What is atopic dermatitis in infants and children?
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disorder that appears from the first few months of life. Symptoms start to appear in infants between the age of four months and one year, or in older children between the ages of six and eight. It affects two to three children in ten, and occurs more frequently in those with a family history of allergic diseases such as asthma, eczema or rhinoconjunctivitis.
What are the causes of atopic dermatitis in infants and children?
The cause of Atopic Dermatitis is a strong genetic predisposition due to familiarity.
What does atopic dermatitis on infants and children look like?
Skin lesions may be exudating (moist), eczematous (red) or xerotic (dry), and can appear simultaneously or independent from each other in different stages.
The most affected areas of the body are:
- Neck folds
- Elbow folds
- Folds of the knee
The main symptom of atopic dermatitis is intense and persistent itching. This is true whether lesions are present on the skin or not, and can lead to bacterial infection. Itching also causes possible bacterial infections.
How to treat atopic dermatitis in infants and children
Infants and children with any stage of atopic dermatitis must use specific products to soothe the condition.
Treatment
Traditional body washes are to be avoided, and so too, is water which is a key aggravator of the condition. Dry cleaning with Potassium Permanganate is therefore recommended.
With regard to skin care, it is essential to consult a dermatologist who can prescribe specific treatments depending on the current stage of the dermatitis. To alleviate the symptoms, we suggest:
Mild dermatitis with redness and itching
Applicare la sera Crema Lenitiva. E’ una crema con ossido di zinco e magnesio silicato ad azione astringente e antiprurito. Inoltre asciuga l’umidità.
Dermatitis with dryness and itching without redness
Applicare Dermictiol Crema alla sera tramite massaggio. Si tratta di una crema contente Ittiolo Solfonato, lenitivo e antiprurito di origine minerale.
Dermatitis with moisture
Applicare PEG Unguento alla sera e al mattino, sulle zone da trattare, fino ad assorbimento. E’ un unguento in grado di assorbire l’umidità e favorire la desquamazione.
Dermatitis with intense dryness, without redness or itching
Applicare alla sera Unguento Emolliente Estremo tramite molto massaggio fino ad assorbimento. Questo prodotto possiede una forte azione idratante.
Una volta guarita la dermatite, cioè quando non è più presente arrossamento, prurito e secchezza, si raccomanda per il lavaggio del viso e corpo Base Lavante Eudermica, detergente non schiumogeno di veloce risciacquo particolarmente adatto per i soggetti atopici. e per il lavaggio dei capelli Dermictiol Shampoo.
Common questions on atopic dermatitis in infants and children
Should the skin be moisturized?
No. While we may think that dry skin in infants and children will improve with the use of moisturizers, the opposite is true, as applying moisturizer or emollient creams draws water to the skin and increases irritation.
Similarly, wetting the skin also increases dryness and itching, because water dissolves and eliminates the natural moisturizers present on the skin. Furthermore, moisture created through washing can cause the overdevelopment of skin bacteria in skin folds, causing inflammation.
Is exposure to the sun beneficial?
The sun’s rays – not UV lamps – can significantly reduce all forms of atopic dermatitis. Exposure to the sun, gradual and not excessive, obviously without sunscreens, is recommended for all atopic subjects.
However, it is necessary to know that if the subject is being treated with cortisone or immunosuppressants or has been treated recently, he will not benefit from the sun’s rays.
Recommended products:
Further insights
