Soft, luscious, and heart-stoppingly smooth, a baby's skin is the ultimate example of dermatologic perfection. Except when it isn't: As many as 20 percent of babies suffer from eczema, which is marked by scaly, dry redness, either in patches or all over the body. Blessedly, with gentle cleansing and assiduous moisturizing, mild cases can be soothed.
Sometimes called atopic dermatitis, eczema often runs in families. It appears as a dry, itching rash virtually anywhere on the body, from the face and scalp to the legs, joints, and groin area. Babies are especially vulnerable to eczema inflammation in their first year, because they haven't yet developed a full epidermal barrier. Their tendency to scratch themselves while sleeping only exacerbates the problem.
"A baby's skin has no top layer to keep moisture and oils in and irritants out," says Ellen S. Marmur, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City. "It's extra-sensitive and has to be protected from excess water, heat, sweat, rough wool, and skin scrubs. Even clothes dried with scented fabric-softener sheets may cause enough trauma to trigger eczema."
Next Page: Stopping the itch-scratch cycle
