BABY OR INFANTILE ECZEMA:
This is the most common of all eczemas and can be mild to severe. The two most common causes are a Colon Flora imbalance or an Essential Fatty Acid imbalance. If your child/baby has eczema but is now much older, it is important to think back to when it first started and then choose from the following headings which one pertains to your circumstances.
How do I determine which one it is?
It is a Colon Flora imbalance if:
Your childs eczema only started after being weaned off breast milk onto formula or solid foods.
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It is an essential fatty acid imbalance if:
From the very first day, your child was born with eczema.
At the time your child developed eczema they were only receiving breast milk and no other form of food or drink.
Find out more...
COLON FLORA IMBALANCE - BABY ECZEMA:
This is the most common form of
baby eczemas. The cause of this eczema is due to an imbalance
of colon flora or bacteria, and is commonly brought about when
either formula or solid foods have been introduced into the diet
before sufficient or the correct balance of colon bacteria has
been reached. The result is that the child cannot correctly digest
certain proteins and enzymes resulting in an allergic or intolerant
reaction in the colon.
Small babies and children who were/are on repeated courses of oral antibiotics
can also suffer from a colon flora imbalance due to the medications ability to
kill off any beneficial bacteria therefore providing an environment for harmful
organisms to take hold.
Once digested foods and drink passes through the colon into the
blood stream as proteins, enzymes vitamins, minerals etc....they
are tagged with a receptor called an antigen. The immune system
scans these antigens to determine who is a friend and and who
is a foe. This is an extremely complex mechanism and not all
foods or drink are tagged correctly. When this happens the immune
system attacks these antigens which are "glued" together for disposal.
This is a common occurrence experienced by everyone and is usually
excreted by bile and urine. In patients with very high levels
of antigens, the normal process of extraction is overloaded and
these allergens find escape routes via the skin (eczema) and lungs
(asthma).
Classic symptoms are :
-
Bloatedness
Diahorrea, Constipation or both
Spastic colon - in older children
Poor digestion
High levels of indols
Allergies
Treatment Options:
If possible revert back to mothers milk.
Introduce a Probiotic. Ones that come in pill form are useless and not recommended. The best forms are natural for example Kefir or fermented sauer kraut. Use a non petrochemical based emollient to help with the dry and itchy skin.
Only wash with a natural soap that has no chemical or perfume additives for example the Dermaphend
Liquid Soap (other soaps will further irritate the skin)
Dietary Changes
It is important to determine what foods your baby or child has
become intolerant to.
If your child is on solid food then first eliminate dairy,
wheat and gluten. If this proves ineffective then use the Dermaphend antigen reduction diet which
is almost guaranteed to reduce the high levels of antigens.
Include more fish and olive oil in their diet and reduce the
amounts of fried food, red meat, full cream dairy products and
sunflower oil.
If baby is still on formula then rather use goats milk.
Supplement with:
A small child on solid foods then supplement with Omega-3 and
GLA (gamma lipoic acid).
If baby (on formula) then supplement with Omega-3.
The only Omega-3 we recommend is one derived from fish.
Cod liver oil is also an excellent choice.
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID - BABY ECZEMA:
These cases are quite rare and comprise only 1% of baby eczema's. The cause of this eczema is due to insufficient essential fats (Omega 3, 6 & 9) being passed from mother to child via breast milk. Due to our western diet, omega-6 is plentiful and is found in red meat, all dairy products, cheeses, sunflower oil & fried and junk foods, this type of diet lacks omega-3 found in fish, olive oil and flax seed.Classic symptoms are :
-
Dry skin
Chapped lips
Mother and or child very thin
Poor diet
Diet lacks foods containing omega-3
Diet high in omega-6
Treatment Options:
Use a non petrochemical based emollient to help with the dry and itchy skin.
Only wash with a natural soap that has no chemical or perfume additives for example the Dermaphend
Liquid Soap (other soaps will further irritate the skin)
Supplement with a high grade Omega 3 fish oil (Moms who are breastfeeding)
Dietary Changes
While mom is still breast
feeding, include more fish and olive oil in
her diet and reduce the amounts of fried food, red meat, full
cream dairy products and sunflower oil.
If small child (on solids) then the above diet should form part
of their daily diet as well as supplementing with Omega 3 fish oil.
Supplement with:
While mom is still breast feeding, she should supplement with
Omega-3 and GLA (gamma lipoic acid).
If baby (on formula) then supplement with Omega-3 and GLA (gamma
lipoic acid).
The only Omega-3 we recommend is one derived from fish.
Cod liver oil is also an excellent choice.