Parents may experience discomfort and anxiety when their child has atopic dermatitis, a common skin condition in children. Many seek advice from reputable experts when their child develops red, itchy patches on their skin. Known for his straightforward and practical advice on managing this condition, Dr. Komarovsky is a well-respected pediatrician and one of the most respected voices on the subject.
The way you handle your child’s atopic dermatitis can have a significant impact on their health. The significance of appropriate skin care, environmental factors, and avoiding triggers that may exacerbate the condition are stressed by Dr. Komarovsky. His suggestions are simple to implement and centered on symptom reduction without sacrificing the comfort of the kids.
In order to help your child feel better, we’ll go over some of Dr. Komarovsky’s most important treatment recommendations for atopic dermatitis in children in this post.
| Key Points | Details |
| Moisturize the skin | Dr. Komarovsky recommends keeping the child"s skin well-hydrated to reduce dryness and irritation. |
| Avoid allergens | Identifying and removing allergens from the child"s environment is crucial in managing atopic dermatitis. |
| Use safe medications | Topical ointments prescribed by a doctor can help soothe the skin, but they should be used with care. |
| Proper diet | Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet can improve the child"s overall skin condition and immunity. |
| Comfortable clothing | Soft, breathable fabrics like cotton help minimize irritation caused by rough or synthetic materials. |
- About the disease
- Symptoms
- Komarovsky on the problem
- Treatment according to Komarovsky
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About the disease
Atopic dermatitis is a rather prevalent condition. Medical statistics indicate that this disease affects one in three babies under six months of age. Due to its tendency to alter, this disease is particularly sneaky. In the last ten years, the illness itself has gotten worse and this diagnosis has occurred in children five times more frequently.
Parents incorrectly believe it to be a skin condition. Since an allergic reaction is what causes atopic eczema, to use its second name.
The disease primarily affects children who are genetically predisposed to react negatively to a specific allergen. At birth, a child’s genome contains instructions on how to respond to different antigens.
An intriguing pattern has been discovered by genetics: only 10% of newborns in families with non-allergic parents are predisposed to allergic dermatitis. The likelihood of having a child with an allergy is 40–50% if one or both parents have allergies.If both parents sneeze in the spring, take antihistamines in large quantities, and are allergic to cats and oranges, there is an 80% chance that their children will have atopic dermatitis and, most likely, other allergies.
Dr. Komarovsky stresses that rather than mainly depending on medication, the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children should concentrate on symptom management and avoiding triggers. He advises preventing environmental allergies, keeping the skin hydrated, and, if needed, modifying the child’s diet. Additionally, Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes how critical it is to establish a cozy, stress-free atmosphere in order to lessen flare-ups and enhance the child’s general wellbeing.
Symptoms
A rash is the primary indicator of allergic dermatitis. It can be continuous, infrequent, pink or red, and it can have watery heads or not. The baby’s face, neck, arms, and legs are the areas where the illness most frequently shows up; the stomach and chest are less common locations. Differentiating allergic eczema from other diseases, including skin conditions, is the intense, at times excruciating itching that keeps the child from eating, sleeping, or remaining awake throughout the day. Rarely does the temperature rise. Should you have observed a significant increase in body temperature (to 38.0), we are likely discussing an entirely different diagnosis in your situation.
Therefore, diaper dermatitis is most likely the cause if the rash is concentrated in the skin folds under the arms. Additionally, seborrheic dermatitis will need to be treated if the infant develops a rash with a white coating on the body or head in regions where the sebaceous glands are particularly active (yellow crusts on the scalp is an option). Atypical dermatitis, which is actually a kind of atopic dermatitis, is sometimes diagnosed in children by medical professionals. It shares many similarities with this condition.
Physicians have observed that children with atopic dermatitis typically develop the condition during their first year of life. Most of them eventually get better on their own; it may take several years to go from remission to full recovery.
Komarovsky on the problem
When discussing atopic dermatitis, Evgeny Komarovsky always starts by instructing parents on how to properly identify the condition. Parents use the term "diathesis." The doctor corrects him: there is no such disease. There is childhood eczema and atopic dermatitis.
Though many local pediatricians like to think otherwise, Komarovsky says there is a certain relationship between the occurrence of redness on the skin and itching and the functioning of the intestines. When a product is given to two children, one will become allergic while the other won’t. Everything revolves around the immune system’s condition. An allergy is more likely the weaker it is, and the higher the genetic predisposition to an unhealthy reaction.
