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Writer's pictureJahanara Monaf

Childhood eczema



One in three children are affected by baby eczema or atopic dermatitis. This condition is when patches of red, itchy and dry skin manifests commonly on the face and the joints of the arms and legs, but can appear anywhere. I know it troubles parents to see their little ones uncomfortable, so lets take a closer look at the condition and how we can treat it.


The word atopic denotes an allergy. Baby eczema is essentially an allergic reaction. Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin resulting from contact with a specific irritant, in this case however, atopic dermatitis is manifested from internal factors but can be further triggered by external ones. Main internal factor cause is heavy metal and toxins that have gone into the body.


In TICM, a combination of natural remedies are used to soothe the immune system and treat the allergy from the rooted disharmony. A baby or young child is still developing and their organs systems, Qi and Blood aren't yet strong, making them much more sensitive. The reason to pay attention to this now, is that it effects their predisposition to develop more allergies and conditions as they grow.


The first thing to do to treat baby eczema is examine what your baby is being fed. If your baby is having breast milk, the diet of the mother could be causing an allergic reaction. Speak to your doctor to review your diet. Stay away from artificial foods, greasy foods and hormones in animal products. Many infant formulas are based on cow's milk and are full of hormones and additives. Rice milk can be made at home and is a great alternative to dairy.


Other factors that can contribute the scaly rashes are baby wipes, environmental factors, soap, perfume, animal dander, air quality in the home specifically if there is home damp.


Avoid: dampening foods such as dairy, fruits, eggs, nuts, bananas, cold or raw foods, fatty foods, refined grains and sugar. Fruit juices contain too much sugar for little ones, they should be avoided or heavily diluted.


Rice water to soothe skin: dip a clean washcloth into rice water, then pat the damp cloth over the affected area. Continue for a couple of minutes, then allow the skin to air dry.


Acupressure: to help itchiness, rub on Large Intestine point LI11 which is located at the end of the crease on the outer side the bent elbow.


Clothing: use cotton clothes to allow the skin to breathe as opposed to synthetics.

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