What causes baby eczema?
According to the National Institutes
of Health, eczema affects up to 20% of infants and children in the
United States. The rate of eczema has been rising for years, and is
highest in industrialized countries. Hundreds of studies have been
undertaken, linking eczema to food allergies, atopy (a triad of
conditions including allergy, asthma and eczema), heredity (a child is
more likely to get eczema if a parent has an atopic condition),
household income (the rate of eczema seems to increase with higher
income), houses that are too clean (the "hygiene hypothesis"), houses
that are too dirty (dust mite allergy), urban upbringing vs. rural
upbringing (kids who grow up on farms have the lowest rates of all
atopic conditions)... the list goes on and on.
As eczema is a sign
of an underlying condition and not an illness, the answer is probably
"all of the above." Eczema can be triggered by food allergies, by
contact allergies (contact with irritating substances), by nutritional
deficiencies, and as a side effect of other diseases like insulin
resistance and diabetes. The eczema trigger is different for each
person--and may depend a lot on genetics.
The nutrition hypothesis
The
nutritional value of the food we eat has changed dramatically over the
past several decades. "Factory farming," where fields are sown with the
same vegetables year after year, fertilized with petroleum by-products
and sprayed heavily with herbicides and insecticides, has reduced levels
of key vitamins and minerals in vegetables. Meat and dairy animals are
raised on huge feedlots, fed an unnatural diet of grain and animal
by-products, and heavily dosed with antibiotics to keep them alive long
enough to slaughter.
Eczema is strongly connected with nutrient
deficiency, so it's not surprising that a decline in the nutritional
value of food would coincide with an increase in rates of eczema.
Early bathing may irritate newborn skin
Bathing
routines and products we take for granted may interfere with the
development of healthy infant skin. Babies are born with sterile
skin, which is covered by a thick, creamy substance called vernix
caseosa. Vernix has antimicrobial and antifungal properties that protect
the baby's skin in the womb and after birth, when the baby first comes
into contact with bacteria in the outside world. World Health
Organization (WHO) guidelines for newborn care specify that, to protect
the baby, vernix should not be removed for at least six hours.
Unfortunately, in modern societies this protective substance is
immediately washed off in the hospital, leaving the baby's skin
vulnerable to colonization by bacteria and fungi.
Newborn skin is
very thin and loses moisture rapidly. It takes a few weeks for infant
skin to develop the "acid mantle," a slightly acidic (pH about 5.5)
mixture of sebum, sweat and "friendly" bacteria. (By adulthood, skin may
be colonized by nearly two hundred different species of bacteria.)
Ideally, over the first few weeks of life, a baby's skin is colonized by
beneficial bacteria picked up from close contact with the mother and
family. These bacteria perform an important function: they keep skin
healthy by preventing colonization by disease-causing microorganisms. If
this important step is compromised, skin can be colonized by harmful
bacteria. The skin of people with eczema tends to carry a high
concentration of Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria which cause skin infections, pneumonia, and even MRSA.
Excessive bathing, soap, and moisturizer use can interfere with development of healthy skin
Infant
skin will naturally develop a healthy acid mantle and strong immune
defenses if it's allowed to. But again, bathing routines and products we
take for granted, including soaps and moisturizing lotions, can
interfere with this process.
Infant skin is so delicate that even
exposure to plain water disturbs it enough to dry it out. Soap
accelerates this process by raising the skin's pH and removing
beneficial oils, resulting in impaired skin protection for hours after
bathing.
Fragrance and preservative chemicals in soaps and
moisturizers irritate skin further, and can actually affect the way skin
develops. What's worse, these chemicals can be absorbed through an
infant's skin into the bloodstream, potentially affecting the baby's
developing hormonal system.
A healthier way to care for infant skin
Babies'
skin doesn't get very dirty for the first few weeks of life, so
generally the less it's interfered with, the healthier it will be.
Adding a half-teaspoon of lemon juice--to reduce the water's pH and add
skin-friendly ascorbic acid--and a teaspoon of sunflower or safflower
oil to the bathwater will keep baby clean without harming skin. If a
moisturizer is needed, use a fragrance free baby oil containing
sunflower or safflower oil, which are excellent moisturizers and have
the added benefit of helping to prevent bacterial skin infections.
If
your baby's skin does become irritated, bathing with Epsom salts or
Dead Sea salts is a safe and clinically proven way to soothe irritated
skin. (Epsom salts are not salt at all, but magnesium sulfate, a natural
mineral effective for soothing inflamed skin. Dead Sea salts are
evaporated mineral salts from the Dead Sea in Israel.)
