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When we think of childhood, we often picture joyful, confident and carefree moments. We imagine children freely running around the park, playing without a care. We think of confident kids who are eager to learn and achieve their dreams. However, in reality, not all kids are confident and carefree. Some of them aren’t comfortable in their own skin quite literally because of a skin condition called eczema.

In a study entitled “Effects of Atopic Dermatitis on Young American Children and Their Families” published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents and experts cited a total of 181 specific quality-of-life effects of eczema. These effects on both parents and children can be categorized into domains of physical health, emotional health, physical functioning, and social functioning.

The children in the study represent the many children around the world suffering from eczema. If your child is one of them, know that proper treatment can help your child still have a good quality of life despite his skin condition.

Proper treatment can help your child still have a good quality of life despite his/her eczema skin condition.”

The most obvious area that is affected by eczema is your child’s physical health. Aside from the discomfort and pain caused by itchy and inflamed skin, your child suffers from sleep disruption. There are nights when your little one’s peaceful slumber turns into a long exhausting session of scratching. Similarly, as a parent, you don’t get enough sleep taking care of a sleepless child suffering from eczema. Sadly, sleep disruption may result in a long list of health consequences for both you and your child, which includes increased stress responsivity, somatic problems, reduced quality of life, hypertension, weight-related issues, as well as cognition, memory and performance deficits.

In the above mentioned study, the most commonly reported emotional effects that eczema has on children are irritability, fussiness, and increased crying. Because of pain and discomfort, it is not surprising that light-hearted children become irritable, frustrated and sad. In the long run, this may lead to depression. Likewise, the parents suffer from guilt or self-blame. Negative comments from other people may lead to feelings of anger, sadness, helplessness, frustration and embarrassment.

To spare your child from being emotionally affected by this skin disorder, it is important to implement as early as possible an eczema management plan that should include repairing the defective skin barrier. Consider using a ceramide-dominant, cream-based emollient therapy like Ceradan^® Skin Barrier Repair Cream. It has essential lipids content in 3:1:1 optimal ratio for skin barrier repair.

Have you experienced restricting your child from playing in the backyard or from joining school activities? Do you choose to stay at home most of the time? While you surely want to let your child experience the great outdoors and have fun with other kids, there’s a part of you that wants to shield your little one from the triggering factors that can worsen flares such as sweat, heat, air pollution, grass or dust. Thus, your child’s physical functions become limited.

While avoiding the triggers should be part of the treatment plan, keep in mind that it won’t be healthy to keep your child from the outdoors totally. So from time to time, allow him to spend a few minutes with nature. After going out, just don’t forget to clean him using a pH-balanced, fragrance-free, non-soap body wash like Ceradan^® Moisturising Wash.

FACT: Eczema is NOT contagious.

To help boost your child’s confidence, dress him up well with clothes that are stylish yet soft, comfortable and breathable. Just avoid nylon or wool clothing as this may worsen eczema symptoms. Likewise, make sure to keep your child’s skin moisturized so it will not look dry. Apply a ceramide-dominant moisturiser like Ceradan^® Hydra Moisturiser on your little one’s skin at least twice a day or as needed.