Eczema: How to Care for Your Child

Children with eczema have red, flaky, itchy skin. Making changes in your child's skin care routine and avoiding things that make eczema worse can help control the eczema.

• Moisturize your child's skin at least twice a day using cream (such as Eucerin®, Cetaphil®, Nutraderm®) or ointment (such as petroleum jelly, Vaseline®, Aquaphor®). Do not use lotion to moisturize your child's skin. Lotions have too much water and not enough oil to be helpful.

• Follow your health care provider's recommendations for using any prescribed creams or ointments or giving any medicines by mouth.

• When bathing, have your child:

  • Take a short (less than 10 minutes) bath or shower every day in warm (not hot) water.

  • Use a mild, unscented soap or non-soap cleanser.

  • Pat the skin dry with a clean towel, then put a cream or ointment on right away.

• Help your child avoid triggers that can make eczema worse, such as:

  • harsh soaps and perfumes

  • scented skin care products, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets

  • fabrics like wool and polyester

  • very dry air

  • cigarette smoke

  • things you know your child is allergic to

• Stress can make eczema worse. Help your child find ways to deal with stress. Exercise, deep breathing, or talking to a counselor are good ways to cope with stress.

• If your child is itchy:

  • Put a cream or ointment on your child's skin, then place a damp cotton cloth on top.

  • Give an antihistamine (if your health care provider says it's OK).

• Keep your child's fingernails short so he or she doesn't scratch. Younger children can also wear light gloves, especially while sleeping.

• Your child's skin gets redder or pus is coming from the eczema areas.

• The eczema does not improve with treatment or gets worse.

• Your child has trouble sleeping.

What causes eczema? The exact cause of eczema isn't known, but it's likely a combination of:

• changes in the skin and how it keeps germs out and moisture in

• how someone's immune system responds to these changes

Eczema often happens in people who have allergies and asthma. It can run in families.

Will my child's eczema go away? Most kids outgrow eczema in late childhood. But sometimes it can continue into adulthood, especially in kids who have severe eczema.

Is eczema contagious? No, eczema can't spread to others.