Some
magnesium in an Epsom salts bath is absorbed through the skin and is a
safe way to supplement this important mineral, while Dead Sea salts
provide a whole range of vitamins and minerals essential for healthy
skin, including magnesium, zinc, potassium, copper, and B vitamins. A
teaspoon of bath salts is plenty for an infant bath.
For older
kids and for gentle cleansing when soap is required, try a natural bar
soap or highly diluted castile soap, like Dr. Bronner's.
Nutrition and healthy infant skin
Nutritional
factors affect how a baby's skin develops, too. Deficiencies of zinc or
magnesium are fairly common and cause symptoms which are
indistinguishable from other types of eczema. A deficiency of vitamin B6
may result in seborrheic dermatitis, or cradle cap.
Baby eczema may be a sign of zinc or magnesium deficiency
When
a breast-fed baby develops eczema, the mother's diet is often suspected
as the cause. However, the eczema may have nothing to do with food
allergy. Breast milk is often low in zinc, and a sign of zinc deficiency
is dry, irritated skin. Recent studies suggest that zinc deficiency may
be much more common than previously suspected. Low levels of magnesium
may also cause eczema-like symptoms by raising the level of histamine in
the blood and making the body more sensitive to allergens.
A
simple blood test can identify a zinc or magnesium deficiency, and
supplementing with the missing mineral may solve the problem. A special
kind of zinc can also be applied as a topical cream for absorption
through the skin. Caregivers should talk to their pediatrician about
correct dosing before giving a baby a vitamin supplement.
Formula-fed
babies may also be deficient in vitamins or in essential fatty acids
(EFAs)-fats which are essential to healthy development of the brain,
nervous system and skin. Some babies may not be able to utilize the
vitamins and fats in baby formula, or the formula itself may not provide
enough of them. A doctor or knowledgeable nutritionist can help
caregivers choose a more appropriate formula or supplement with the
necessary vitamins and essential fatty acids-especially zinc, magnesium,
and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a type of EFA.
Food allergies and eczema
About
30% of infants and children with eczema test do positive for food
allergies. A baby or child has a much greater chance of developing food
allergies if either of the parents have allergies themselves. The most
common allergens include cow's milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanuts and
shellfish. In breastfed babies, allergens from foods may pass directly
to the child through breast milk. Avoiding these foods while
breastfeeding may keep the child from developing eczema or other
allergic reactions. The La Leche League website has an excellent page on
allergies and breastfeeding.
In formula-fed babies, changing the
formula may eliminate the problem. Special, easy-to-digest hydrolyzed
formulas (formulas where the proteins are partially broken down) are
often recommended for formula-fed babies with food allergies. Adding
probiotics or prebiotics--beneficial bacteria that live in the gut and
help digest food--to infant diets helps to reduce or prevent both food
allergies and other illnesses and has been shown to help relieve eczema,
too.
Breastfeeding longer, introducing solid foods late (after 6
months), introducing new foods one at a time, and waiting to introduce
allergenic foods until after the baby is about a year old help reduce
the risk of allergic reactions. Most babies outgrow early allergies to
milk and eggs, although peanut allergy is more likely to persist to
adulthood. However, children with food allergies are more likely to
develop asthma or other atopic diseases when they grow older.
Caregivers should talk to their pediatrician if they suspect a food
allergy. A food elimination diet should only be utilized under a
doctor's supervision, to limit the risk of nutrient deficiency.
Steroid creams and ointments commonly prescribed for eczema can cause adrenal damage in infants and children
Steroid
creams and ointments are the most commonly prescribed treatment for
eczema, but can have dangerous side effects, especially for infants.
Steroids are easily absorbed through the skin, and children can absorb a
high percentage of the drugs because their skin is thin and they have
more skin in relation to their body size. Even short courses of
treatment with steroids can cause damage to the adrenal glands, which
regulate the body's hormones.
Steroids work by interfering with
the chemicals the body uses to signal inflammation. They turn off the
inflammation response and cause tiny blood vessels called capillaries to
constrict, reducing redness and swelling. Topical steroids also
suppress the body's immune system and can lead to an increased
susceptibility to fungal or bacterial infections of the skin.
Before
using a steroid medicine, caregivers should work with a pediatrician to
see if the baby's skin condition is caused by a nutritional deficiency,
a food allergy, or irritation from soaps or moisturizers. Treating the
root cause, rather than the symptom, of eczema will start a baby on the
road to a lifetime of healthy skin. What causes baby eczema?
