My son(3) has Eczema...?

Question

He's had it since he was about 8 mos. old. Does anyone know what it's caused from? No one in our family has had it. Could his sleep apnea have anything to do wih it?

Answer 1

Eczema is extremely common in babies and young children. It sometimes has a genetic link, but is just as often linked to environmental factors. Make sure you are using very gentle soaps on your son. Also, use unscented and gentle detergents when washing his clothes and bedding, because they can cause eczema rashes.

I doubt it has anything to do with sleep apnea. Eczema is basically just dry, itchy skin that is hard to heal. Most babies grow out of it in time.

I have a spot that has been around for 5 years now. Same spot, won't go away. The dermatologist told me that the fact that family members have had it may be somewhat to do with it, but mostly it is probably just caused my allergies or irritants. They also tell me to moisturize moisturize moisturize!

Answer 2

There are two kinds of eczemas. Endogenous (inherited) and non-endogenous. An examples of endougenous eczema is skin asthma or atopic dermatitis, which is usually common in patients with a personal or family history of allergic rhinitis, and bronchial asthma. However this is not the only basis for labelling a patient with skin asthma. Usually the patient has longstanding itchiness, very dry skin , to mention a few.

Exogenous eczemas such as contact dermatitis are usually caused by environmental factors, most common of which is allergy to nickel, rubber and fragrances.

It is best to consult your dermatologist regarding your son's problem. Because a patient may have both endo and exogenous eczemas. It's not as simple as it seems. Make sure to consult a board certified dermatologist and not just a cosmetic specialist.

There's more to dermatology than cosmetics.

As for the relation to sleep apnea, I don't know of any relationship to eczema.

Answer 3

I actually suffer from both Eczema and sleep apnea as well. I don't really think the two are related; my doctors have never mentioned a connection. A lot of things can cause the eczema though. It could just be as simple as the laundry detergent you use or it could be environmental factors. You will just have to monitor the conditions when he gets breakouts. In my case its definitely genetic and I'm in my 20's now and I still have not outgrown it. In most cases though they say you outgrow it by your mid-teen years. You definitely want to keep him moisturized, it feels a world better! Hope I helped.

Answer 4

I was told by my son's pediatrician that it can be linked to a food allergy. You could try cutting back on dairy products or wheat and see if it gets any better to see if that may be the cause. Also, use Eucerin products for bathtime and for moisturizing (it's called Aquaphor--Eucerin for babies); it's pediatrician recommended for eczema for babies. Limit numbers of baths to a couple times a week, otherwise just wipe him down with a damp cloth, and keep the water at lukewarm rather than hot temperatures. ...I dont think that doctors know exactly what causes it, and there is no cure, but a lot of babies grow out of it with age. A good place to go is to the BabyCenter message boards at www.babycenter.com and type in "eczema". There are dozens upon dozens of parents who are dealing with this, and can give you tons of insight on the matter.

Answer 5

as far as i know, there is no correlation between apnea and excema. my son used to get it too. if it's bad, take him to the doc. there are some creams safe enough for toddlers that will clear it right up. i don't know what causes it to begin with but i know that stress can cause a recurrance.