A nurse mother’s experience in fighting infant eczema is worth learning from

Zhang Yu, a nurse at the Pediatric General Surgery Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital), is the mother of two children. The eldest baby is 6 years and 4 months old, and the younger one has just turned 4 months old. As a mother of two children, when Dabao was a child, she suffered from eczema for more than half a year. Seeing Dabao’s uncomfortable expression when the eczema itched, she felt so distressed that she didn’t know how many tears she shed and how many methods she tried, but the eczema persisted. Sometimes light and sometimes heavy. Now that I have a lot of experience, Xiaobao’s eczema is basically not obvious. Aunt Bao of Henan Business News often sees parents asking about how to deal with eczema in their children. Aunt Bao feels that it is very necessary to share the practice of this nurse mother. My baby’s experience of being tortured by eczema. The most serious case of eczema was for my eldest child. He had a little bit of it when he was one month old. It wasn’t particularly serious at the time. From two to three months ago, it started to appear all over his head and face, and it turned into yellow scabs, on his eyebrows, The area around my eyes is red, and it is said to be caused by allergies. I can’t say what kind of allergy it is. I am very careful about what I eat, and I don’t dare to eat egg whites or seafood that are easy to be allergic to. When the eczema was severe, I also used medicine, calamine, honeysuckle water, everything. After applying it, I felt a little better, but basically it couldn\’t cure it. I looked at both Western and Chinese medicine, and they all prescribed medicine to remove dampness and relieve itching. In severe cases, I also used hormones. The child was itching so much at night that he couldn\’t sleep, so he used it. Children can control it a little with hormone medicine. Because it was winter at that time, the first child was inexperienced, so he was always worried about the cold, so he wore a sleeping bag and a quilt at night. Suddenly, in the spring of next year, the clothes were not so thick, and the eczema gradually disappeared. After I had my second child, I paid very close attention to it. My child wore the same clothes as adults at home, basically just a warm coat, and I almost never had eczema again. [What causes eczema] Nowadays, there are a lot of eczema in newborns. Feng Xiaojuan, head nurse of the Pediatric General Surgery Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, said that some of them are indeed allergies, but a large part of them are related to improper care by parents. Zhang Yu summarized, generally speaking, eczema is caused by the following reasons: 1. Genetic factors If parents have allergic diseases such as asthma, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, etc., the probability of children developing eczema is several times higher than that of normal babies. Dozens of times, this is determined by genetic factors. ‍2. Protein allergy Among mothers of children with eczema, many mothers paid great attention to nutrition during pregnancy and lactation, mainly eating high-protein diets such as chicken, duck, fish, meat, and shrimp. Some like to eat spicy and other irritating foods. . 3. Environmental factors (1) In order to prevent their babies from catching cold, many mothers rarely open windows for ventilation, causing indoor humidity or overheating. Bathing with hot water or wearing too many clothes will aggravate eczema. (2) Some children are allergic to daily necessities, such as soap, washing powder, synthetic fiber clothes, plasticine, plastic toys, etc. (3) Climate change (sunlight, ultraviolet rays, heat, dryness, cold, etc.) and atmospheric pollution (excessive harmful gases or dust in the air) can also induce or aggravate infant eczema. (4) Infant eczema can also be induced by inhaling dust mites, pollen, etc., contacting various animal and plant danders, feathers, etc., and eating fish, shrimp, eggs and other foods. 4. Improper medication and care. Infant eczema is called \”milk ringworm\” in traditional Chinese medicine., some parents use drugs to treat \”ringworm\” to treat infant eczema. They use hormone creams, which have quick effects and are used over a large area and for a long time. The baby\’s skin is thin and tender, which often leads to drug dependence or aggravates the condition. [Can I take a bath?] Babies with eczema should not touch water too frequently, just once a day or every other day. When bathing, the water temperature should not be too hot, and do not use bath products with high alkaline content. Do not bathe when the eczema is severe or oozing out, especially the affected area should not come into contact with water. [How to dress] Clothes and quilts must not be too thick. This is so important! Some children may be fine if they wear thick clothes. Not every child will have eczema if they wear thick clothes, but children with eczema will definitely get more serious if they wear thick clothes. Especially when sleeping at night, if the child cries again and the body becomes hot, it will become even more uncomfortable. Eczema is extremely itchy and unbearable. The baby cannot express it and basically just cries. Many parents may find that as long as they don\’t wear so much, their eczema will be much lighter. Therefore, clothes should be loose-fitting, and cotton fabrics are most suitable. Do not let sweaters, blankets, chemical fibers, etc. come into contact with the skin. Baby\’s clothes, diapers, and pillow towels must be washed and changed frequently, and the detergent must be rinsed thoroughly. [How to eat] In terms of diet, mothers should pay attention not to overfeed their babies and maintain normal digestion. If you are breastfeeding, the mother should try to avoid eating foods that are likely to cause allergies. If you are allergic to protein, you can eat egg yolk alone. Wet nurses should not eat spicy, seafood, fishy foods, such as onions, garlic, peppers, fish, shrimps, crabs, etc. Eat more foods rich in vegetable oils. Some mothers ask whether weaning is necessary. If weaning is a pity because of this, they should just pay attention to their diet. If your baby is mixed-fed or artificially fed, he may be allergic to milk powder, and you can choose to give your baby desensitized milk powder. When adding complementary foods, avoid choosing ready-made foods containing food additives. It is best for parents to make their own complementary foods for their children. Eat less seafood to reduce allergies. [How to use medicines] Do not use medicines indiscriminately. Babies’ skin is thin and tender. Improper use of medicines often aggravates the condition. Parents must not abuse antibiotics and do not use single prescriptions or folk remedies casually. Regarding whether to use hormonal drugs, Zhang Yu’s opinion is that when the eczema is very serious, hormonal drugs should also be used, but they should not form dependence. A cousin from her hometown has a child with severe eczema, covering his head and face. He has always refused to take hormones, but the child will be very uncomfortable. Sometimes, with appropriate medication, the child can control it, especially at night. Now that Erbao has mild eczema, just apply some Yumeijing on his face, which is more effective. [How to care for] Babies whose eczema has scabbed can be wiped with vegetable oil (olive oil) to gradually soften the scab. Also, remember to avoid exposure to the sun, as intense sunlight can aggravate your baby’s eczema. The environment where the child lives should be kept clean and dry, and the room temperature should not be too high. Reduce environmental allergens such as house dust, mites, hair, man-made fibers, fungi (carpets, pets). Also, cut your baby\’s nails short to prevent scratches. Eczema is very itchy. Children sometimes rub their faces on pillows or quilts, or rub them with their little hands. Therefore, the baby\’s nails should be cut short to prevent scratches, which may cause skin ulceration and inflammation.