A parent wrote in to say that her baby, who is more than 5 months old, has had a rough, red skin rash on her head, forehead, around her ears and mouth since two months ago, causing her to shake her head and rub her itch, which makes her very irritable. The doctor diagnosed it as “infant eczema” and applied hormonal creams to make it better. Is there any diet to prevent it? The incidence of eczema in infants and children is not low. For children with eczema, it is possible to relieve the symptoms of eczema and stop its recurrence if a reasonable diet strategy is adopted.
The 4 factors that trigger eczema: the causes of infant eczema are complex, of which allergic factors are the most important, eczema children have a family history of allergies and food allergies account for the majority of children.
1, family factors: such as father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, grandfather, grandmother, siblings and other family members who have had eczema, allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, asthma, food allergies and drug allergies, their children at home are prone to eczema.
2, food factors: epidemiological data show that 6% to 8% of children have a history of food allergies, showing allergies to certain components of food, the lighter the skin rash (i.e. eczema or dermatitis), the heavier accompanied by diarrhea, asthma, etc.
3, their own factors: the baby is prone to eczema and its own factors, because the baby’s skin stratum corneum is thin, capillary network is rich and endothelium contains more water and chloride, it is more sensitive to various irritants.
4. Triggering factors.
Food, especially the protein in fish, shrimp, eggs and cow’s milk;
Chemicals (skin care products, toiletries, cleaning agents, etc.), wool products, plants (pollen), animal leather and feathers;
Infections (viral infections, bacterial infections, etc.);
Sunlight exposure; high ambient temperature or wearing too warm or cold can stimulate the recurrence or aggravation of pediatric eczema.
Therefore, children with eczema should avoid these triggering factors as much as possible.
Dietary prevention methods for infant eczema
When infant eczema strikes, the rash should be treated first, but just because the rash disappears doesn’t mean it’s over, the more important task is to prevent recurring eczema. There are many ways to prevent eczema in infants, and diet is crucial.
Specific strategies to prevent infant eczema diet are.
1, breastfeeding can reduce the degree of eczema, so the baby suffering from eczema should be breastfed for as long as possible. If fed with milk, the milk should be boiled for a few minutes to reduce its allergenicity.
2, the baby allergic to milk, should choose hypoallergenic formula or amino acid formula feeding, but also available soy milk instead of milk feeding. Hypoallergenic formula or amino acid formula is a special formula for eczema children. Hypoallergenic milk powder is a special processing (medically called hydrolysis) of the proteins in milk that can cause allergies, so that its allergenicity decreases and most babies will not have allergies if they eat it. But a small number of babies allergic to milk will continue to have eczema or diarrhea after consuming hypoallergenic milk powder, and these children will have to choose amino acid milk powder. There are no large proteins in amino acid formulas, only amino acids, and no allergic reactions will occur. Studies have shown that the vast majority (85%) of children allergic to milk are able to tolerate milk by the age of 3 and do not need to eat hypoallergenic or amino acid milk powder anymore.
3. Babies allergic to eggs can eat egg yolks alone. Studies show that half of the children allergic to eggs can tolerate eggs at age 3, and 2/3 of the children can tolerate eggs at age 5, that is, most children allergic to eggs can eat eggs at will after age 5.
4. In addition to milk and eggs, if children have been found to have eczema due to certain foods, they should try to avoid eating these foods again, and they usually need to avoid them for life.
5, whether breast-fed or artificially fed children, protein-based complementary foods such as eggs, fish, liver, etc. should be added later. Generally babies from 4 months to gradually add such complementary foods, and eczema babies are recommended to add at least 1 month to two months later, and add the speed to slow. However, the addition of fruits and vegetables should not be delayed, and more fruits and vegetables are emphasized, as they have the effect of reducing allergenicity. Foods such as shrimp and crab are recommended to be given to children after the age of 1 year or later.
6, eczema children’s food to light, should avoid foods high in salt, gas, coloring, preservatives or stabilizers, puffing agents, etc. These foods can impair the immune function of children, and can induce or aggravate eczema.
7, supplementation containing bifidobacteria and other probiotics can help reduce or prevent the occurrence of eczema. Research shows that bifidobacteria and other probiotics can reduce intestinal permeability, improve intestinal barrier function and degradation of allergic substances, to reduce the role of allergic substances absorption and stimulation of the body. Long-term supplementation is recommended for children with eczema, either by choosing formula fortified with bifidobacteria or by taking probiotic preparations such as bifidobacteria directly, but parents should be careful to choose qualified products.