Infant Eczema is More Than Skin Deep

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In developed countries like Australia, cases of eczema (or atopic dermatitis) are on the rise, with infants being the most vulnerable to developing the condition. Eczema is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder that usually starts in infancy. Your child may have eczema if they present the following symptoms:

  • Skin inflammation
  • Dry scaly skin
  • Swelling
  • Weeping or oozing fluid on skin
  • Intense skin itchiness, particularly around ankles, knees, elbows and neck
  • Scratching or picking of the skin

While topical treatment of eczema provides a superficial solution, it is important to treat its root cause to protect against the development of related conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. This progression from one condition to the other is known as the ‘atopic march’. The link between these conditions is complicated, but what essentially happens is that as eczema compromises the skin barrier, it leaves the immune system vulnerable to attack thereby triggering a response in the form of an allergic or asthmatic reaction.

What causes eczema?

What causes any one particular infant to develop the condition over another has long been the subject of debate and it is difficult to pinpoint any exact cause. However, there are certain factors that can increase an infant’s risk of developing the condition. These include:

  • infants delivered by cesarean section; 
  • an imbalance in the mother’s gut microbiome;
  • a family history of eczema, asthma or hay fever; and
  • environmental factors (animal saliva, dust mites, woolen clothing).


What can be done to manage eczema?

The most common way of treating eczema in infants is with traditional skin creams such as corticosteroids. While effective, they have been shown to have harmful side effects such as the thinning of the skin barrier which increases the risk of infection. Alternative naturopathic treatments offer a more holistic approach that focus on the root causes of the condition rather than merely the symptom. This means addressing issues including:

  • the gut and skin microbiome;
  • the immune system;
  • inflammation; and
  • skin integrity.

To achieve this requires changes to diet and lifestyle as well as nutritional and herbal supplementation. For instance, there is growing recognition that certain strains of probiotics can restore the balance of the gut microbiome and ultimately alleviate the symptoms of eczema.

Essential Wellness can help you or your infant to restore the body’s physiological balance and improve the overall quality of life.