Children with atopic dermatitis: How to properly care?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. Dr. Tam has 15 years of experience working in the field of Pediatrics, has participated in many national and international scientific conferences on pediatrics and participated in many short-term training courses. His strength is diagnosis and treatment of hematological pathology - Pediatric oncology, resuscitation, pediatric emergency.
And resident doctor Duong Van Sy - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Atopic dermatitis (atopic eczema, eczema) is the most common skin disease in children, causing a lot of discomfort for children. Proper skin care not only reduces discomfort in children, but also helps prevent complications of the disease.

Atopic dermatitis in children is mainly related to family factors (ie, genetic factors) and allergic factors. Children are often more at risk of developing this disease when their family or children have other allergic diseases (such as bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis). Nearly 50% of patients may be stable in their teens, but there are also many cases where the disease persists for years into adulthood. Atopic dermatitis in children often presents with dry skin, a red rash on the face, on the scalp, arms, legs or behind the ears. In toddlers and older children, the rash usually appears on the skin around the knees, wrists, elbows, and ankles. In some special cases, the rash can appear on the whole body of the child. The rash is often very itchy, even making the child sleepless at night.

Several factors can make atopic dermatitis worse, such as:
Hot: Thick clothes, hot fabrics, hot baths, heaters,... Dry: Using soap, air conditioning, dry, hot weather... Itching: Labels on clothes, animal hair, grass, sand, dust,... Virus infection or some bacterial infection. Other factors: Chemicals, environment, allergens,...

2.1. The purpose of proper skin care Improve disease symptoms: reduce itching, reduce inflammation. Moisturizes the skin and regenerates the skin. Protect the skin. Prevention and treatment of infections. 2.2. Control itching for children Itching will cause children to scratch a lot and make atopic dermatitis in children worse, even causing infection. To reduce itching for children, you can use some of the following methods:
Apply damp or use wet bandages to the damaged skin. Clean children's hands, do not let children's nails long. Distract the child's attention when the child is itching and scratching a lot, such as playing games, watching TV, ... Use medicine for children according to the doctor's instructions. Wet dressings (or moist patches) are used if atopic dermatitis in a child is not controlled within 24 to 48 hours after starting cortisone treatment. Wet dressings (or moist dressings) usually only take three to five days to see results. It is possible to mix a solution to increase the moisture content of the skin as prescribed by the doctor to be more effective. The number of times a child's wet dressing (or moist dressing) is applied is usually several times per day, depending on the severity of the disease. The specific steps are as follows:
Step 1: Wet a towel (or bandage) with warm water mixed with a skin-moisturizing solution. Step 2: Apply cortisone (or drugs prescribed by the doctor) to the dry, red papules. Step 3: Apply a body moisturizer. Step 4: Depending on the location of the skin damage, use a wet or damp bandage: Face: Wet a soft towel with cool water, then apply it to dry, red papules for 5-10 minutes. Head area: Wet a towel or a soft cotton hat with cool water, then cover the child's head for 5-10 minutes. Hands and feet: Use a flexible bandage (like a sock with two open ends) or a soft towel wetted with cool water, and put it on (wrapped) on dry, red papules on hands and feet. Then, put on a dry tube bandage (or dry towel) over it. When the bandage (towel) is dry, it will be removed, applied moisturizer, and dressed in normal clothes for the child. Back, chest, abdomen: Use a soft cotton shirt wetted with cool water, then put it on the child and put on a dry shirt outside, until the shirt is dry, take it off, apply moisturizer and wear it. Normal clothes for children.

2.3. Moisturize the skin It is recommended to regularly use a moisturizer that is less irritating to the skin when the child shows signs of the disease and even after the disease is gone. The cream should be applied to the whole body, not just the damaged skin. If your doctor prescribes medication, apply it first and then apply a layer of moisturizer on top. The number of times to use the cream depends on the severity of the disease and should be applied after moistening the skin (bath, wet dressing,...). Children should be encouraged to participate in the application process. When taking the cream to apply, care should be taken to use a clean tool to take out a sufficient amount to apply, to avoid contaminating the remaining unused cream.
2.4. How to bathe your baby Too hot water will make your baby's skin dry and itchy, so don't bathe your baby with too hot water, only use warm water (no more than 30 degrees Celsius or cooler, depending on the weather when bathing). ). Bathing the baby needs to be done every day, so use shower gel instead of soap (because soap makes the skin drier). Children should be soaked in a basin or bath mixed with shower gel for 15 - 30 minutes to enhance skin hydration. The time to bathe the baby is 2 hours before bed to help the baby sleep better.
If the child has specific instructions and instructions from a specialist, they need to be followed.

2.5. Tips for caring for children If your child has perioral dermatitis related to food or saliva, the skin around the mouth should be cleaned with a soft and wet cloth, then applied a layer of moisturizer. Clothing for children should choose soft cotton material, labels should be removed to avoid rubbing against the skin. Blankets used for babies should choose a cotton or cotton blanket to avoid making the baby's skin too hot. Avoid substances that can irritate the skin (detergents, soaps, etc.) and factors that aggravate the child's illness. Children should live in a cool environment day and night (limited heaters, fans,...). Children need to go to the doctor immediately if they do not improve after 2 days of treatment or show signs of infection (cracked skin, watery areas,...) As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health system, Pediatrics Department always carries Satisfaction with customers and highly appreciated by experts in the industry with:
Gathering a team of leading pediatricians: including leading experts with high professional qualifications (Professor) , associate professor, doctorate, master), rich experience, worked at major hospitals such as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are well-trained, professional, have a heart - reach, knowledge. understand child psychology. In addition to domestic pediatric specialists, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.