Even with millions of sufferers worldwide, medical science has not yet discovered the reason why some people suffer with and others do not. Sufferers are aware that they have an allergic reaction to an external substance which brings on the condition. With baby eczema, the skin becomes red, flaked and cracked normally on the child's face. In the United Sates of America, up to 1 in every 5 infants will be affected by this skin condition.

With most babies, this skin complaint has all but cleared up by the time they are 24 months old. For a small number of children this skin complaint does not disappear when they are young but continues into adulthood. Although many believe the condition only starts in childhood, this is only partially true; it is just more common in babies and infants. Approximately 33 percent of sufferers have had the condition before they were twelve months old and the majority before their fifth birthday.

Baby is most likely to be most common type (atopic eczema) and is normally found on the arms, legs, face and scalp as a red rash that itches and has a scaly appearance. Moisturizing a baby's skin can help prevent atopic but this skin condition does run in families. Washing powder is also known to trigger attacks but fabric conditioners can also have a similar effect. Some recent research has indicated that baby may caused by babies that are weaned early so breastfeeding for a longer period be beneficial.

However, other problems the baby might have including those of a respiratory nature or an associated medical condition could also act as an asthma trigger. Babies can also be more likely to have a problem if they already suffer from rhinitis, have food allergies or whose mother has an asthma condition. Specialists in food allergies believe that up to 3 cases in 10 of childhood cases are because the child has a food allergy; if a particular food is suspected as the likely cause, that food can then be removed from the diet. Unfortunately, the process of eliminating foods is usually one of trial and error; some commonly implicated foods are:

• Sea-Food
• Cream and other milk products

• Foods containing wheat
• Eggs
• Peanuts

Baby is often the result of antibiotics given to the baby when it is born, as many doctors will attest. Treating babies requires a little more thought as they cannot tell us what irritates them so only bath them in lukewarm water and use fragrance free, hypoallergenic creams. When they are dry, the use of fragrance free products is highly recommended and only natural fabrics like cotton for example. A baby with this condition can easily cause infection to damaged skin if their nails are not kept short because they will undoubtedly scratch themselves constantly. Often in more severe cases of baby eczema, a pediatrician may prescribe antihistamines to relieve itching; some situations warrant the use of topical steroid creams but these cannot be used for extended periods. In babies, despite being very common, it is still a difficult condition to treat and conquer.