Nothing’s better than soft, smooth, silky newborn baby skin…until it’s not so soft and smooth.
The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that eczema affects up to 20 percent of infants.
Parents often find that their infant has beautiful, clear skin for a few weeks to months but then a few concerns arise. Possibly cradle cap, dryness on the cheeks, rashes under the chin, and bum rashes. These conditions can all be caused by different factors but baby eczema seems to come and last for longer than most other conditions.
As a Naturopath, I always ask the same questions when it comes to changes in baby’s skin:
- Is the baby fussy or colicky?
- Are they breastfed or bottle fed?
- Does eczema or allergies run in the family?
- How is their digestion?
The answers to these questions may give us some insight into the root cause of your baby’s eczema, because I can tell you one thing for sure, it’s not caused by a deficiency in corticosteroid cream as some doctors would lead you to believe.
As a breastfeeding mom, is it possible that something you’re eating is upsetting baby’s stomach? Sometimes garlic or dairy can cause gassiness and upset stomach, diarrhea and even eczema.
If an infant’s digestion has never regulated you need to consider an imbalance in the gut flora. Was mom or baby given antibiotics during delivery, or soon after? This can cause an overgrowth of bad gut bacteria leading to a possible yeast overgrowth. Some other associated signs could be diaper rashes and thrush.
As a Naturopath there are many options for helping support even very young infants health to fully treat their skin issues. Sometimes it’s more about treating mom so she can pass on good nutrients through breast milk, or altering her diet to find a sensitivity, but the answer is almost never found in just a topical cream.
