Did you know as many as one in five children in Ireland suffer from eczema?

Many get better as they get older, and often, by their teen years, grow out of it completely, but for some it lingers, and experts reckon as many as one ine 11 adults in Ireland are still suffering from the skin condition. We recenly caught up with Consultant Dermatologist with La Roche-Posay, Dr. Niki Ralph, to get the low-down on baby skin and eczema, and how parents can know the sign of the condition and alert their pharmasist or GP sooner. Knowing the signs According to new research by La Roche-Posay and the Irish Skin Foundation, over half (57 percent) of parents admitted to have little to no preparation when it came to awareness of baby skincare, and the signs to look our for when it comes to eczema. "Babies aren't born with eczema, but the symptoms will often present themselves pretty early, most often by the time the baby is reaching seven-eight months," Ralph explains. "In infants, we often see the patches of red, dry skin on the cheeks and with slightly older babies, you'll often notice it in the skin folds on their wrists, behind the knees and on the crook of their arm." Unsettled sleep Being very unsettled at night and frequently waking up can also happen if the eczema is bad, making baby uncomfortable. According to Dr. Niki Ralph, this can often be one of the first sign of the onset of eczema in young children, caused by the itching and uncomfortable sensations experienced as a result of the sensitive skin condition. “One of the first questions asked of parents during a skin consultation will be in relation to how their child is sleeping, as frequent sleep disturbance and broken sleep patterns can often be the first sign of a sensitive skin condition such as eczema," she explains. "Not only does this effect the child, but it can also have a wider effect on a tired and anxious household dealing with the effects of sleepless nights." While eczema is a very common skin condition, it can still be distressing both to the child suffering from it, and also the entire family. "Moderate-to-severe atopic eczema takes an immense toll on people living with the condition and their families," explains David McMahon from The Irish Skin Foundation. "For children and adults flares are painful, very irritating and cause a distressing incessant itch that can make getting rest and sleep impossible. This is a nightmare for parents of young children with the condition and their siblings – in many ways eczema completely disrupts ordinary family life, causing stress that can be very difficult to cope with”. Treating eczema When it comes to treating eczema, Dr. Ralph explains that regular emollient therapy, essentially the use of specially formulated moisturisers such as those within the La Roche-Posay Lipikar range, is the cornerstone of treatment for eczema. "Getting babies and children into a routine when it comes to applying treatment is important, and we recommend that you for instance use every nappy change to apply another layer of moisturizer." Often, a pharmacy or GP will be the first port of call for families if they suspect their child has eczema, and then, if the skin condition is quite severe, they will be reffered on to a dermatologist. "Some children will be prescribed steroids," Dr. Ralph explains. "While for others, using en emolient like La Roche-Posay’s Lipikar body skincare range will suffice." The skincare expert says it's important to use an emollient in the bath, and to keep the baths short. "Contrary to popular advice of bathing babies less, we recommend that you give them a bath every day, but that you keep the bath very short – no more than five minutes. And make sure the water is not hot, but rather luke warm." Do's and dont's The most important thing to remember, says Ralph, is to moisturize often anf get into a routine of doing this, so the baby or child gets used to it. She also recommends keeping the child in cotton clothing, and to remove tags from inside clothing, as these can irritate sensitive skin. "Make sure to also keep bedrooms cool, and to not have radiators on in the room where the child sleeps," Ralph explains. "Often, the majority of scratching happens at night, and can really disturb sleep." Avoid any products containing soap or any type of scent, as these will irritate eczema skin. "This means no bubbles in the bath," the skincare expert explains. "And remember to keep baths short."