How to care for infant eczema?

  Infantile eczema is a common skin disease caused by a variety of internal and external factors and is closely related to allergic reactions, and is most common in young infants. It occurs mostly in the first to third months of life. After one and a half years of age, most of them gradually heal on their own, but some of them extend into childhood. Some of them develop into atopic dermatitis. Repeated episodes of skin damage, itching and secondary infections severely impair the infant’s quality of life.  The incidence of eczema in breastfed infants is lower than in milk-fed infants, and artificial feeding or premature addition of complementary foods predisposes infants to food allergy. Infants diagnosed with milk allergy should be breastfed for as long as possible, up to 12-24 months of age; if breastfeeding is not possible infants should prefer deeply hydrolyzed protein formula powder or free amino acid formula powder and follow up with a specialist every 3-6 months to adjust the treatment schedule. Partially hydrolyzed protein formula, soy formula and goat milk should not be used to treat cow’s milk allergy.  However, food allergy is a widespread problem and avoidance of these suspected allergic foods necessary for infant growth and development is not completely effective in reducing and preventing the occurrence of eczema in infants. And with the establishment of gastrointestinal barrier function and the development of food immune tolerance, some suspected food allergies disappear. The avoidance of food can also affect the normal growth and development of infants and cause malnutrition in infants. Therefore, in the absence of clear and serious food allergies, avoidance of some essential foods for infants and children is not recommended in the course of eczema treatment.  Home care for eczema babies Advocate breastfeeding, add complementary foods in smaller amounts than infants of the same age and add them slowly; increase the variety one by one, gradually; complementary foods should be fully steamed to reduce allergenicity; spoon size is appropriate to avoid spillage of food to irritate the skin around the mouth. It is recommended to avoid foods to which there is a clear allergy.  Clothing: Cotton should be preferred. In winter, it is better to choose warm cotton clothes with cotton inside and outside and cotton in the middle than woolen sweaters. It is appropriate to be tolerant and soft, and the thickness of clothing is slightly thinner than that of infants of the same age. The living environment should be cool, ventilated and clean. It is recommended to clean the room with a wet mop and wet rag.  Bathing: Bathing time should be 5 to 10 minutes, water temperature 36 to 38℃, using mild bathing gel with pH 5.5 to 6.0 is better, and emollient should be used immediately after bathing. Avoid the use of soap, water temperature too hot and too long.