Can infantile eczema be contagious?

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on September 06, 2024
00:00
00:00

Pediatric eczema, which is not contagious, is also known as atopic dermatitis. It is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory skin disease. Most children develop this condition in infancy and it can persist into childhood and adulthood, indicating a significant hereditary component that can impact quality of life. Contact with a child who has eczema will not transmit the condition to another person or child, as it is non-infectious. The occurrence of eczema is not due to exposure to someone with the condition, but rather due to individual factors and is definitely unrelated to contagion. Although the exact mechanisms triggering eczema are still unclear, they are primarily associated with genetics, environmental immunity, and biological factors, not with infectious disease. Eczema is non-contagious.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 11sec home-news-image

Can calamine lotion be used for baby eczema?

Infant eczema is a common skin condition in babies and toddlers. Generally, we do not recommend the use of calamine lotion for eczema, as although it has an itch-relieving effect when applied locally, it can make the skin even drier. Therefore, if the skin is itchy, temporarily using calamine lotion is possible, but it is not recommended for long-term use in treating eczema. The treatment of eczema consists of 60%-70% moisturizing and 30%-40% may involve the use of mild corticosteroid creams under the guidance of a doctor. Overall, moisturizing is the main treatment for eczema, while hormone therapy can be a supportive treatment. Calamine lotion can be temporarily used to relieve itching, but it is not recommended as a standard treatment method for eczema. Additionally, for infants who are on formula, it is important to use hydrolyzed protein formula, and if breastfeeding, the mother’s diet needs to be carefully managed.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 8sec home-news-image

Where does eczema occur in children?

Infant eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common type of skin lesion in children. It mainly manifests as proliferative and exudative, and it is inflammatory. Infant eczema can appear all over the body. However, most children have it on their faces, and some children have it on their chests, particularly severe cases can have eczema all over their bodies. Once eczema is diagnosed, it is essential to first moisturize the affected skin areas to relieve the child's discomfort, and then use mild corticosteroid creams under the guidance of a doctor. For facial eczema, parents must apply a thick layer of baby moisturizer. Additionally, eczema in the ear area, especially inside the external auditory canal, might sometimes discharge yellowish fluid. Therefore, it is crucial to apply moisturizer thickly in these areas. These areas can cause significant discomfort for the child, so proactive treatment is very important.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
49sec home-news-image

Can calcined gypsum be used for infant eczema?

If a child has eczema, in principle, we do not recommend the routine use of calamine. Calamine has an antipruritic effect, but after use, the local skin becomes particularly dry, which can exacerbate eczema. Therefore, when a child has eczema, the first thing we must do is to maintain the local skin's moisture. Apply a thick layer of moisturizer, and on top of that, under the guidance of a hospital doctor, use some mild corticosteroid creams. Although calamine can relieve the local skin itching symptoms caused by eczema, it ultimately has no therapeutic effect on eczema, so we do not consider calamine as a common medication for treating eczema. (The use of medications should be carried out under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
1min 18sec home-news-image

What medicine should be used for infant eczema?

Infant eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease that is fairly common in infants and young children. When eczema occurs, the affected area typically shows skin redness, followed by rashes and rough skin. Some may experience scaling and exudation, and the itching can be quite intense for the child. Eczema, as the name might suggest, is not caused by moist skin but rather by dry skin in the affected area, hence moisturizing makes up a significant part of the treatment. A thick layer of moisturizer specifically designed for infants should be applied to the child, three to four times a day. Based on the severity of the eczema, mild steroid creams can be used to effectively control the condition. For breastfed children, the mother should avoid consuming beef, lamb, nuts, seafood, and fermented rice wine, as these might exacerbate the condition. For children on formula, depending on the severity of the eczema, amino acid-based formulas or extensively hydrolyzed protein formulas should be given.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
33sec home-news-image

Can infantile eczema heal itself after crusting?

Infant eczema is a type of skin allergy. If an eczema patient develops crusty skin, it often indicates that the condition is improving. In this case, it is important to keep the skin clean and hygienic, avoid scratching the crusted areas with hands, and also ensure that the local skin is well-moisturized to prevent infections. However, this does not mean that eczema will stop occurring once it crusts over. Eczema is a recurrent disease, so even if it heals this time, it may still reappear in the same areas in the future.