If your baby is suffering from eczema, it’s important that you learn as much as possible about this condition. Even though there isn’t a cure for eczema, most babies will grow out of it over time. And baby eczema is very treatable.

What causes a baby to develop eczema? It might be hereditary in nature. Since eczema has a tendency to be genetic in origins, particularly if your family is prone to allergies, a good starting point is to check your family history to see if anyone else is prone to this condition.

Sometimes your diet during pregnancy might lead to the situation. Or your little one might be experiencing an allergic reaction to certain medications that you’re using while breastfeeding. If you’re no longer breastfeeding, you might want to look into the type of formula or milk that your child is drinking. This can sometimes be a cause of eczema, as well.

You might want to consider trying soy milk or formula instead of regular cow’s milk. If the baby eczema persists, your next choice would be to try goat’s milk, which is usually easily available. But if none of these readily available products does the trick, you should consider purchasing special formula on the recommendation of your doctor. Sometimes these products can be covered through your health insurance plan.

Other options to look at apart from switching to a different kind of milk include using topical creams and ointments to treat the condition. There are certain products that are specifically formulated for treatment of baby eczema. There are no petroleum products included among the ingredients of these creams, and they don’t penetrate your baby’s skin, so they’re generally considered safe. Other mild formulations include ingredients such as aloe, which helps to ease dry skin and itch.

If your baby’s condition is severe, your pediatrician might prescribe a cream that contains cortisone as a short term measure. However, these products have side effects like making the skin thinner. They also make your child appear somewhat bloated. However, once the treatment has done its job and you’ve stopped using it, your baby’s appearance will return to normal.

However, eczema in babies has a tendency to come back from time to time, so don’t be alarmed if the condition clears up and then reappears at a later date. Sometimes this condition is seasonal as well, so your little one might have more episodes of baby eczema during the winter months. Something to keep in mind for later in your child’s life is that when they are under stress they are more prone to a flare up of the condition.