Back toUpdated on October 22, 2024
Pediatric atopic dermatitis can be a frustrating condition for kids—it can be difficult to resist the urge to scratch, to follow treatment routines, to feel confident in their skin. Learn about different ways you can help in this video with Tanya Altmann, MD.
Medically reviewed in February 2020.
Transcript
Any stress, whether physical, such as an illness or disease, all show up in the skin and cause flare-ups in moderate
to severe eczema. [MUSIC PLAYING]
To help your child feel more confident in their skin, you want to work with your doctor on controlling any eczema outbreaks that they have,
and preventing any future inflammation. But in addition, just talk to your child. It's always important to encourage self-esteem
in our kids, and teach them to be strong and resilient, and really like the person who they are.
Eczema flare-ups can be really itchy, and often kids will scratch and scratch. And that's not the best thing to do, because that can often cause further inflammation,
irritation, and even infection. So we want to treat the underlying eczema, and that could be with a cream or other medication,
but sometimes, in addition, your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine either at night or during the day to help decrease the itching, so your child doesn't
scratch as much. Also avoiding things that can cause irritation to the skin, such as tight clothing, fabrics that
don't breathe, making sure that your child is not in too dry of an environment, and avoiding excess sweating.
These are all things that you can do to help deter your child from wanting to scratch their itchy skin during a flare-up.
