Food is rarely the sole cause of eczema in children, but food sensitivity may worsen the symptoms of eczema in some children.
Avoiding dairy products is often helpful for babies with eczema – whilst it is unlikely to eradicate the symptoms altogether, many parents notice a marked improvement when they eliminate dairy from their babies’ diets.
Caron from the UK told us about her son, Andrew, and his experience with eczema…
“It developed when he was 5 months old and covered most of his body. It was very inflamed and weeping and kept him (and me) awake at nights.
We were prescribed various creams, none of which helped, when a homeopathic friend of mine suggested eliminating certain foods from Andrew’s diet to see if that might make a difference.
Within 3 weeks of eliminating dairy, I saw a massive improvement. His eczema has now almost totally cleared up (he is 9 months now). It was awful while it lasted and I was desperate for answers – I hadn’t thought that food could play a part in eczema.”
In Caron’s case, it seems that diet was, indeed, the main factor in her son’s eczema – although it should be noted that it’s important to discuss any type of elimination diet with your child’s doctor, to ensure that your baby continues to receive the nutrients he needs.
Read more about the link between diet and eczema, with suggestions for baby foods that may contribute to the condition and others that may help relieve it…