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Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is a benign skin disease that affects 2,5 million people in France. 15% of infants would be affected by this pathology, which fortunately mostly disappears before the age of 3, at least before puberty.
How to recognize eczema in babies?
Atopic dermatitis causes very dry patches on the skin of our infant, which itch very much. From inflammatory flare-ups multiply these red and oozing patches. In most cases, they are localized around the face, in the folds of the wrists, elbows or knees and in the back or on the buttocks. The skin, prone to infections, is then covered with rash, then small blisters are formed, before the appearance of whitish crusts.
If the link is not yet explained, studies show that children who have developed eczema from an early age suffer, in 50% of cases, from asthma when they grow up or, in 30% of cases, from allergic rhinitis.
Why does my baby have atopic dermatitis?
These patches are extremely itchy for babies, who are often cranky, cry a lot and can’t fall asleep. The main cause of eczema is genetic, but aggravating factors can also come into play such as another allergy or the decrease in the degree of humidity of the air in winter. The first plaques may appear during the first ten weeks of life baby.
What products to treat eczema in babies?
Once the diagnosis has been made with your pediatrician or a dermatologist, you must find the right products to relieve baby. Inflammatory flare-ups are usually treated with cortisone, with topical corticosteroids.
On a daily basis, we can reduce the inflammatory risk by moisturizing our baby’s skin well and by adapting its environment: we ban carpet on the walls, double curtains, furry animals, and we look for a potential other source of allergy, often food.
Which cream, ointment or lotion to use?
Your caregiver will prescribe the cream to use in case of an inflammatory flare, containing cortisone. They will adapt the form and dose of this cream according to the age of your child, the severity of the lesions and their location on the baby’s body. In general, this cream should be applied for 2 to 3 days, and never more than 6 days following.
Here are the products that can be prescribed for your infant:
- Bétamethasone biogaran and cream
- betesil
- Betneval
- Diprosone
- Efficort
- Epitopic
- Flixovate
- Locoïd
- Nerisone or Nerisone C
- Dermafusone
- Locapred
- Locatop
- Tridesonite
What emollient in daily treatment?
Emollients are particularly effective against dry skin since they hydrate and soften the tissues. They can be used on the skin of an infant. It is recommended to choose a formula containing as few excipients (substances other than the active substance) as possible. They are at apply after bathing, on slightly damp skin. Among the products suitable for newborns, we find:
- Mustela Stelatopia Emollient Cream with Organic Sunflower
- Mustela Stelatopia Emollient Face Cream, is perfectly suitable for eyelid eczema
- Dexatopia
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Arrow
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Biogaran
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Cristers
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin EG
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Mylan
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Pierre Fabre Santé
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Sandoz
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Teva
- Glycerol / Vaseline / Paraffin Zentiva
What additional moisturizer to relieve eczema?
It is important that our baby’s skin stays hydrated. You can therefore use a moisturizer twice a day, in addition to its specialized cream based on topical corticosteroids. This cream must be adapted to skin sensitivity of our child and contain no coloring, fragrance, preservatives, peanut, almond or sesame oil, wheat or egg protein. Here are some examples :
- Mustela Stelatopia with Organic Sunflower: in washing oil
- Mustela Stelatopia with Organic Sunflower: in washing gel
- Abcderm Cold cream: as a nourishing cream
- Aderma Exomega control: as a balm, sterile balm, cream, sterile cream, milk, sterile milk or spray
- Aderma Primalba: as a 24 hour hydration cocoon cream
- Aderma Xeraconfort: in nourishing anti-dryness cream
- Atoderm intensive: as an ultra soothing balm for face and body, EYE cream or cream gel
- Avene cold cream: in face and body cream
- Avene Xeracalm AD: in sterile cosmetic relipidant balm or sterile cosmetic relipidant cream
- Cicabiafine: Moisturizing anti-irritation body cream
- Codexial Repairing balm
- Codexial Emulsion relipidante
- Dexyane med: as a soothing repairing cream
- Eczebio Liniment sensitive and dry areas
- Eucerin Aquaphor: as a skin repairing balm
- Eucerin Atopicontrol corps: en baume
How to relieve baby’s itching?
We can apply cool water compresses on the red areas to reduce the itching of our child. It is also recommended to make sure that the bath water is lukewarm, but that the bath lasts less than 10 minutes. It can also be a greasy bath : we dilute a tablespoon of petroleum jelly (bought in pharmacies) in water at 36 degrees, and we gently massage his skin for ten minutes in the bath.
For soaps and detergents, we turn to the most natural products possible, fragrance and dye free. We also make sure that our baby’s nails are perfectly cut so that he does not hurt himself by wanting to scratch, or we put small cotton gloves on him.
In case of unbearable itching, your pediatrician may prescribe topical corticosteroids in addition anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressants (such as cyclosporine or tacrolimus). Syrup containing antihistamines may also be prescribed for an allergy. If the inflammatory area is infected, local antibiotics can be prescribed in addition: they are not essential, and it depends on the situation.
In all cases, topical corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressants, antihistamines or possible antibiotics should prescribed to you by your pediatrician. It is strongly discouraged to use it without the prior advice of a caregiver. The diagnosis of eczema must also be made by these health professionals.
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