Infantile eczema

Eczema dermatitis

Eczema is an inflammatory, chronically relapsing, non-contagious and extremely pruritic skin disease. It can occur at any age, any location, and in any season. It is generally believed to have a certain relationship with allergies.

The prevalence of atopic eczema is about 20% in Malaysia and Singapore and 90% of sufferers develop the condition before the age of 5 years. The incidence of eczema is on the rise, with as many as 1 in 4 children affected by it.

In Malaysia, prevalence of atopic eczema among primary school children was estimated to be around 12-13% in 2001. Atopic dermatitis is the commonest skin disease in childhood.

Symptoms of Infantile eczema

Dry itchy and scaly patches on flexion areas such as the elbow, knees, ankles, wrists and around the neck.
Repeated rubbing leads to skin thickening and exaggerated skin markings
Prominent skin creases on palms

What to do about infantile eczema

Bathing Practice
Avoid woolen toys and clothes or bedding.
Reduce or avoid use of detergent.
Avoid contact with animals such as cats and dogs, and prevent children from scratching their skin due to itching.
BCG is contraindicated till skin improves.
Swimming is useful but must apply moisturizer immediately upon exiting the pool.
Avoid eating allergic foods, insist on breastfeeding, and add complementary foods in time.
Mothers who have eczema in their babies do not have to be too anxious, as long as they pay more attention to the baby’s hygiene and eating habits in their daily life, it can be effectively prevented.

Can eczema be cured?

Treatment of any disease should be symptomatic on the basis of eliminating the cause. The main method of treating infantile eczema is symptomatic treatment of the rash and itching. Anti-rash can relieve skin damage and avoid skin infection ; antipruritic can relieve the child’s pain, avoid skin scratches, and also prevent infection.

At present, the really effective medicine is the ointment containing hydrocortisone hormone, and the preparation with 0.1% concentration is often used. Generally apply the ointment thinly on the rash 2 to 3 times, the rash can be significantly improved, and itching is also significantly reduced. Frequent application of body lotion after the rash improves can prolong the remission time.

Suitable milk powder for babies with eczema

If your baby has eczema, it is best to choose breastfeeding, because breastfeeding babies have a lower probability of allergies. The new mothers should pay attention to their diet, and eat less food that is allergenic such as seafood. Obesity can also cause babies to suffer from eczema, so parents should also avoid children being overweight.

When choosing milk powder, it must be suitable for the baby’s taste, and do not change the milk powder frequently. You need to choose the partially hydrolyzed formula, which is suitable for allergy-prone babies to drink, while deep hydrolysis and amino acid formula, this milk powder is suitable for the treatment of milk protein allergy.

References

Dermatological Society of Singapore. [cited 2021Feb09]. Available from: http://www.dermatology.org.sg/education/eczema/
Dyshidrosis [Internet]. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2018 [cited 2021Feb09]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyshidrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352342
Stasis Dermatitis [Internet]. Sickle Cell Anemia Differential Diagnoses. 2018 [cited 2021Feb09]. Available from: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1084813-overview#a6
What Is Wet Wrap Therapy for Eczema? [Internet]. The Eczema Company. [cited 2021Feb09]. Available from: https://www.eczemacompany.com/what-is-wet-wrap-therapy-for-eczema/
Azzimawati R. Eczema [Internet]. PORTAL MyHEALTH. 2017 [cited 2021Feb09]. Available from: http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/eczema/
Ministry of Health of Malaysia (CPG)