The Scary Eczy
The minute our baby arrives, we start hearing a lot about infant eczema, like, a lot! We hear that it is itchy, it is dry, it gets flaky and bloody (eek!), it is suffering, to say the least – both for bub and the mum.
And then one fine day, the patch of dry skin we’ve been monitoring on our child’s arm starts getting redder and drier. Is it? Could it be? No… no, it can’t be! Before we know it, our baby starts developing the darn skin condition and we are at a loss!
“Why is this happening to my child? Why is he itching the way he does? Will the condition ever go away? What can I do?” – these are but a few frustrating questions we ask incessantly – mostly to ourselves, like a broken tape recorder, into the still of the night.
Understanding Eczema
The big, scary word “eczema” is actually a common term that describes various inflammatory skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema (that’s foot and hand eczema), and scalp eczema (yes, that’s cradle cap in infants); while the word “atopic” indicates a form of allergy.
It is believed that eczema is a result of an immune system dysfunction, thus affecting the skin barriers’ ability to hold in moisture. Now babies are prone to the condition, not necessarily due to the said dysfunction in their immune system, it could also be because of their thinner skin barrier that is not able to hold moisture, leading to reactions towards irritants and allergens.
To date, scientists and researchers do not know yet the exact causes of eczema in babies other than the condition is likely due to genetic and environmental factors.
Now, that’s a wide scope to narrow down to, right? There are, however, a few things that we can look into to understand what causes the onset of the condition and what are some common triggers to better manage eczema, preventing it from getting worse.
The Triggers
There are many external or environmental factors that cause the baby’s immune system or skin to respond to the irritants as if his or her body is under the attack of harmful elements, this reaction is what gives the result of inflamed, angry-looking skin.
Below is a list of triggers parents may want to pay attention to and eliminate them from either their diet or living environment to alleviate the condition:
- High allergen foods like peanut, eggs, seafood, caffeine, etc
- Second- and third-hand cigarette smoke
- Pet dander
- Dust mite
- Fragrances found in household products such as laundry detergents, perfumes, hand sanitisers, shower foams, shampoos, etc.
- Heat
- Humidity
- Drool
- Sweat
The Cure… or Is There Any?
There is really no other way to put this out gently other than there is no cure for eczema, but the good news is, the condition usually improves over time. What parents can do then, is to take preventive measures.
Besides removing food and environmental triggers, here are a few things parents can do to help their baby cope with eczema.
- Stress can cause a flare-up, so try keeping your child calm with lots of cuddles and hugs, calming music, speak in a soothing voice, and comfortable room temperature and ventilation.
- Keeping your baby’s fingernails checked and clipped regularly; wear mittens for him when he sleeps to prevent scratching.
- Give time in the day to let your child “air out” without clothing on, making sure your child doesn’t catch a cold or get too sweaty.
- Dress your baby in breathable clothing, avoid swaddling her up too snuggly in the daytime.
- Keep the room at a consistently cooling temperature to avoid excessive sweating.
- Avoid long, hot baths; hot water dries out the skin, so a 10-minute bath in warm water is sufficient.
- Use unscented cleansers and moisturizers with gentle, mild formulas.
There Is Only One…
Speaking of gentle, mild formula, how do we determine that? Mild body and hair shampoos are those that contain weaker detergents and surfactants, these are what we call the cleansing agents, they help remove oil and dirt.
When shopping for gentle cleansers, parents may want to consider one that also contains natural oils or botanical extracts to keep your baby’s skin hydrated and moisturized.
Cetaphil is an established, trusted brand by mums all over the world, throughout the ages. The pediatrician-recommended Cetaphil Baby’s Moisturizing Bath & Wash and Daily Lotion proves to soothe and moisturize with ingredients like aloe vera and shea butter.
Made by skin experts, it is formulated to protect your baby’s delicate skin from irritants while soothing sensitive and dry skin.
Cetaphil comes in a wide range of products for your baby’s skincare needs:
- Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath and Wash
- Cetaphil Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo
- Cetaphil Baby Gentle Daily Lotion
- Cetaphil Baby Shampoo
Not only that, Cetaphil Baby’s Daily Lotion with Shea Butter has also been awarded Try & Review’s Baby Category Grand Winner, voted by trusted Malaysia mums.
You may check out Cetaphil’s Baby products range and many of its skin-loving products at their e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada now!
As parents, all we want is to give our little bub the best of everything, why not start by including this simple 2-steps routine in your child’s bathtime for a calmer, happier baby? Giving our children’s skin the best care, Cetaphil’s formula is the answer.