Healing Eczema in Children: A Naturopathic Case Study
Eczema in kids is a common issue we see and treat at Nutrition For Kids. Our Naturopath, Ashlee, shares the investigations and treatment of a young child’s eczema.
Eczema in children is a complex condition that can benefit greatly from naturopathic support | stock image.
Eczema is also one of the most frustrating and upsetting conditions causing parents to try many approaches before booking a consultation with our nutrition and naturopath team.
In most cases, parents have tried the conventional medical eczema treatment for kids of steroid creams. Some start to investigate food or environmental allergens. Others may try natural eczema creams and lotions that aim to soothe the inflammation and heal the skin.
For some children, this helps to resolve their skin complaints, but for others, it can be a lengthy and distressing battle as there is no standard treatment - conventional or naturopathic.
Our naturopath, Ashlee, shares a case study of a 2-year-old with eczema and her treatment approach.
Eczema in kids: Case Presentation
The 2-year-old female presented to Ashlee with an eczema rash that would flare up around her mouth, wrists and behind her knees. When inflamed, the rash would gradually move up her legs and arms.
It was the classic presentation of eczema in children - itchy, painful and causing sleep disruption due to the intense discomfort.
Eczema in kids: Treatment Background
The parents initially sought medical care from multiple GPs. This led to repeated steroid cream prescriptions - the standard and common approach for eczema treatment.
Two separate paediatric allergists were consulted and in the space of 12 months, they had both identified similar dietary and environmental allergens that may be contributing to her eczema and flare-ups.
The results from the second allergist indicated that the allergies were worsening.
Eczema in kids: Naturopathic Treatment Step 1
Ashlee's first priority was to reduce the severity of the eczema itch to bring some relief to the little one.
Anti-inflammatory nutrients, including therapeutic-grade cod fish oil, vitamin A & D were used to hydrate the skin from the inside, out.
An individually tailored herbal cream enriched with calendula, chamomile, vitamin E and zinc was made to stimulate healing and minimise the itching.
Referring to the list of allergens identified in the report, Ashlee supported their removal. This stage can be very challenging, especially with a young child, as can significantly reduce the amount of what they can eat. Substitutions and replacements were required to work out exactly what foods can be eaten without impacting the immune system.
Eczema in kids: Naturopathic Investigations Step 2
For some children, nourishing the skin internally and supporting the removal of allergens can be the key to resolving eczema.
However, further investigations are often required to identify the cause of eczema.
In this case, Ashlee prescribed a food and symptom diary to review fluctuations in the young girl's eczema severity.
It was discovered that her eczema would flare up after chemical exposure such as cleaning products, mosquito repellent and herbicides used at the playground.
While some of these can be removed or limited, for Ashlee this promoted her to carry out DNA testing to review the child's ability to break down and excrete the toxins from the body.
The results:
The DNA results highlighted a reduced capacity for Phase 1 and Phase 2 liver detoxification. This makes it difficult for the body to excrete chemicals that have been absorbed through diet and the environment.
At this stage, the patient's itch had subsided and she was now able to sleep comfortably and undisturbed.
Shifting the focus to supporting the child in recovering from chemical exposure, Ashlee prescribed a liquid herb remedy. This further reduced her eczema flares and improved her overall wellbeing.
In the third follow up with the child's paediatric allergist, the results showed that the severity of the allergies was improving.
Eczema in kids: Naturopathic Management Plan - Step 3
Managing eczema in kids or adults is often a long term process if you want to avoid bandaid solutions. As there are so many different presentations of eczema with many different causes and contributing factors, a management plan needs to be individually tailored.
For this child, Ashlee used nutritional medicine to support her skin healing from the inside, out as part of her short term management plan.
Long term, the focus shifted to nutraceutical therapy to address her genetic weaknesses that are limiting her ability to metabolise and excrete toxins.
This was a particularly complex eczema case with many layers to work through to find the root cause and imbalances for long term results.
The benefit of these in-depth investigations and treatments is that this child and her family have answers and now a path to follow for healthy skin and improved wellbeing.
ASHLEE IS AVAILABLE FOR NATUROPATHIC CONSULTS ONLINE, AUSTRALIA-WIDE.
Find the answers to your child’s eczema and develop an individually tailored treatment plan with our naturopath, Ashlee.