Alert to special eczema atopic dermatitis in infants

  In infants of a few months old, erythema, scaling and oozing appear all over the body or locally, especially on the head and face, and some children have local ulceration and crusting after scratching. The itchiness of the infant worsens at night, and the child cannot sleep at night. At the time of the visit, the child’s parents had already sought medical help from many sources, but although they were treated according to eczema, they had little success. In fact, these diseases have another name: atopic dermatitis.  The cause of this disease is complex, generally related to genetic and environmental factors, often in the first 2 months of life, most can be self-healing in infancy, and a few will continue into adulthood. Children often have congenital allergies, mostly related to food allergies, such as milk, eggs, fish and shrimp, and other proteins, dust mites, pollen, etc. may be allergens.  Most of the clinical manifestations are initial pinpoint papules and blisters, gradually fusing into patches, relatively dry, with white flaking on the surface, and possibly oozing and crusting, mostly in the joint areas of the limbs, but also generalized. It can also be accompanied by allergic rhinitis, urticaria, asthma, etc.  In terms of treatment, first try to find the cause of the allergy and remove it. Topical medications such as hormonal creams like Euthyrox and Dermapen can be applied for a short period of time, while non-hormonal creams such as Tacrolimus and Pimecrolimus have also been effective in the treatment of the disease in recent years. Also topical antibacterial ointments are essential, such as Bactrim and Erythromycin ointment. It can be accompanied by oral antihistamines such as paracetamol tablets.  For those who have more severe systemic symptoms, they should systematically apply medication, and they can try a combination of Chinese and Western medicine. Although it is still difficult to cure atopic dermatitis completely, most children can be controlled with active and reasonable treatment.  In addition, the child needs to pay attention in life: 1, avoid eating foods that cause allergies, especially eggs, milk, fish and shrimp.  2. Avoid contact with stuffed toys, chemical substances such as detergents, household garbage, and pets.  3. Avoid scratching and hot water washing. Choose loose, cotton clothing.