Does your baby have eczema, there is still hope!

Research is proving what we see in practice.

I am amazed that I still hear there is no hope for eczema. In my practice I have had the pleasure of seeing eczema clear up many times. Eczema, also called AEDS (atopic eczema/ dermatitis syndrome), is said to have no cure. However, some articles support the idea that there are underlying causes or reasons to AEDS, bringing hope that there is indeed a potential for cure.

The first factor that can cause eczema or AEDS is food allergy or sensitivities. I often hear from patients that their medical doctor has said there is no relationship between food and eczema. While this area is controversial, food allergy is certainly related to some, but not all, cases of eczema. One article written by an allergist has found that the majority of food reactions are caused by eight foods, with milk, egg, peanut, wheat, and soy being the main ones. Food reactions and eczema often coexist during the first 2 years of life. A review article reported that food allergy has a role in at least 20% of cases of AEDS, in particular cow’s milk allergy. Another review article analyzed 106 double-blind placebo controlled food challenges to cow’s milk, hen’s egg, wheat and soy in 64 children and found that 46% of the challenges caused a worsening of symptoms, usually after 24 hours. Two other studies showed a worsening of eczema after eating birch-pollen related foods . An interesting Italian study tried to find the most important factors related to allergic symptoms. This study found that feeding beef (in those less than six months) and early introduction of cow’s milk (less than 6 months) were two important factors relating to allergic symptoms. The other important factors included early weaning (less than 4 months), formula implementation in the first week of life, and parental smoking in the presence of babies.

Another underlying cause related to eczema is the gut permeability and altered microflora of the digestive system. Microflora refers to the balance of organisms in the digestive tract. A number of articles support the use of probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, as a treatment for both prevention and treatment of eczema. One particular study found that the incidence of eczema was significantly less than the control group when adding lactobacillus to infant cereals from 4 months to 13 months of age. This study showed that the probiotics stimulated a group of white blood cells called Th1, and lowered the Th2 white blood cells (which are part of the allergic response). Another study showed that where lactobacillus was given for 6 weeks, 56% of children experienced improvement of eczema, compared to 15% with placebo. A different study showed that probiotics could be more effective at reducing the severity of eczema only in children that are sensitized to foods or have symptoms of food allergy.

A third component to eczema that is supported by the research is a deficiency in omega-3 or essential fatty acids. One study showed 5.4 grams of DHA daily significantly reduced the severity of eczema compared to the control group.

Naturopathic doctors have long proposed that food allergy, altered microflora, and essential fatty acid deficiencies are possible underlying causes of eczema. Other naturopathic philosophies related to eczema have supported the idea that the skin, being a living organ, is an organ of elimination. The body also uses the liver, kidney, colon, and lungs to eliminate waste from the body. Theoretically, if the liver, kidney, and colon are blocked up then the body, in its wisdom, will use the skin as its primary detoxification system, or elimination route. Thus clearing blockages in the liver, kidney and colon could help the body re-balance toxic elimination. This is achieved by supporting the body with healthy whole foods (which will lower the toxic load in the body), minimize processed food and chemical additives, have your children hydrated, and support healthy bowel movements with fiber from fresh fruits, vegetables and exercise.

So if your child is suffering from eczema, instead of always putting on topical skin creams, consider that what is going into the body can affect the body as a whole – including the skin.

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