Baby eczema is a common condition affecting babies under one to five years of age. It is a chronic inflammatory condition which is characterized by very dry and itchy skin. Reddening, cracking, swelling or scaling of skin may also be seen. It is seen in about 20 % of babies.
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It often appears as a rash anywhere on the body but mostly on scalp, forehead, cheeks, neck, chest, forearms, and legs and around joints. It looks drastic but disappears as the child ages. Most babies outgrow baby eczema by 2 to 3 years of age, some by adolescence but a few suffer throughout life. The exact cause is not known and the cause may be different in different babies.
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It is often inherited and not necessarily allergic but mostly provoked by allergens in baby’s diet/ mother’s diet in case of breastfeeding or environment and also due to pathogens which penetrate the skin.
There is a lot of discomfort and sleep disturbance to babies suffering from eczema. Most of them tend to have dry skin for the rest of their lives. These babies are at greater risk of developing other allergic conditions like asthma, hay fever etc.
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Another type of baby eczema is infantile seborrheic eczema also called as cradle crap which is seen in scalp and nappy area. It is not sore or itchy and does not cause much discomfort to the baby and disappears within a few months.