Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic skin condition in children and often manifests in infancy with severe itching and inflamed skin. This blog post provides an overview of the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for this condition and offers valuable tips for alleviating the discomfort.
The Key Points at a Glance
Definition: Atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis, asthma eczema) is the most common chronic skin condition in children. Most affected individuals show symptoms as infants.
Symptoms: Characteristic of eczema are severe itching and inflammatory, dry, and sometimes weeping or crusty skin changes. In infants, these are primarily found on the face and the extensor sides of the limbs. In childhood, these shift to the folds of the elbows and knees.
Causes: A combination of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors is considered the trigger of eczema. About 70% of those affected suffer from an allergy-related form.
Diagnosis: Medical history, physical examination, allergy test, blood test.
Treatment: Avoidance of triggering factors and basic therapeutic measures to build the skin barrier. Additionally, creams and cleansing lotions containing urea should be used. Depending on the severity, corticosteroid preparations are prescribed.
Prevention: Tight clothing, silk, wool, and synthetic fibers should be avoided. The skin should always be moisturised with lipid-replenishing ointments and creams.
Complications: Scratching can introduce germs into the skin and cause infections.
Prognosis: Unfortunately, atopic dermatitis cannot be cured, but in most cases, it can be well treated or may disappear on its own.
Symptoms: What symptoms do children with atopic eczema exhibit?
Characteristic of atopic dermatitis is a severe itch. Additionally, it is marked by extremely dry, scaly, and leathery inflammatory skin changes, referred to as eczema. Sometimes these even weep and are covered with crust. The itching is particularly severe at night and leads to difficulties falling and staying asleep for many children. Moreover, children, in particular, tend to scratch excessively, further irritating the skin and potentially leading to infections. The severity of symptoms varies from child to child. Furthermore, the appearance differs depending on age.
Infancy: In more than two-thirds of those affected, itching and skin changes occur already in infancy. In this age group, the face (especially cheeks and scalp), the extensor sides of the limbs, and the torso are predominantly affected. Often, several areas are affected simultaneously. Typically, pronounced cradle cap on the scalp is an early sign of developing neurodermatitis.
Childhood: In childhood, the folds of the elbows and the knees are particularly affected. However, skin changes can also still be found on the face, neck, and nape. Additionally, children with neurodermatitis often have
