Page 36 - Parents Magazine (December 2019)
P. 36
KIDSÑHea lth
to those foods or irritants—one that with rich, oily emollients such as
can last for the rest of the child’s life. Vaseline or sunflower-seed oil can
reduce the risk of eczema by up to
Acting Early 50 percent,” says Dr. Lio. Emollients can
The good news is that parents of little create a physical barrier when the skin
ones at high risk for eczema (meaning can’t provide its own, he explains. There
their parents or siblings have the have been conflicting studies about
condition or have food allergies) are not this practice—it’s an emerging avenue
powerless. Step one: Limit baths. of research, with new findings being
“The first thing we need to do is stop published frequently—but Dr. Lio
washing children so much and for so still encourages families of high-risk
long,” says Dr. Skotnicki. “Water and babies to follow it daily from birth
soap actually break down the skin barrier through 6 months in order to prevent
we want to strengthen.” According to or delay eczema.
the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ashleigh Bouselli, of St. Charles,
three short baths a week during a baby’s Missouri, whose two oldest children
first year is likely plenty. They should have eczema, knew about the atopic
last only five to ten minutes, and you march and covered her third child with
should use a mild cleanser without Vaseline for months. Bouselli can’t
additives. Dr. Skotnicki adds that no swear to it, but she suspects that this
small child requires more than that helped keep her son, now 22 months,
unless he’s truly dirty or sweaty, or if eczema-free. “He’s yet to have anything
he’s already been diagnosed with eczema. more than a couple of random patches
In the latter case, you should bathe your of dry skin. I’m so relieved,” she says.
child daily during flare-ups, but for no
more than ten to 15 minutes in lukewarm Treatment Advances
water and with no soap. “Patting, not Parents of kids with eczema have
rubbing, your child dry and moisturizing traditionally been given the same
within three minutes after the bath is advice because it does help: Moisturize
also key,” says Dr. Skotnicki. often, limit exposure to triggers
Another counterintuitive—but (irritants such as secondhand smoke
clinically proven—strategy for halting and scented detergents), and use
the atopic march: early exposure to hydrocortisone creams and/or topical
peanuts. When children at high risk for corticosteroids to stop the itching that
eczema start consuming peanut comes with the rash. As Dr. Skotnicki
products between 4 and 6 months old, says, “Daily moisturizing and proper
their chance of developing peanut cleansing are the cornerstones of
allergies plummets by 74 percent, a
major study concluded. Of course, this
should happen with a pediatrician’s
okay; for babies who already have
severe eczema or a family history of the
condition, nuts need to be introduced
only under an allergist’s guidance. T H E G O A L I S T O
“You want a child’s first exposure to G E T C O M M O N
common allergic foods to occur via the A L L E R G I C F O O D S I N T O
gastrointestinal tract, not the skin,”
Y O U R B A B Y ’ S
says Dr. Lio. “When a baby ingests a food,
B E L LY B E F O R E T H E Y
the gut has special systems designed
C A N W R E A K A L L E R G I C
to induce tolerance so he won’t become
allergic. That doesn’t happen with skin H A V O C B Y B E I N G
exposure.” In short: The goal is to get A B S O R B E D T H R O U G H
common allergic foods into your baby’s T H E S K I N .
belly before they can wreak allergic havoc
by being absorbed through the skin.
“Some studies have also shown that
moisturizing high-risk infants daily
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