According
to the National Institutes of Health, eczema affects up to 20% of
infants and children in the United States. The rate of eczema has been
rising for years, and is highest in industrialized countries. Hundreds
of studies have been undertaken, linking eczema to food allergies, atopy
(a triad of conditions including allergy, asthma and eczema), heredity
(a child is more likely to get eczema if a parent has an atopic
condition), household income (the rate of eczema seems to increase with
higher income), houses that are too clean (the "hygiene hypothesis"),
houses that are too dirty (dust mite allergy), urban upbringing vs.
rural upbringing (kids who grow up on farms have the lowest rates of all
atopic conditions)... the list goes on and on.
As eczema is a
sign of an underlying condition and not an illness, the answer is
probably "all of the above." Eczema can be triggered by food allergies,
by contact allergies (contact with irritating substances), by
nutritional deficiencies, and as a side effect of other diseases like
insulin resistance and diabetes. The eczema trigger is different for
each person--and may depend a lot on genetics.
The nutrition
hypothesis The nutritional value of the food we eat has changed
dramatically over the past several decades. "Factory farming," where
fields are sown with the same vegetables year after year, fertilized
with petroleum by-products and sprayed heavily with herbicides and
insecticides, has reduced levels of key vitamins and minerals in
vegetables. Meat and dairy animals are raised on huge feedlots, fed an
unnatural diet of grain and animal by-products, and heavily dosed with
antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to slaughter.
Eczema is
strongly connected with nutrient deficiency, so it's not surprising
that a decline in the nutritional value of food would coincide with an
increase in rates of eczema. Early bathing may irritate newborn skin
Bathing routines and products we take for granted may interfere with
the development of healthy infant skin. Babies are born with sterile
skin, which is covered by a thick, creamy substance called vernix
caseosa. Vernix has antimicrobial and antifungal properties that protect
the baby's skin in the womb and after birth, when the baby first comes
into contact with bacteria in the outside world. World Health
Organization (WHO) guidelines for newborn care specify that, to protect
the baby, vernix should not be removed for at least six hours.
Unfortunately, in modern societies this protective substance is
immediately washed off in the hospital, leaving the baby's skin
vulnerable to colonization by bacteria and fungi.
Newborn skin is
very thin and loses moisture rapidly. It takes a few weeks for infant
skin to develop the "acid mantle," a slightly acidic (pH about 5.5)
mixture of sebum, sweat and "friendly" bacteria. (By adulthood, skin may
be colonized by nearly two hundred different species of bacteria.)
Ideally, over the first few weeks of life, a baby's skin is colonized by
beneficial bacteria picked up from close contact with the mother and
family. These bacteria perform an important function: they keep skin
healthy by preventing colonization by disease-causing microorganisms. If
this important step is compromised, skin can be colonized by harmful
bacteria. The skin of people with eczema tends to carry a high
concentration of Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria which cause skin infections, pneumonia, and even MRSA.
Excessive
bathing, soap, and moisturizer use can interfere with development of
healthy skin Infant skin will naturally develop a healthy acid mantle
and strong immune defenses if it's allowed to. But again, bathing
routines and products we take for granted, including soaps and
moisturizing lotions, can interfere with this process.
Infant skin
is so delicate that even exposure to plain water disturbs it enough to
dry it out. Soap accelerates this process by raising the skin's pH and
removing beneficial oils, resulting in impaired skin protection for
hours after bathing.
Fragrance and preservative chemicals in soaps
and moisturizers irritate skin further, and can actually affect the way
skin develops. What's worse, these chemicals can be absorbed through an
infant's skin into the bloodstream, potentially affecting the baby's
developing hormonal system.
A healthier way to care for infant
skin Babies' skin doesn't get very dirty for the first few weeks of
life, so generally the less it's interfered with, the healthier it will
be. Adding a half-teaspoon of lemon juice--to reduce the water's pH and
add skin-friendly ascorbic acid--and a teaspoon of sunflower or
safflower oil to the bathwater will keep baby clean without harming
skin. If a moisturizer is needed, use a fragrance free baby oil
containing sunflower or safflower oil, which are excellent moisturizers
and have the added benefit of helping to prevent bacterial skin
infections.
If your baby's skin does become irritated, bathing
with Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts is a safe and clinically proven way
to soothe irritated skin. (Epsom salts are not salt at all, but
magnesium sulfate, a natural mineral effective for soothing inflamed
skin. Dead Sea salts are evaporated mineral salts from the Dead Sea in
Israel.)
Some magnesium in an Epsom salts bath is absorbed through
the skin and is a safe way to supplement this important mineral, while
Dead Sea salts provide a whole range of vitamins and minerals essential
for healthy skin, including magnesium, zinc, potassium, copper, and B
vitamins. A teaspoon of bath salts is plenty for an infant bath.
For
older kids and for gentle cleansing when soap is required, try a
natural bar soap or highly diluted castile soap, like Dr. Bronner's.
