Health Advice |
Children's Skin Complaints: Eczema
Children's skin complaints are an increasingly common problem and a large number of patients in our herbal mother and baby clinics present with skin conditions such as eczema. Many skin problems can be traced back to either an allergy or to stress. It is not unusual for a child's eczema to be triggered by, or worsened by, an allergy to cow's milk which manifests as the skin rash as the body reacts to ingestion of milk. Dietary Changes Can Help One of the first things we often recommend when treating children's skin problems is to remove cow's milk from the diet. This is relatively easy nowadays as there are many alternatives that are widely available such as dairy free yoghurt, cream cheese, hard cheese and ice cream. Soya or goat milk formula can be given to small babies in place of cow's milk based products. Older children can be given milk alternatives such as soya, rice or oat milk. Approach to Treatment Herbs can work wonders for children's skin problems, being gentle but very effective in many cases. When treating a skin problem, we look not only at what is happening with the skin, but also at the general health, overall constitution, diet, stress levels, eliminative functions and how the child copes with life in general. Many children's skin can flare up with the stress of change or tension in their lives, so relaxant herbs or flower remedies may be of use to manage this aspect of health. Herbal Treatments Herbal treatments are prescribed on an individual basis, matching the child's needs and may include digestive tonics to support elimination of toxins such as dandelion root, chamomile or centaury, blood purifiers such as nettle or heartsease to remove toxins and inflammatory chemicals from the skin and blood, and relaxants including chamomile, catnip or Californian poppy for their overall calming effects. Internal remedies can be taken as teas or tinctures that can be given to children over one year of age. For younger children, the remedies can be taken by the mother and will be transmitted to the child via her breast milk. Using Herbs Externally As well as using medicines internally, creams and lotions may be used externally to soothe and heal the skin, and to prevent infection and scratching. Infant Starflower Cream is a blend of chamomile and chickweed creams with added Borage Oil, and can help to reduce skin itch and inflammation. Napiers Mother and Baby Clinics For any but the mildest cases of children's eczema it is recommended that you consult with a qualified medical herbalist before giving herbal medicines or eliminating any foods from your child's diet. Napiers Mother and Baby Clinics are run by herbalists that are experienced in treating children and can provide advice and effective treatment for your childs skin health problems. For further information, contact you nearest branch of Napiers. More articles about Mother and Baby... |