Allergic dermatitis in infants, which can also be called atopic, is a disease that is quite common among babies. It turns out that it can appear in the first year of life and remain forever.
This disease is characterized by several characteristic signs: rash, itching of the skin, peeling and specific pigmentation. As a rule, dermatitis in infants is allergic in nature.
There are certain reasons that can cause the development of the disease. As a rule, they include food allergens: cow's milk protein, as well as eggs, vegetables and fruits. If the child is older, he begins to form a sensitivity to pollen or household allergies.
As a rule, if allergic dermatitis develops in infants, the concentration of potassium and sodium chlorides in the blood may increase. A fundamental factor in this is heredity.
In the case of the development of this disease in the baby, the permeability of the skin vessels begins to increase sharply, as a result of which there are frequent swelling, itching and rashes of various nature. Initially, approximately at the age of 2-4 months, dermatitis may appear on the face of the baby, which is characterized by redness and swelling of the cheeks and forehead.
Forms of the manifestation of the disease can be called urticaria, eczema and neurodermatitis:
- In the case of eczema, the baby's skin becomes drier, redness and peeling appear. Nails break, become more fragile.
- If neurodermatitis appears, the skin pattern changes, and severe itching is also worrying.
- Urticaria are vesicles that look like burns from nettles.
How to treat dermatitis in infants and should it be done at all? It should be noted that any administration of drugs or the passage of any procedures is carried out exclusively under the supervision of a pediatrician or allergist. If the disease is caused by a food allergen, it should be categorically excluded from the diet. As for non-foodborne irritants, they should be eliminated. As a medical treatment, the administration of such drugs as Claritin, Suprastin, Diazolin, Tavegil and others is prescribed.
If dermatitis in infants is manifested by severe itching, the Atarax or Zirtek remedies are best in this case. Most often, dysbiosis begins to develop, therefore, it is necessary to prescribe a course of taking drugs that normalize the intestines. Also, the doctor must check that the child’s liver and pancreas work normally, because thanks to the functioning of these organs the allergen is completely eliminated from the body.
As for all kinds of means for external use, they are chosen based on the stage of development of the disease. With the help of an ointment or cream, skin inflammation is suppressed, and the degree of itching or swelling is reduced, and the risk of secondary infection decreases.
Few people know, but the occurrence of the disease in a child can be avoided if all the rules of good nutrition are observed during the entire pregnancy. Therefore, each mother should monitor the health of her baby already when he is in the womb.