If you are a parent struggling to care for a child suffering from eczema, you are not alone. About 1 in 5 children in Singapore suffers from Eczema, which is also known as “ Atopic Dermatitis” .
Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin disease which often starts during infancy or early childhood. Common triggers in children include: heat, sweat, infections ( eg coughs and colds) and vaccinations.
Common symptoms include:
Common sites: In infants, eczema tends to affect the cheeks, elbows, ankle region and body. As the child becomes older, the eczema shifts to areas such as the skin folds eg neck, front of the elbows and back of the knees. Eczema commonly affects the eyelids too.
Eczema may be complicated by infection. Warning signs of an infection are: weeping/ yellow crusts/ blisters or pustules on the skin. It is important to seek medical attention promptly when a skin infection is suspected as oral medications and appropriate topical treatments should be promptly started.
The cause of eczema is complex and multifactorial. It is a chronic inflammatory skin disease where hereditary or genetic factors play a strong role, leading to an impaired skin barrier and immune dysfunction, causing dry, sensitive skin which is prone to recurrent inflammation and itch.
Although food allergy is more common in young children who suffer from severe eczema, it is not the main cause of eczema. Some signs of food allergy are: Aggravation of the skin symptoms soon after consuming the allergenic food/foods, and other symptoms such as hives, swelling of the lips/face, breathing difficulty, diarrhoea and vomiting after consuming the allergenic food/foods.
