Eczemawhat?

In her response to yesterday's post, Island Baby mentioned possible treatments for eczema. This isn't the first time eczema has been mentioned when discussing Amiri's rash. In fact, his pediatrician considered it and ultimately ruled it out and classified his rash as something viral. Since eczema runs on Napi's side of the family, it's quite possible poor Ami' may eventually have to deal with it. It never occurred to me though that eczema was anything more than dry skin. Turns out it can be a major pain in the ass.

Most kids get itchy rashes at one time or another. But eczema can be a nuisance that may prompt scratching that can only make the problem worse.

The term eczema refers to a number of different skin conditions in which the skin is red and irritated and occasionally results in small, fluid-filled bumps that become moist and ooze. The most common cause of eczema is atopic dermatitis, sometimes called infantile eczema although it occurs in infants and older children.

The word "atopic" describes conditions that occur when someone is overly sensitive to allergens in their environment such as pollens, molds, dust, animal dander, and certain foods. "Dermatitis" means that the skin is inflamed, or red and sore.

Kids who get eczema often have family members with hay fever, asthma, or other allergies. Some scientists think these children may be genetically predisposed to get eczema, which means characteristics have been passed on from parents through genes that make a child more likely to get it.

About half of the kids who get eczema will also someday develop hay fever or asthma themselves. Eczema is not an allergy itself, but allergies can trigger eczema. Some environmental factors (such as excessive heat or emotional stress) can also trigger the condition.

About one out of every 10 kids develops eczema. Typically, symptoms appear within the first few months of life, and almost always before a child turns 5. But the good news is that more than half of the kids who have eczema today will be over it by the time they're teenagers.

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With both eczema and asthma present on Napi's side of the family, we are obviously going to have to pay attention to this. One of the many doctors to see Ami' during his respiratory problems recommended we purchase Aquaphor (as did Island B) and Napi picked up a tube the other day. As usual, the cost was astronomical, but hopefully it will serve as an added layer of protection against whatever it is that is causing this rash to appear on our poor little boy.