There are three kinds of rashes that babies tend to develop. If the cause is not chicken pox or poison ivy it has to be eczema. In such a case the skin will turn scaly, red and it will develop sores. If the itching exceeds a limit the skin will start shedding in the form of scales. Eczema is also known as Dermatis. Dermatis means skin inflammation and here the skin tends to turn sore and pink. This is a very common problem. It has been found out that one in every ten children tend to suffer from this problem and this is below the age group of five. Once the child becomes a teenager there are less chances of this problem occurring.

Dry skin is just one of the problems that eczema creates, the other is the fact that the skin tends to itch terribly. Eczema is chronic and it can occur periodically. A special kind of cell that is present in the body will react to any foreign body that comes in contact with the skin. Here the skin inflammation takes place only to protect it. Some of the foreign bodies that are harmful may cause the skin to over react as they trigger out the reaction in self-defense. This can make the skin terribly sore, red and itchy. These special cells are present in large quantities in children who have eczema.

Generally if diseases like asthma, general allergies or hay fever are present in the family, the baby has a higher chance of getting eczema. This problem is passed down from the parents and is present in the genes. Researchers have found out that babies who have eczema have smaller chances of developing hay fever or asthma later in life. One good thing about eczema is that it is not contagious. There are many symptoms that help in identifying eczema. The first and foremost is the rash. Initially it might seem like the rashes are disappearing but they are sure to return back. Though eczema rashes are known to itch badly, this need not be the case always. These rashes always start from inside the elbows and behind the knees and then gradually spread to the other body parts.

There are many other kinds of rashes that can be formed besides eczema; only a doctor would generally be able to distinguish a normal rash from eczema. If it is confirmed that the rashes are due to eczema the child will have to use lotions or moisturizing creams in order to stop the skin from drying and also to stop the itchiness. In case the rashes do not stop the doctor may prescribe corticosteroids. This can be in the form of cream or ointment, which has to be applied to control the inflammation of the skin. Antihistamine can also be taken for severe swelling. This is available in either in the form of a liquid or as a pill. The doctors will definitely prescribe an antibiotic in case the itching has produced infection.

Certain substances trigger eczema. Children who are prone to eczema should avoid these substances. These substances could be soaps, detergents, hot and sweaty skin, dry air (during winters), and perfumes. Skin irritation can increase when it comes in contact with certain fabrics or dust mites. Even if there is severe itching the child must refrain from scratching it severely since it will only cause the skin to itch more and it will also help in spreading infection. In case of severe scratching the skin can sometimes break and bleed and this is what causes the infection to spread. The best remedy to this is to wet a cloth with cool water and place it on the area where there is severe itching. Parents should ensure that the nails of the children are cut short in order to avoid the skin from tearing when the child scratches it. Most importantly the patient should drink lots of water since this helps in keeping the skin moist.

Almost 10 to 20 percent of all babies in the United States of America are affected by the dreaded skin problem called eczema. Baby eczema is one of the pre-dominant conditions which is making the rounds over the past few decades. But most of the baby eczema conditions become resolved by the time the baby reaches the age of 2 years. There are a few cases which are spaced out far and between where the baby eczema problem becomes chronic and continues well into adulthood.

The most common condition of eczema which affects babies is atopic eczema. In this case, the skin becomes dry and reddish due to incessant itching. The babies develop scaly skin on the scalp, arms, face and the legs. This is a very painful condition in which sometimes, the entire body of the baby may get affected by eczematous lesions. Baby eczema occurs due to myriad reasons, primary among which are genetic problems, allergy to some types of clothing, food habits and the like.

When the skin of the baby is badly moisturized, then symptoms of baby eczema may develop. Also, if the temperature is too extreme, then the sensitive skin of the baby faces problems in acclimatizing to it. There are some cases, which are few, in which there is link between giving up on breastfeeding at a very early stage and eczema. The majority of baby eczema cases are supposed to be an extension of food allergies. In these cases, the digestive system of the baby is not able to handle certain food items and thus develops this condition.

If your baby has been diagnosed with eczema, then a safe solution is to eliminate the foods which pose problems in the digestive system. Some of the commonly implicated food items are peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat and fish. Of course, it has not been scientifically proved that there is a direct co-relation between the two but it has been observed that a controlled diet usually prevents baby eczema. There are a few cases also in which infants develop eczema when they wear clothes which have been treated with detergents or clothes softeners.

Though there are no proven methods of treatment, some of the generally effective methods include bathing the baby in lukewarm water and keeping the skin moisturized. Wearing light clothes which help in ventilation also helps to some extent.