Eczema

#GratefulMMS

Has anyone ever experienced eczema? When our son was an infant he would just go to town scratching
his head. We literally kept the little mittens on his hands so that he would not scratch himself and cause
himself to have little open areas on his scalp and his face. We later learned that he had eczema. Poor
little thing- he was so sensitive. He was my first born, so naturally, I was very careful of what I ate.
However, with my next child I ate whatever I desired at the time. She did not have eczema like my son.
Naturally, I wondered if my eating habits contributed to this difference.

Although there is no way to know for sure, we did learn things that helped. Some children may not
require a bath every night. For children with eczema the skin is dry. Bathing every night may dry out
some of the natural oils. As infants it is ok to skip a night or two. We learned to not use hot water.
Again, hot water can dry out the skin. Make sure to moisturize frequently. Many moisturizers like
Eucerin cream, Aquaphor, and Vaseline are good emollients. Try to avoid perfumes and strong
fragrances. Avoid triggers like smoke and other irritants.

Our son’s eczema has pretty much resolved. We used steroid creams before for “hot spots” or areas
that were bad when he was little, but we tried to use it only if we needed it so that he would not have
any side effects from use. At this point he takes a bath or a shower everyday with no problems.
It is amazing how resilient children are. For someone dealing with eczema today, I know it may seem
like will this ever get better?? Do not give up it will likely get better!

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