What to do if baby's eczema is scratched

Eczema is a relatively common disease among infants and young children. The causes of eczema are relatively complicated. When eczema occurs, babies often scratch with their hands, which may cause blisters and lead to infection. Therefore, when children have eczema, parents must strengthen care, cut their children's nails frequently to avoid scratching, and use some anti-itching drugs in time to avoid recurrence.

What to do if baby's eczema breaks out from scratching

During the acute stage of infant eczema, bright red papules or erythema will suddenly appear on the baby's face, which will be more obvious when the baby cries. The symptoms will be alleviated or disappear when the baby is quiet and cool. In severe cases, the papules will form patches and cover the face and even the neck, ears, etc. The itching is unbearable and the baby is often scratched, with yellow transparent mucus flowing out. If there is no secondary infection, it will heal itself in about 1-2 weeks. If secondary infection occurs, the course of the disease will be longer and the symptoms will be more severe. If the disease recurs, the skin will become thicker and rougher, indicating a chronic condition.

It should be noted that breastfeeding mothers should eat lighter food and cut their babies' nails frequently to prevent them from scratching themselves. It is also best to put gloves on the baby to prevent scratching, which can cause skin damage and increase the chance of infection and allergies. Because of the extreme itchiness, babies sometimes rub their faces against the pillow or quilt, or rub them with their hands. Therefore, you need to change the pillowcase every day. The part of the quilt that touches the face can be sewn with cotton cloth as a quilt head and changed every day. In addition, care should be taken to avoid various adverse external stimuli, such as scalding with hot water, washing with soap, scratching, friction, etc. If the symptoms are severe or recurring, seek medical treatment promptly.

How to treat baby eczema

1. Diet management

It is best to find and avoid allergens. For example, children with milk protein allergy should switch to amino acid formula powder or extensively hydrolyzed protein formula powder.

2. Local treatment

Children should take a bath every day to keep their skin clean and moisturized, but the water temperature should not be too high and chemical bath products should be used as little as possible. For exudative and dry eczema, if there is no ulceration on the surface, the child should be given some non-allergic moisturizing cream to play a moisturizing role. For severe eczema, topical corticosteroid cream can be applied short-term, which has obvious anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effects. Be careful to avoid long-term and high-dose application to avoid side effects. If the local ulcer is infected, antibiotic ointment needs to be applied locally for anti-inflammatory treatment.

3. Oral antihistamines

Antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine and zolpidem can be taken orally under the guidance of a doctor.

4. Systemic corticosteroids

Whether taken orally or intravenously, corticosteroids can quickly control symptoms, but they are prone to relapse after discontinuation and cannot be cured. Long-term use can cause dependence and various adverse reactions, so they should be used with caution as appropriate. For patients with generalized acute eczema who do not respond well to other treatments, oral prednisone can be taken for a short period of time and the dosage can be gradually reduced after the condition improves.