Newborn babies are so fragile that any illness or disease is frightening. When an infant is diagnosed with eczema many parents feel overwhelmed. This is a common medical problem for infants though, and a great many outgrow the disease by toddlerhood and many more as they age beyond there as well. Only rarely will cases of eczema that are incurred in infant stages be lifelong problems. That does not mean that it isn’t necessary to stay abreast of treating this common skin condition. Most cases of infant eczema are either Atopic or Seborrehoeic.

Atopic eczema are causes that are caused by hereditary conditions, these are more likely to be longer lasting, and harder to get rid of, although still not necessarily a life sentence. Many of these cases are also caused by inherited allergies and can be cured through abstinence from such organic and inorganic matter that can bring on those allergies. In some cases a common allergy to cow’s milk that the infant’s digestive system cannot process is the culprit behind this form of eczema and substituting soy, or goat’s milk will completely erase the disease.

Seborrehoeic eczema is most often caused by an imbalance in biotin in the system. It can create a large scaly, almost waxy patch of skin on the scalp and is often referred to as ‘cradle cap’ in infants. Consistent washing with lukewarm water, and keeping the area dry goes a long way to preventing the development of this type of eczema, although your infant’s doctor may prescribe medications, or lotions to apply as well.

Infant with Eczema on the Facial Area

In some cases your child’s pediatrician may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications as well to help ease the itching and redness that are symptoms of the disease. While these drugs do not cure the problems they do tend to keep areas from spreading as it is very difficult to keep young children and infants from scratching itchy areas. Scratching the infected spots is the most common way for eczema to spread to other areas of the body.

Daily bathing, and in some cases twice daily if possible to thoroughly cleanse the area is necessary to keep bacteria from becoming a problem in the dry and cracked surface of the skin. If eczema is determined to be caused by dry air a good moisturizer will help to combat the effects and should be applied liberally after each bath. Some forms of eczema are aggravated by moisture and must be kept very dry. These tend to occur most in the hot and humid summer months.

If you child has a particularly bad case of eczema your pediatrician may recommend soaking warm clothes in a water and salt solution and wrapping it around the affected areas. Cloth diapers serve a great double purpose for this use as they are both non-abrasive, and very absorbent.

The most important aspect for parents to remember when dealing with this, or any form of childhood illness is it is not your fault. Illnesses happen to children of all ages. Eczema occurs in 10 to 20 percent of children under the age of five and is not contagious, or normally life-threatening. As with all medical conditions, seek out the advice of your child’s physician, and that along with careful attention and diligence will allow you to help your child get through the discomfort and go on to lead normal healthy lives.