Parents' Section

Being the parent of a child with eczema can be challenging. The following points may help you and your child with some issues that may arise because of their eczema.

Self-esteem:

Children with eczema can feel very self-conscious, particularly if their eczema is widespread. Encourage them to stick to their moisturising routine – try to make it fun, like a game, for younger children. For older children, carefully explain why they need to do it, to keep their skin looking as good as it can.

Boost their self-esteem by encouraging them to do things they are good at. Creative hobbies are particularly good as they absorb your child’s attention and take their mind off scratching their skin.

School:

Some children get teased about their eczema – do talk to your child’s teacher if you have any concerns. Tell your child that eczema is a common condition, and some other children at school will probably have eczema. This will help your child to realise that eczema is not catching, but is a very common and ‘normal’ condition.

Sports:

Exercise is good for the body and relaxing, but some children do find that sweating during exercise makes their eczema worse. Make sure your child takes their emollient cream to keep the skin well moisturised during sports. Their sports clothes should be cotton (or modern 'breathable' fabric) and loose-fitting to increase ventilation of the skin.

Swimming can also be a problem if their skin is sensitive to chlorine, but using a barrier cream may be helpful.

Holidays:

Ask your pharmacist for a suitable sunscreen that will not irritate your child’s skin. Wash children’s new holiday clothes to soften them and remove any chemicals in the fabric. Choose cotton clothes for your child rather than synthetic fabrics, as they allow the skin to ‘breathe’.

Worries about steroids:

Many parents have concerns about the effects of steroids on their children, particularly as this subject has been covered a lot in the media. If you have these concerns, do talk to your GP.

Growing up with eczema

This section looks at how eczema may affect your child at different ages.

Young children

Eczema is usually diagnosed pre-school, so it is a condition that many very young children have to deal with. It is particularly hard to cope with in this age group because the child cannot understand why they feel so uncomfortable. Eczema can disrupt their sleep badly at a time when sleep is essential for growth and development, so it has a knock-on effect in terms of tiredness – for both child and parent.

Pre-teens

In some ways eczema can be easier to cope with once children reach the age of about ten – they can understand more about the condition, and take an active role in their treatment. But they may also feel a growing frustration if eczema interferes with their hobbies such as sports. Problems with teasing can also happen at this age.

Early teens

In some ways this is one of the most difficult ages to have eczema. It is an age when both sexes start to feel very conscious of their bodies and their appearance, and flare-ups of eczema can have a major effect on their self-esteem at this vulnerable time. This age group also hates to feel ‘different’ from the rest, so they may rebel against their treatment regime, potentially making their condition worse.

3 questions to ask the doctor if your child has eczema

1. Is there anything else I could be doing as a parent to help control my child’s eczema?
2. What are the treatment options available to my child?
3. Which of all these treatments is likely to offer the most effective control of my child’s eczema?