Treatment according to Komarovsky
The doctor thinks there’s more to the common practice of treating atopic dermatitis "through the intestines." This explains why therapy frequently fails to produce the expected outcome. Dermatitis goes away for a while before resurfacing with a vengeance.
Komarovsky suggests approaching the illness’s treatment from a position of knowledge, that is, from an awareness of the physical changes occurring in the child. There are only three possible exit points for foreign antigens that enter the baby through food, pollen, household chemicals, or cosmetics: the skin (through sweat), the kidneys (through urine), or the lungs. When a child has dermatitis, the allergen responds to the child’s departure. But once more, this type of sweat is only harmful when combined with an external allergen.
Additionally, this issue contains intriguing details regarding atopic dermatitis treatment.
Mom uses money that contains chlorine to wash the floor, for instance. When sweat and chlorine molecules combine, the baby gets a bright rash all over them.
Though it’s hard to fully give up on the theory that digestive issues are connected to atopic eczema. According to Komarovsky, I haven’t yet seen a single thin child who would be affected by this condition in his practice. However, there are as many chubby, plump babies as possible with a red rash that reaches the point of scabs on the bottom and cheeks. Therefore, Komarovsky advises against overfeeding the child in order to lower the risk of an allergic reaction to a specific protein antigen.
Compared to breastfed babies, formula-fed babies have a higher chance of developing childhood eczema. This is because babies consistently consume more food from a bottle than their bodies can process and absorb. It is more difficult to suckle on the breast, after all, and we all know that feeling full usually occurs within ten minutes of eating.
Anything overindulged in rots in the intestines and is partially eliminated by the liver due to poor digestion. Nonetheless, Komarovsky asserts that a baby’s organ is the most susceptible. Thus, the skin’s response. This provides an explanation for why atopic dermatitis may resolve on its own with age; after all, as we age, our livers develop, become more mature, and have the capacity to eliminate a higher concentration of toxic substances.
Three stages of treatment are recommended by Komarovsky for atopic dermatitis:
- Reduction in the number of antigens "inside" (with food, liquid, medicines, etc.) t. d.).
- Reduction of sweating.
- Elimination of external antigens (which are in the baby"s environment).
Keeping an eye on the state of the intestines should be part of the "internal" stage. The youngster needs to use the restroom frequently "for a big one." You can administer mild laxatives in the event of constipation. In case the child is fed breast milk, the mother must also make sure that her stools are consistent.
It is preferable for the infant to eat gradually. Give an artificial baby a nipple with a tiny hole; alternatively, prepare a mixture with a less saturated concentration and add less than the recipe calls for. Furthermore, you ought to always abide by the maxim "Better to undereat than to overeat."
According to Evgeniy Olegovich, reducing sweating is fairly easy. To achieve this, make sure the baby is not overwrapped and keep an eye on the room’s air temperature, which shouldn’t be higher than 18 to 19 degrees. Warm water baths should be given to a baby suffering from allergic dermatitis multiple times a day, but keep in mind that tap water’s chlorine can react quite strongly.
To ensure that the chlorine used to disinfect the water at the station evaporates, it is therefore preferable to boil the water you intend to use to rinse the baby after the bath and let it cool to a warm temperature beforehand.
Antigens are released not only through sweat but also through urine, as we have previously discovered. For this reason, it’s critical to limit liquid intake while undergoing treatment. But you shouldn’t completely stop the infant from drinking. In everything, moderation is beneficial.
It is imperative to take decisive action to minimize "external" irritants. Initially, the apartment housing the child with atopic dermatitis needs to be ventilated, dust buildup needs to be avoided, and pets (dogs and cats) should not be allowed inside. Mom needs to refuse chlorine-containing household products, and all cosmetics should be hypoallergenic and fragrance-free.
Use baby products for bathing, and use a special powder to wash the baby’s clothes. Baby powder should also be used to wash the parents’ bedding if the family sleeps together. You should have special robes washed with baby products for guests who enjoy cuddling your allergic toddler. This will prevent the child from coming into contact with potential allergens on strangers’ clothing.
Dr. Komarovsky highlights the need for an all-encompassing strategy in the management of atopic dermatitis in children. To lessen flare-ups, parents should concentrate on locating and getting rid of triggers, like allergies or irritants.
Using moisturizers on a regular basis is crucial to preserving the moisture content of the skin. Effective symptom management can also be achieved by adhering to a doctor’s recommendations for topical treatments or prescription drugs like antihistamines.
It may take some time for treatment to take effect, so Dr. Komarovsky also counsels parents to be persistent and patient. Most kids with atopic dermatitis either outgrow it or see noticeable improvement over time with the right care and attention.