Nutrition and healthy infant skin
Nutritional
factors affect how a baby's skin develops, too. Deficiencies of zinc or
magnesium are fairly common and cause symptoms which are
indistinguishable from other types of eczema. A deficiency of vitamin B6
may result in seborrheic dermatitis, or cradle cap.
Baby eczema may be a sign of zinc or magnesium deficiency
When
a breast-fed baby develops eczema, the mother's diet is often suspected
as the cause. However, the eczema may have nothing to do with food
allergy. Breast milk is often low in zinc, and a sign of zinc deficiency
is dry, irritated skin. Recent studies suggest that zinc deficiency may
be much more common than previously suspected. Low levels of magnesium
may also cause eczema-like symptoms by raising the level of histamine in
the blood and making the body more sensitive to allergens.
A
simple blood test can identify a zinc or magnesium deficiency, and
supplementing with the missing mineral may solve the problem. A special
kind of zinc can also be applied as a topical cream for absorption
through the skin. Caregivers should talk to their pediatrician about
correct dosing before giving a baby a vitamin supplement.
Formula-fed
babies may also be deficient in vitamins or in essential fatty acids
(EFAs)-fats which are essential to healthy development of the brain,
nervous system and skin. Some babies may not be able to utilize the
vitamins and fats in baby formula, or the formula itself may not provide
enough of them. A doctor or knowledgeable nutritionist can help
caregivers choose a more appropriate formula or supplement with the
necessary vitamins and essential fatty acids-especially zinc, magnesium,
and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a type of EFA.
Food allergies and eczema
About
30% of infants and children with eczema test do positive for food
allergies. A baby or child has a much greater chance of developing food
allergies if either of the parents have allergies themselves. The most
common allergens include cow's milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanuts and
shellfish. In breastfed babies, allergens from foods may pass directly
to the child through breast milk. Avoiding these foods while
breastfeeding may keep the child from developing eczema or other
allergic reactions. The La Leche League website has an excellent page on
allergies and breastfeeding.
In formula-fed babies, changing the
formula may eliminate the problem. Special, easy-to-digest hydrolyzed
formulas (formulas where the proteins are partially broken down) are
often recommended for formula-fed babies with food allergies. Adding
probiotics or prebiotics--beneficial bacteria that live in the gut and
help digest food--to infant diets helps to reduce or prevent both food
allergies and other illnesses and has been shown to help relieve eczema,
too.
Breastfeeding longer, introducing solid foods late (after 6
months), introducing new foods one at a time, and waiting to introduce
allergenic foods until after the baby is about a year old help reduce
the risk of allergic reactions. Most babies outgrow early allergies to
milk and eggs, although peanut allergy is more likely to persist to
adulthood. However, children with food allergies are more likely to
develop asthma or other atopic diseases when they grow older.
Caregivers should talk to their pediatrician if they suspect a food
allergy. A food elimination diet should only be utilized under a
doctor's supervision, to limit the risk of nutrient deficiency.
Steroid creams and ointments commonly prescribed for eczema can cause adrenal damage in infants and children
Steroid
creams and ointments are the most commonly prescribed treatment for
eczema, but can have dangerous side effects, especially for infants.
Steroids are easily absorbed through the skin, and children can absorb a
high percentage of the drugs because their skin is thin and they have
more skin in relation to their body size. Even short courses of
treatment with steroids can cause damage to the adrenal glands, which
regulate the body's hormones.
Steroids work by interfering with
the chemicals the body uses to signal inflammation. They turn off the
inflammation response and cause tiny blood vessels called capillaries to
constrict, reducing redness and swelling. Topical steroids also
suppress the body's immune system and can lead to an increased
susceptibility to fungal or bacterial infections of the skin.
Before
using a steroid medicine, caregivers should work with a pediatrician to
see if the baby's skin condition is caused by a nutritional deficiency,
a food allergy, or irritation from soaps or moisturizers. Treating the
root cause, rather than the symptom, of eczema will start a baby on the
road to a lifetime of healthy skin.
Keeping infant skin well-moisturized is an important way to
protect against baby eczema. In clinical studies, sunflower oil has been
shown to protect against moisture loss and bacterial infection while
providing healthy fatty acids through skin absorption. SoftBaby -
http://www.softress.com/softbaby.php
- is a fragrance-free baby oil that combines sunflower oil, olive oil,
and evening primrose oil with other plant oils and antioxidants in a
blend that contains optimal amounts of the essential fatty acids and
vitamins needed to nourish and protect infant skin. It's made by
Softress, a company specializing in oils for sensitive skin care. Nina
Birnbaum, founder of Softress, developed SoftBaby for her daughter, who
suffered from eczema.
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