8 Top Tips to Help a Child with Eczema ...

By Alison

8 Top Tips to Help a Child with Eczema ...

Childhood eczema is a pretty miserable experience. My own niece suffered from it when she was young. It´s hard enough as an adult to stop yourself scratching, so imagine how miserable it must be for a young child! Fortunately many do grow out of their childhood eczema, but in the meantime, here are some tips on how to help a child with eczema.

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1

Frequent Moisturising

It´s important to keep the skin of an eczema sufferer well moisturised. Ointments or creams are better than lotions. Always use fragrance-free products, as perfume can irritate, and don´t forget to apply them after your child has a bath. Also, keep up the habit of moisturising, even when the eczema is not as bad.

2

Exclusion Diet

An exclusion diet can sometimes identify a dietary cause for childhood eczema. Cow´s milk and eggs are common problems. It´s important though, if a trigger is identified, to carry on treating the eczema with creams and other methods, as changing the diet alone is not enough.

3

Homeopathy

When you´re wondering how to help a child with eczema, alternative therapies and natural remedies can be very helpful. Homeopathy is best prescribed by a trained practitioner, as they can select the most appropriate remedy for the child. Each person is different, which is why buying a remedy over the counter may not be effective.

4

Oatmeal Baths

Oatmeal is not just nutritious in your diet; it can also be very beneficial for calming irritated skin when used externally. Eczema is just one of the many skin conditions that can be helped with an oatmeal bath. See health.howstuffworks.com for how to make one.

5

Hemp Oil

A friend of mine had a child with eczema, and found hemp oil was beneficial in treating it. Hemp oil contains essential fatty acids. It can either be taken straight from the spoon, or used in food, but should not be heated, as this reduces its effectiveness.

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6

Avoid Detergents

Laundry detergents and soap/bath products can be a big problem for sufferers of skin problems like eczema, as they take away the skin´s natural oils. So it´s best to use soap substitutes like emollient creams for your child´s bath. As for laundry, try non-bio products and avoid fabric conditioner.

7

Dietary Alternatives

Childhood eczema can sometimes be related to diet. A common factor in these cases is cow´s milk. My niece´s eczema was helped by putting her onto soy baby milk, instead of the regular version. Goat´s milk may also be better tolerated by children with eczema.

8

Calming Creams

Steroid creams should be a last resort, as they thin the skin. There are lots of natural alternatives that may help a child with eczema. In fact, some mothers of eczema sufferers have created their own creams – look at naturewithin.com.au or briaorganics.co.uk for a couple of examples.

It is hard for parents to know how to help a child with eczema. The poor little mites really do suffer. There is no magic cure, but there are lots of methods of alleviating the condition. So if your child has eczema, try different ways and see what helps. Did you suffer from childhood eczema yourself, and grow out of it, or does your own child have it?

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I had eczema as a kid, and these suggestions are spot on. I will say getting a scratch test from a dermatologist is important too. That way you can pinpoint the issues a little better, but also be aware of your reactions when you eat. And also, be aware that allergies/sensitivities can change. When I was young, I would turn beet red while eating tomatoes, now tomatoes are fine but I itch when I eat soy. Finally, what the doctors never told my mother when I was young and got prescribed steroid cream was that you can't get too much sun after using it because your skin will be very blotchy! And one more, I had eczema on my hands so I would put a lot of lotion on my hands and wear cotton gloves while sleeping at night. That certainly helped.

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