- Expert Tips for Parents of Children With Eczema
Several leading European dermatologists have today launched guidance to help parents reduce the burden of eczema on children living with this disease. Experts from Denmark, France, Germany, Poland and Spain have come together to agree a consensus of 'top tips', which focus on avoiding situations that trigger painful flares and different ways to increase eczema 'flare-free' periods. The 'top tips', sponsored by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., are launched today at the 10th European Society for Pediatric Dermatology Congress (ESPD), Switzerland.
Professor Frederic Cambazard, Head of the Dermatology Service at the Saint-Etienne University Hospital in Lyon, states that, "Parents can only help children with atopic dermatitis if they understand the disease and how to treat it. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing disease which needs parental education. In fact there are many false beliefs about eczema which can lead parents to sometimes manage their child's eczema in the wrong way, such as severe diet or insufficient washing. These ten tips will help to improve parents' knowledge on how to properly treat their child's eczema. They provide clear and simple behaviours which are important to help control eczema skin and will also increase the efficiency of specific medical treatments."
One in five children live with eczema and its prevalence has doubled in the past 30 years in industrialised societies. Parents regard the impact of eczema on their children's quality of life as being as profound as that arising from many other chronic debilitating diseases, such as psoriasis, diabetes and cystic fibrosis.
The expert 'top tips' cover a range of practical day-to-day advice to manage childhood eczema, including steps to help prevent flare ups. These include: