HELPING KIDS WITH ECZEMA AS IT RAGES IN THE SUNSHINE – by Mary van der Westhuizen nutrition advisor for Lulubaby
OPTIMUM NUTRITION FOR CHILDREN WHO SUFFER FROM ECZEMA
The sticky heat of summer (even if it’s not quite sunbathing weather!) can worsen the eczema itch making it a particularly difficult time for sufferers of this common skin complaint.
Atopic eczema or dermatitis is the type of eczema caused by an allergy. It is an itchy inflammation of the skin and is thought to affect about 20% of preschool children in the UK. There are a number of factors that can trigger a flare or make eczema worse e.g. including environmental triggers, such as pollen and dust, certain foods and stress.
A food sensitivity or allergy is a common trigger for atopic eczema, particularly in young children and is always worth considering when tackling this often very distressing skin condition.
COMMON CULPRITS Where food is responsible, it is important to know what to avoid to prevent triggering eczema
flares:
Common food allergens: nuts (especially peanuts), eggs, cow’s milk and, to a lesser extent, soya, citrus, wheat and gluten are associated with the onset/worsening of eczema.
If your child already has eczema then it would be a good idea to follow an elimination diet for a few weeks to identify the food(s) responsible: avoid all common food allergens for ten days and then reintroduce them, one at a time, at five day intervals checking for a reaction. One of these foods may clearly emerge as the culprit!
If that doesn’t work then have a think about other foods. Is there a particular food that your child craves (It is worth bearing in mind that children often crave the foods to which they are sensitive) or he/she eats very regularly? All foods must be considered because any food could be responsible. Bear in mind that in general if one of your children suffers a reaction from a particular food, there is more chance that your other children may also react to the same food. Any culprit must be avoided for at least one year! When following any avoidance/exclusion diet long term, particularly in children, please seek advice from your health professional to prevent any nutrient deficiencies.
HEALING FOODS
As well as knowing what to avoid, consider how you can actively help to prevent or treat eczema through good nutrition. Eczema isn’t just skin deep; it is associated with a deregulated immune system (because the body is overreacting to a substance – an allergen – that is normally harmless) and inflammation within the body (caused because the body is trying to protect itself against a particular allergen).
This means that as well as needing foods that encourage the healing and renewal of skin, children with eczema also need nutritious foods that can support their immune system and combat inflammation. Here are some ideas to help get you there:
Foods that nourish the skin:
– Foods rich in zinc. Child-friendly options include red meat and pumpkin seeds…children may not be so keen on other great sources of zinc such as liver and oysters! Zinc is particularly helpful for wound healing and the repair and renewal of skin. Associations have been made between zinc deficiency and eczema.- Foods rich in vitamin C, e.g. strawberries, broccoli and kiwis. Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, a protein that is vital for skin elasticity.
– Foods rich in omega-3 fats such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds can help the skin to maintain good levels of moisture which can help to control eczema.
– Foods rich in antioxidants (including vitamins A, C, E and selenium), e.g. fresh fruit and vegetables. Try to give your child a variety of fruit and vegetables so that your child gets the benefits of the different nutrients that each fruit or vegetable brings. For example, orange- red vegetables such as carrots and sweet potato contain lots of beta-carotene that the body can convert into vitamin A. Fish (again!), such as mackerel, is a great source of selenium, a mineral that has antioxidant properties.
Foods to help support the immune system:
We know we can help support the immune system through consumption of foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D (once again, oily fish is a great source of this important immune-booster as well as small doses of sun). A study that was released earlier this year identified a reduced risk of childhood eczema where children eat fish regularly (i.e. at least twice weekly) from the age of 1.
Foods that help to combat inflammation:
We can achieve this with a diet that is high in antioxidants (see above) to counteract the damage caused by inflammation. It is also really important to eliminate any processed foods (e.g. cookies, margarine) from our children’s diets as these contain trans fats and sugars that encourage inflammation within the body. This is comfortingly easy to achieve with babies and young children…for so long as adults hold the purse strings and the shopping basket!
Beneficial supplements:
– Studies have shown that gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), found in evening primrose oil, is particularly important in combatting inflammation if eczema is atopic. During an eczema flare you could consider supplementing your child’s diet with evening primrose oil or you could rub it directly onto the patches of eczema, provided the skin is unbroken.
– Probiotics, which restore beneficial gut bacteria, can also really help when treating eczema. Studies have suggested that supplementation in babies at risk of developing eczema (e.g. because of a family history) may reduce their rate of developing eczema; another recent study saw significant improvement in children who already have atopic eczema when they were given a probiotic mixture that included the bacteria strains lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and fructo-oligosaccharide.
– Let’s face it, not all children are going to want to eat your lovingly prepared fish dishes multiple times a week. So I would advise giving eczema sufferers an omega-3 fatty acid supplement that contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
You can buy all of these supplements from www.biocare.co.uk which has a particularly good range of probiotics for children (check out their Bio Straws!).
