What Causes Baby Eczema and How to Heal It Naturally!
It is important to realize that if your baby suffers from eczema, then their immune system is not functioning as it should. Their immune system often overreacts to otherwise harmless substances which may give rise to allergies. Coupled with genetic predisposition, this may manifest as eczema, asthma or hay fever depending on the most vulnerable organ in the body. This vulnerability is often inherited or could be a result of exposure to toxins, poor diet or perhaps physical injury.
Eczema is an immune system disorder so our focus will be on optimizing and strengthening your baby's immune function as well as identifying and eliminating the major triggers that set your baby's eczema off.
The root cause of infant eczema can primarily be traced to:
Because everyone's genetic make-up is unique, the underlying factors that trigger eczema will also differ.
As babies grow older, food allergies become less of an issue. This is mainly because their digestive and immune system grow more mature. Having said that, any ongoing allergy that goes untreated or that gets suppressed by steroid creams or anti-histamine medication may contribute to a compromised and hypersensitive immune system later on in life. The same food allergies may also develop into other allergies or manifest as asthma or hayfever (medical practitioners often maintain that most babies grow out of eczema however those individuals quite often develop asthma or other allergic conditions a few years down the line. Sadly, nobody seems to make the connection).
It is a fact that breastfeeding offers the best protection when it comes to preventing allergies however young babies often become sensitized to proteins (allergens) their digestive system cannot cope with. Because everything the mum consumes becomes a part of her breastmilk, taking out the suspected allergen(s) from the breastfeeding mother's diet often resolves the allergic response thus eliminating eczema.
If breastfeeding is not an option, choosing suitable formula becomes one of the most important decisions when it comes to preventing and treating eczema (especially when allergies run in the family). Proper digestion and utilization of cow's milk protein seems to present difficulties for many susceptible infants. Those babies often develop an allergy to dairy which precedes the development of eczema. It is important to talk to your baby's doctor and ask for a hypoallergenic formula (also called elemental or hydrolyzed formula since the proteins have been broken down thus posing smaller risk of developing an allergy). Sometimes, the most sensitive babies will react even to the hypoallergenic formula. In that case soy formula may be the option (even though some babies react to soy as well). It is a matter of trying what suits your baby. If, however, formula has been found to be the issue you will see a marked improvement in the way your baby feels (less itchy, more content) within a few days of introducing a new formula. It may take another few days to see the inflammation (redness) subsiding. Because it takes about 28 days for new cells to work their way up to the outer layer of the epidermis, you will notice new healthy skin forming within about a month. Should your baby react to all types of formula he/she is given, it would be a good idea to see a NAET practitioner who may be in the best position to help in eliminating the underlying allergy.
Sometimes when babies seem to be reacting to just about everything, detergents could be the culprit. Detergent related allergies appear to be on the rise since detergents are lurking everywhere from skin care and household products to washing powders and washing-up liquids. Later on you will learn how to find out if detergents act as triggers for your baby's eczema.
If however your baby suffers from severe eczema that does not respond to any treatment, then over colonization of staphylococcus areus is usually the main cause since these hardy bacteria prevent eczema from healing and further contribute to infection. It is crucial to treat the infection first before pursuing other treatment options.
As you can see, there is no simple answer when it comes to treating eczema. However the good news is that there are some general guidelines you can follow to accurately pinpoint the main triggers, which will put you on the right track to reversing your baby's eczema for good.
This is just a small excerpt from my book Heal Your Baby's Eczema available from www.simplyeczemafree.com. If your little one suffers from eczema then following the key principles in this book could make tremendous difference when it comes to reversing eczema for good.
Eczema is an immune system disorder so our focus will be on optimizing and strengthening your baby's immune function as well as identifying and eliminating the major triggers that set your baby's eczema off.
The root cause of infant eczema can primarily be traced to:
- Food allergies
- Irritants your baby comes into contact with in their environment (e.g. pollens, detergents, house dust mites, chemicals in household and skincare products, etc.).
Because everyone's genetic make-up is unique, the underlying factors that trigger eczema will also differ.
As babies grow older, food allergies become less of an issue. This is mainly because their digestive and immune system grow more mature. Having said that, any ongoing allergy that goes untreated or that gets suppressed by steroid creams or anti-histamine medication may contribute to a compromised and hypersensitive immune system later on in life. The same food allergies may also develop into other allergies or manifest as asthma or hayfever (medical practitioners often maintain that most babies grow out of eczema however those individuals quite often develop asthma or other allergic conditions a few years down the line. Sadly, nobody seems to make the connection).
It is a fact that breastfeeding offers the best protection when it comes to preventing allergies however young babies often become sensitized to proteins (allergens) their digestive system cannot cope with. Because everything the mum consumes becomes a part of her breastmilk, taking out the suspected allergen(s) from the breastfeeding mother's diet often resolves the allergic response thus eliminating eczema.
If breastfeeding is not an option, choosing suitable formula becomes one of the most important decisions when it comes to preventing and treating eczema (especially when allergies run in the family). Proper digestion and utilization of cow's milk protein seems to present difficulties for many susceptible infants. Those babies often develop an allergy to dairy which precedes the development of eczema. It is important to talk to your baby's doctor and ask for a hypoallergenic formula (also called elemental or hydrolyzed formula since the proteins have been broken down thus posing smaller risk of developing an allergy). Sometimes, the most sensitive babies will react even to the hypoallergenic formula. In that case soy formula may be the option (even though some babies react to soy as well). It is a matter of trying what suits your baby. If, however, formula has been found to be the issue you will see a marked improvement in the way your baby feels (less itchy, more content) within a few days of introducing a new formula. It may take another few days to see the inflammation (redness) subsiding. Because it takes about 28 days for new cells to work their way up to the outer layer of the epidermis, you will notice new healthy skin forming within about a month. Should your baby react to all types of formula he/she is given, it would be a good idea to see a NAET practitioner who may be in the best position to help in eliminating the underlying allergy.
Sometimes when babies seem to be reacting to just about everything, detergents could be the culprit. Detergent related allergies appear to be on the rise since detergents are lurking everywhere from skin care and household products to washing powders and washing-up liquids. Later on you will learn how to find out if detergents act as triggers for your baby's eczema.
If however your baby suffers from severe eczema that does not respond to any treatment, then over colonization of staphylococcus areus is usually the main cause since these hardy bacteria prevent eczema from healing and further contribute to infection. It is crucial to treat the infection first before pursuing other treatment options.
As you can see, there is no simple answer when it comes to treating eczema. However the good news is that there are some general guidelines you can follow to accurately pinpoint the main triggers, which will put you on the right track to reversing your baby's eczema for good.
This is just a small excerpt from my book Heal Your Baby's Eczema available from www.simplyeczemafree.com. If your little one suffers from eczema then following the key principles in this book could make tremendous difference when it comes to reversing eczema for good.
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