Your Baby Looks Like What?

Maybe Michael Jackson covered his kids' faces because they were going through what I recently did. Filled with excitement and ready to show off your little one you pull back the blanket to unveil...wait a minute. What just happened? The jaw dropping reveal you planned of your little one was not supposed to be your jaw. Your little one with the cute pink cheeks now has full on red checks and what’s that coming out of them?

One of the things I looked forward to, as many Moms do, is caressing newborn skin. So it is understandably scary for moms when they see problems arise on their precious child's delicate skin. A skin problem that is growing among children is eczema.

After picking my jaw up upon the sight of my red baby and calling my sister to tell her my baby looks like a red tomato (she couldn’t make out what I was saying in the midst of my squeals, crying and stuttering) I immediately headed to the doctor. I since learned that she has Eczema. About 1 out of every 10 kids develops eczema. Typically, symptoms appear within the first few months of life, and almost always before a child turns 5. But the good news is that more than half of the kids who have eczema today will be over it by the time they're teenagers.

The term eczema refers to a number of different skin conditions in which the skin is red and irritated and occasionally results in small, fluid-filled bumps that become moist and ooze. Kids with eczema usually develop itchy, dry, red skin and small bumps on their cheeks, forehead, or scalp. The rash may spread to the extremities (the arms and legs) and the trunk, and red, crusted, or open lesions may appear on any area affected.

Who does my daughter have to thank for this? Dear old Dad, who also has eczema. Many experts believe that kids may be predisposed to get eczema from genes passed on from parents. Thankfully for my daughter and her Dad you can manage eczema most of the time over the counter. I have since learned some great tips that have allowed me to keep my daughter's cheeks rosy and kissable.

Here are my tips for treating children with eczema.

• Keep your child’s skin clean. To clean skin use Dove Sensitive Skin. Use it on the body try to avoid soap on the face. Just use plain water
• Always keep child’s skin moisturized. Apply Aquaphor, petroleum jelly or a lotion to child's body - not face.
• Apply Eucerin Cream to face
• For areas with extreme breakout apply sparingly a mixture of cortizone and Eucerin cream to affected area including face. Avoid cortizone daily as it can lead to discoloration. But in small amounts to treat extreme breakouts it is effective on young skin.
• Use antihistamines to help control itching in older children
• Avoid using fabric softener on children’s clothing
• Avoid itchy clothing or hard or harsh materials on your child

You should always consult your doctor on issues affecting your child’s health.