Introduction of Eczema in children

Eczema can be best described as a non-contagious skin lesions or conditions. It is a common condition that affects every one of five children during their schooling. It is also a very common disease that is found in almost all infants in their lives one or the other time. Eczema can also affect adults but in them, it is quite a recurring chronic condition and the person may have to live the entire life with the disease.

Eczema falls under the skin disease and is dermatitis. This means an inflammation of the upper layers of the skin shown as epidermis. This is actually the whole group of skin ailments, which can strike all age group but especially babies and children.

Eczema is an itchy condition that leads to red rashes when they are scratched. That is why, eczema in often called as ‘the itch that rashes’. In some children, there may be different kinds of inflammations like redness of the skin, flaking, cracking, drying up, chapping, even rupturing, and some times bleeding.

Ayurveda considers this as the ‘twak roga’ where twak stands for skin and roga is disease. This is specifically known as vicharchika and more closely paama. Therefore, you can consider these both as symptoms or synonyms of the disease since, there are no perfect terminology for modern science to Ayurveda and vise versa.

Causes of Eczema in babies and children

The causes may differ from a baby to baby. Many of the infants are irritable to even mild soaps. Infants who are given long bath may get irritation on the skin even by plain water. If you fail to choose good baby accessories, you are probably inviting eczema in infants.

Clothing also plays an important role in producing skin rashes and eczema. If the cloth is not made up of fine and good material such as 100% cotton, the baby may produce skin rashes and finally that ends into the inflammatory disease called eczema.

On the other hand, eczema can also be produced if your baby or child is allergic to some food. Common food that can produce allergies are eggs, peanuts, broccoli, butter-milk, curds etc. These food items when consumed by your child or baby, within an hour or so, your baby or child will start developing the skin rashes. If it continues to progress, it may turn into the eczema.

Ayurveda believes that this disease is produced by the alteration of body humors especially Pitta Dosha. Any of the aggravating factor that shakes up the Pitta Dosha from its place can produce skin disease such as eczema.

Ayurveda also favors that personal hygienic condition is also responsible for occurrence of the disease. One has to give his or her baby bath properly and preferably with herbal decoction or herbal soap.

Prevention and treatment of eczema in the babies

Prevention can be very well achieved by keeping personal hygiene well. One has to keep baby’s body clean. Herbal disinfectant powder is to be sprinkled over the baby’s body. The clothes of the baby are to be changed and the material is to be very smooth (preferably 100% cotton).

Note down if your baby gets the rashes over the body after eating certain food. This food is then considered as allergic to the baby and therefore is to be avoided. Eczema can be treated by giving topical ointment and internal medicines that is anti-histamine. Some of the severe cases are treated with steroids but with extra precautions and perfect doses.

Ayurveda believes that these conditions are to be treated with the herbs having action on blood purification and Pitta Dosha pacification. Some of the herbs like shatavari, Ashwagandha, sariva, manjishtha etc purify the blood and gives relief from skin problems.

Ayurveda also says that decoction of certain herbs like neem, haridra, patola is to be mixed with the bathing water and baby should be given bath in it. This will check out not only the skin rashes but they are also good for any type of fungal infection over the body.