Eczema flare-ups in babies are the absolute worst. How could something so seemingly innocuous as irritated skin cause so much discomfort?
If you’re a parent of a baby with eczema, you know how heartbreaking it is to watch your helpless little one suffer from this condition.
Many parents are familiar with the basic steps to take with eczema care such as oatmeal baths, room humidifiers, and applying lotion. But still, eczema flare-ups are typically extremely uncomfortable.
The inflammation that eczema triggers causes an intense itchiness, so it’s very normal that anyone with the condition – especially babies who can’t communicate – will want to scratch when eczema flare-ups happen. And scratch. And scratch some more.
Unfortunately, scratching only makes things worse and can lead to eczema complications like cuts, infections, and even scarring. Fortunately, there are some strategies that parents can try to help make their babies more comfortable when dealing with eczema flare-ups.
How to Prevent Baby Scratching with Eczema Flare-Ups
If your poor little sweetie is suffering from eczema flare-ups and wants to scratch, scratch, scratch, there are some ways you can try to prevent it.
1. Don Mittens.
Remember those teeny-tiny mittens your baby wore when first born? It might be time to break them (or a larger version) out again.
Your baby may not want to wear mittens during the day when there’s so much to grab and touch, but try slipping them on before the little one goes to bed to curtail nighttime scratching.
2. Clip their nails.
Scratching eczema patches, as you know, only irritates them and makes them worse.
You may not be able to completely prevent your child from touching their dry patches, but the damage will be a lot less if they don’t have sharp nails that can puncture skin and make it bleed.
3. When in doubt, distract.
Mind over matter, right? When you see your baby pawing at eczema, try diverting the little one’s attention. Play peek-a-boo, offer a snack, or introduce a new book or toy.
Anything to make the baby forget that they’re itchy, and no, we won’t judge if sometimes that means screen time too. Desperate times and all.
4. Keep itchy skin covered.
It’s not easy to keep the itchy skin of eczema flare-ups covered if the areas are on your baby’s face, but it might work for other areas of the body.
For instance, it might be easier to cover your baby’s legs, arms, and other body parts. Your baby may still scratch, but it at least will be over a layer of clothing and won’t irritate the skin as much.
5. Try eczema clothing.
This strategy might sound strange, but eczema-specific clothing exists.
Eczema clothing is designed specifically to reduce itch (when possible) and damage to the skin. For instance, some eczema clothing features mittens that are easy to take on and off or has a silky outer layer that can be gentler on the skin if babies do scratch.
