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Eczema sufferers are believed to have a problem with their immune system which causes the condition but as yet no-one has discovered how this occurs. This skin complaint is usually triggered by an adverse reaction to a substance, foodstuff or chemical etc. Although eczema can occur on many parts of the body, with baby eczema, it is usually first noticed on their face. In the United Sates of America, up to one in every five infants will be affected by this skin condition.

In the majority of these cases, the condition resolves by the time they reach two years of age. A small percentage of children will not be this fortunate and will experience this condition when they are adults and it will sometimes become a chronic complaint. Almost anyone can be affected by this problem at any time in their life but it is babies that are most likely to suffer. Unfortunately most people have suffered with this since they were at least five years of age but around 33 percent will have contracted the condition by the time they reached their first birthday.

The most common type in babies is atopic eczema and this type of baby eczema is characterized by itching, and red, scaly skin on the scalp, face, arms or legs. Atopic eczema often runs in families, and can be triggered when a baby’s skin isn’t moisturized properly. In some babies, wearing clothes that have been washed in certain detergents or treated with fabric softeners may trigger the condition. Some recent research has indicated that baby eczema may caused by babies that are weaned early so breastfeeding for a longer period be beneficial.

Other medical conditions, such as respiratory infections, may also act as triggers. It has also been found that if the baby’s mother has asthma, they are more prone to suffer with this condition but other contributing elements include food allergies and allergic rhinitis. The number of childhood cases where food is responsible for the condition is considerable at almost 30 percent; discovering the foodstuffs responsible should be a relatively simple matter, which once this is done, can be removed from the diet completely. Although the process of diagnosing which food is responsible is often a case of trial an error, there are some that are often found as the cause including:

*Sea-Food *Food containing milk *Foods containing wheat *Food prepared using eggs *Meals or foodstuffs where peanuts have been used in the preparation

Doctors also know that baby eczema can also be the result of the antibiotics received by the baby at birth. Treating babies requires a little more thought as they cannot tell us what irritates them so only bath them in lukewarm water and use fragrance free, hypoallergenic creams. Once they have dried, they need to be dressed in soft natural clothing made from cotton. A baby with this condition can easily cause infection to damaged skin if their nails are not kept short because they will undoubtedly scratch themselves constantly. Unfortunately, baby eczema sometimes needs further help and in these cases, the doctor might prescribe the use of antihistamines to relieve the itching; when required it is not uncommon for the child to have steroid cream applied to the affected area but this cannot be done for very long. Whilst this may be a common complaint around the world, at the present time, easing the symptoms of the condition is the best we can do.

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