It can be suddenly terrifying to see crusty, red patches start to appear on your baby’s sensitive skin. While it is easy to panic, rest assured that it is actually quite common and there is a very good chance that your baby will simply outgrow the condition. But what can you do to improve your baby’s skin and to alleviate this itchy little rash?
Eczema can appear almost anywhere on the body, legs, arms, face, even in those little joints where it can become sore. There are many reasons why it can happen including heredity as this can play a part as to whether your child gets eczema. But there are other reasons too, and it might be that your baby is not producing enough ceramides and these are the cells that provide a protection to the skin. Insufficient amounts mean that the skin becomes dry.
If this is not the case, take a look at these other potential causes:
- Stress can certainly lead to itchy and flushed skin
- Irritations are common, perfumes, soaps, clothes can all serve to trigger a flare-up
- Heating in the home can also cause low-humidity and to dry out the air and skin.
- If your baby gets too hot and sweats, this can also make the skin itchy and make the eczema worse.
- Allergies are also considered a possible trigger and you could try to remove certain food types such as eggs, peanuts or indeed, cow’s milk.
Scratching can make the soreness of any rash worse so try to prevent your baby from scratching, you can do this by keeping their fingernails short or use scratch mittens. But, there are other ways to ease the itch and to stop the eczema getting worse such as bathing the baby only in warm water to prevent the natural oils in the skin from being stripped.
Use mild soaps – make sure they are unscented and avoid rubbing your baby’s skin, instead pat dry. Buy a natural moisturizer and apply while your baby still has wet skin.
Oatmeal baths can be very useful to help alleviate itching and are simple to prepare. Just blend a small amount of store-bought oats until they become a powder, then sprinkle into the bathwater until it has a more cloudy look to it. Bathe the baby for about 10-20 minutes in the solution.
Coconut oil is also considered to be very effective in treating eczema.
The more natural your approach, the better the chance of your baby suffering less with eczema so try out these simple solutions today and see how they can make a difference when it comes to your little one’s skin.
“Image courtesy of [Ohmega1982] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
