Eczema in a 10-week-old

My doctor has diagnosed my 10-week-old son as having eczema. We have been given some cream but could you explain eczema to me?

Eczema means a scaly rash. Most doctors mean “atopic eczema” when they just say “eczema”. There are other scaly rashes that are called eczema. Another eczema that is common in babies is seborrheic dermatitis. As both it and atopic eczema improve on corticosteroid creams telling the difference may not seem important. However, the course of the condition will be very different.

Atopic eczema is part of atopy in which some combination of the following may occur: asthma, hayfever (allergic rhinitis) or a tendency to allergies. Seborrheic dermatitis tends to disappear by 2 years, only to reappear as dandruff in adolescence. Many cases of atopic eczema also disappear by 2 and most have resolved by 6. Some remain life-long.

It is important to emphasize that your child may grow out of his eczema and never develop any of these conditions in later life, no matter which of these 2 common scaling rashes he has.

Eczema does not produce permanent scarring by itself. If it is scratched (and eczemas are very itchy) it may become secondarily infected and antibiotics needed. If this secondary infection is severe, it may cause scarring.

Babies with eczema in the diaper region (usually seborrheic dermatitis) may have repeated and very difficult to control diaper rash. This will require antiseptic baths as well as corticosteroid cream – this require medical attention and advice