When do parents seek help for their child's eczema?
I tend to see children after about the age one or two, though sometimes they are as old as five, six or seven. These are children whose parents may have been unable to manage it with their pediatrician. Now they're finding that they need some help.
What triggers eczema in children?
There are so many factors that can precipitate an attack of eczema in a child. It can be change of weather, a cold or viral infection, or it can be clothing that's put on them, which they may not be able to express is uncomfortable.
If children have an itch, they're going to scratch it. That scratching itself will exacerbate the eczema. With a grownup, they're going to have a little bit more control. But with a child, if something is itching them, they are going to go after it, and that creates a whole itch-scratch cycle that has to be stopped in order to help get control of the eczema.
Is there a cure for eczema?
Right now, there is no cure for eczema. As we do more research and we understand it better, we're hoping to find a cure. Fortunately, with a lot of the treatments we have, we're able to control it, and that's where we are right now.
