How to Treat Eczema in Babies

Very little is talked about in regards to eczema in infants. After all, what we normally expect as parents is that glowing bundle of joy and very little problems in the way of skin. The good news is that although baby eczema is not talked about very often, it isn't a rare skin condition for infants and treating baby eczema can be very easy to do. In fact, eczema is the most common skin condition in children and infants out there.

So what is eczema anyway? Eczema is nothing more than dry skin that looks as though it is irritated. Much like psoriasis, the dry skin that eczema creates could start to scale off the skin. In extreme cases, bleeding sometimes does occur. Eczema typically occurs in the folds of skin in the elbows and behind the knees as well as the face and hand although it can show up anywhere. In infants, eczema typically "weeps" and a crust can form and it has the appearance of a rash.

Most of the time there are triggers that cause eczema in infants. It could be something as minor as a slight rubbing of the skin, an allergic reaction to clothes detergents, dog or cat dander, smoking, household dust, ect...ect... the list actually could go on and on. The secret to treating infant eczema is to locate and identify the trigger that causes it.

How to treat Infant Eczema
If you have identified the trigger, then chances are good that you can rid your baby of the rash that eczema creates. But what if you haven't? Are there ways to treat eczema if it is a problem now? The answer is yes. You see, eczema basically robs the infant's skin of moisture in the affected areas. So treating it is as easy as doing things that either enhance the moisture in the area or in the very least don't leech more of the moisture from the skin.

Here are some tips:

Limit long baths. A long bath will rob your baby's skin of moisture. Worse still, harsh soaps can actually aggrevate eczema or cause it to happen. A better option is to take luke warm water and a little mild soap like dove and give short and frequent baths. An even better option is to NOT use soap and simply sponge bathe the baby with short, frequent baths.

A moisturizing lotion may go a long way to treating babies suffering with eczema- Apply this immediately after bathing 2 times a day. Alpha Keri and Lubriderm are two very good moisturizers that are made for sensitive skin and are good for infants.

Use a humidifier in the baby's room- A humidifier will prevent dryness and is an all around good investment you can own when you have a child.

In the middle of an inflamed eczema episode, applying low grade cortisone cream is okay but don't use every day and once the condition is under control, stop using it.

That is it. Treating Baby Eczema is very easy and treatable and if you have an infant with it, chances are you can just ask another parent. It really is that common.