What to do if baby has scabs

When a baby develops eczema, small red blisters will appear on his body. When eczema occurs, the baby's body will be extremely itchy and uncomfortable, and the baby will also cry loudly. When eczema disappears, scabs will form. Parents must not use their fingers to pick off the scabs. When the baby's body resistance becomes very strong, the scabs will slowly fall off, so there is no need to worry too much.

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Causes of eczema crusting in babies

The cause of infant eczema is complex and its onset is related to a variety of internal and external factors, and it is sometimes difficult to determine the specific cause. Children with the disease often ingest food allergens such as fish, shrimp, beef, mutton, eggs and other allergenic factors through the digestive tract, causing type I allergic reactions in the body. The high incidence of infantile eczema is mainly due to the thin stratum corneum of the children's skin, the rich capillary network, and the high water and chloride content in the endothelium, which makes them prone to allergic reactions. In addition, mechanical friction such as frequent stimulation from saliva and overflowing milk is also a cause of this disease. Improper care, such as excessive use of strong alkaline soaps, excessive nutrition, and abnormal intestinal fermentation can also cause this disease. Some babies, especially in the neonatal period, are prone to seborrheic eczema because the mother's estrogen is passed to the fetus through the placenta, resulting in increased sebum in the newborn.

Some infants have a genetic allergic constitution (atopic constitution), and there is a family history of atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis, asthma or allergic rhinitis. The children are allergic to food, and have increased IgE levels and eosinophils in the blood. As age increases, skin lesions are gradually limited to the flexor sides of the limbs (elbows and armpits), and are often accompanied by severe itching and repeated non-healing, which may continue into childhood or even adulthood. Certain external factors such as sunlight, ultraviolet rays, cold, humidity, heat and other physical factors, contact with silk or artificial fibers, topical medications and bacterial skin infections can cause eczema or aggravate its condition.

The diagnosis can be made based on medical history and clinical manifestations.

Differential Diagnosis

Identification of easily confused symptoms of infant eczema crusting

1. Prickly heat in infants: Prickly heat often occurs in hot and humid summer. The cause is inflammation around the sweat glands due to poor sweat excretion. Most patients are obese infants or children.

2. Seborrheic eczema: It is more common in infants aged 1 to 3 months. The skin on the forehead, cheeks, and between the eyebrows is flushed and covered with yellow greasy scales. There may be thicker yellow serous scabs on the top of the head. Later, there may be excoriation, redness and exudation under the chin, back of the neck, armpits and groin. The mother often suffers from seborrheic dermatitis or more severe acne during pregnancy. Children usually recover on their own if they improve their diet after 6 months.

3. Exudative eczema: more common in obese infants aged 3 to 6 months. First appears on the head and face. Except for the area around the mouth and nose, symmetrical millet-sized red papules can be seen on both cheeks, with small blisters and erythema in between, swollen base, flaky erosion and exudation, and thick yellow serous crusts. Bleeding is common due to scratching, and there are soft yellow-brown crusts. After peeling off the scab, a bright red, wet, rotten surface is revealed. It is granular and easily bleeds. If not treated promptly, it may spread to the trunk, limbs and entire body, and may cause secondary infection.

4. Dry eczema: more common in children aged 6 months to 1 year, or after the acute or subacute phase. Skin manifestations include papules, redness, swelling, hard bran-like desquamation and scaly crusts without exudation, which are commonly seen on the face, trunk and extensor sides of the limbs. It is often accompanied by varying degrees of malnutrition.

1. Try to avoid exposing your baby to substances that may cause allergies. If your baby is allergic to eggs, you can temporarily not add them.

2. If the baby is breastfed, the mother should be careful not to eat foods that are prone to cause allergies, such as fish, shrimp, lamb, etc., and it is best not to eat irritating foods such as chili peppers.

3. Dress your baby in loose cotton clothes to avoid friction from clothing that may aggravate eczema. Neither mother nor baby should wear clothes made of silk or wool fabrics to avoid causing or aggravating allergies.