October is Eczema Awareness Month.
If your childhood memories involve pitifully scratching your itchy skin while an adult gently warned you to stop or you’d make it worse, you’re far from alone.
More than 9.6 million children in the United States are affected by atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes red, itchy patches all over the body. The most common type of eczema, AD, often begins before the age of five – and about a third of children who suffer from it develop moderate to severe disease.
Caring for children with AD can be challenging for the entire family, said Dr. Teresa Wright, chief of pediatric dermatology at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
“When a child has moderate to severe eczema and they are unwell, they itch, they scratch until they bleed, they get infections and sometimes end up in the hospital – all of that impacts the whole family,” Wright said.
She added that child care providers and teachers don’t always know how to deal with AD, so parents may be called from work to pick up their children. “It can literally impact a family’s ability to make a living,” Wright said.
Understanding AD treatment options and how to talk about them with healthcare providers can help ease the burden on your family.
AD treatments for children
Treating atopic dermatitis can be a big task, including keeping the skin moisturized, relieving itching, treating inflammation, and preventing or treating infections at the same time. Some of the treatments for children with AD include:
- Topical corticosteroids – creams or ointments to relieve itching and inflammation (swelling)
- Emollients (moisturizers) – lotions, gels, creams, and ointments that help with dryness
- Topical calcineurin inhibitors – creams or ointments that calm the immune system and prevent itching and inflammation
- Topical PDE4 inhibitors – creams and ointments that block an enzyme involved in inflammation
- Biologics – injected drugs made from living cells that teach the immune system to respond to chemical messengers that cause inflammation
- Phototherapy (light therapy) involves shining UV light onto the skin to reduce the number of certain cells that trigger inflammation
- Antibiotics – Medicines used to treat skin infections
- Antihistamines – do not treat AD, but can help itchy children sleep better
Which of these treatments is right for your child depends on many variables.
“I think the main factor is how severe their atopic dermatitis is, and the child’s age could also determine what treatments we can recommend,” Wright said. “I also try to keep in mind parents’ resources and options when it comes to accessing medications and treatments, and we need to consider what is covered by insurance.”
Talk to providers about treating atopic dermatitis
With so many options for treating children with AD, it is important that caregivers and healthcare professionals share as much information as possible.
For parents, this might include an honest conversation about how AD impacts their child’s daily life – physically, emotionally and socially. If AD is preventing your child (and your family) from living a good life, a provider needs to know so they can find a way to make it better.
Caregivers should also ask healthcare providers about the most common AD triggers (such as dry air, heat, irritants, and allergens such as pollen and animal dander). An HCP can also give you advice on how to track your child’s personal AD triggers and what to do about them.
Finally, when consulting a new HCP, parents should have prepared a list of AD treatments or remedies that have already been tried, along with some notes about how well they worked (or not).
Stay calm and connected
Caring for children with AD isn’t easy, but changing your mindset can help your everyday life run more smoothly. As difficult as it can be to keep your cool in chaotic moments—like when you’re trying to apply ointment to a squirming toddler—patience is the key to treating your child’s AD. This also applies to consistency, as many treatments require time (and regular use) to work.
Wright emphasized the importance of following instructions carefully and sticking to a regular, daily skin care routine. “I always say the devil is in the details,” she said.
It can also be helpful to stay in close contact with your child’s healthcare providers, especially when it comes to sharing anything you notice about AD triggers and symptoms – or sharing any concerns you have about treatments.
“If you’re nervous about using a certain thing or have heard something that makes you not want to follow any of my advice, we can talk about it,” Wright said. “I’m on your side.”
Importance of innovations in the treatment of atopic dermatitis
With so many children struggling with AD, it’s no surprise that experts are constantly working to find new ways to treat this complicated condition.
“We have a number of new non-steroidal topical options that may be appropriate for certain situations,” Wright said. “And in recent years we have had more options for systemic medication.”
As hard as it may be to watch your child suffer, you can take comfort in knowing that treatment options are available – it’s just a matter of finding the right one.
This educational resource was created with support from Organon, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council.
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