, anything warmer will dry the skin out quickly. Choose an unscented organic soap or a traditional fat based soap (like one made with olive oil), these soaps are gentlest on skin while still cleaning effectively.



You can learn more about eczema for baby and ways to fight it by visiting this website.