In recent years, doctors are noticing a steady rise in babies developing a severe skin condition called eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.<\/p>\n
This common but often distressing skin condition typically shows up within the first few months of life and can leave newborns uncomfortable, itchy, and cranky. While it’s treatable, experts say it’s important for parents to understand the condition early to take preventive steps.<\/p>\n
“Eczema often begins as dry or red patches on the cheeks, scalp, or behind the ears. Over time, it can spread to the belly, arms, or legs. Unlike heat rashes or baby acne that come and go quickly, eczema lingers, and it itches a lot. Babies might even scratch during their sleep, which worsens the irritation,” explains Dr. Ruby Sachdev, Consultant Aesthetic Physician at Gleneagles Hospital, Bengaluru.<\/p>\n
According to Dr. Vittal Kumar Kesireddy, Consultant & In-charge, Department of Paediatrics at CARE Hospitals, Hyderabad, \u201cIn infants, the rash commonly appears with tiny blisters or crusting. It\u2019s different from conditions like cradle cap or seborrheic dermatitis, which are less itchy and typically affect the scalp and eyelids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doctors say both genetics and modern environments are to blame for this increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there’s a family history of eczema, asthma, or allergies, the baby is already at higher risk. But today\u2019s urban lifestyles\u2014less exposure to natural environments, more pollution, harsh soaps, and artificial fragrances\u2014are also weakening babies’ skin barriers,” says Dr. Sachdev.<\/p>\n
Dr. Kesireddy adds that environmental triggers like dust, pollen, pet dander, mould, and certain foods like dairy, gluten, and nuts can make symptoms worse.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents should use gentle, fragrance-free products and avoid exposing babies to harsh chemicals. Cotton clothing is preferable, and lukewarm baths followed by thick moisturizers help a lot,” adds Dr. Kesireddy.<\/p>\n
Treatment of this varies depending on the severity, but most babies respond well to regular moisturising and anti-inflammatory creams.<\/p>\n
“For frequent flare-ups, we now recommend barrier-repair creams or mild prescription treatments even during calm phases.Managing eczema early helps reduce the risk of children developing asthma or food allergies later in life\u2014a phenomenon called the \u2018atopic march\u2019,” says Dr. Sachdev.<\/p>\n
With early care and the right routine, most babies can lead healthy, itch-free lives.<\/p>\n
– Ends<\/p>\n
Published By: <\/p>\n
Daphne Clarance<\/p>\n
Published On: <\/p>\n
Jul 3, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In recent years, doctors are noticing a steady rise in babies developing a severe skin condition called eczema,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[29464,29468,29465,29471,29462,29467,815,29463,29469,159,29470,67,132,29466,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-35891","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-genetics","8":"tag-atopic-dermatitis","9":"tag-baby-eczema-treatment","10":"tag-baby-skincare","11":"tag-childhood-asthma-prevention","12":"tag-eczema-in-babies","13":"tag-genetic-allergy-risk","14":"tag-genetics","15":"tag-infant-skin-condition","16":"tag-paediatric-dermatology","17":"tag-science","18":"tag-skin-barrier-care","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-urban-pollution-effects","22":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114790552253062063","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}