Parents have been itching to ask me whether their child’s itchy skin could be eczema, so let me do more than skin the surface on this topic.

Eczema is a term that describes a skin condition in which the skin gets red and irritated and forms tiny red bumps that can ooze fluid or crust over.

It can run in families, occurring in about 10% of children. Eczema often starts in infancy and almost always appears before a child turns five years of age.

It is not contagious and about half of the children with eczema will see it resolve by adolescence but about half will go on to develop other allergic diseases such as hay fever and possibly asthma.

Why? Because eczema can be a result of an allergic exposure to something that triggers the inflammatory reaction in the skin.

Examples include pollen and mold, dry winter air, harsh soaps and detergents, exposure to wool fabrics, tobacco smoke exposure, stress, or even sweating.

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Common areas for eczema, and treatment

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¯ In infants and toddlers, it’s common to see eczema start on the cheeks, forehead and scalp.

¯ It can also spread to the knees, elbows and eventually the trunk — but not usually the diaper area.

¯ It is often found on older children in the bends of the elbows, behind the knees or in the backs of the wrists and ankles.

¯ Since scratching makes it worse, the name of the game is to reduce the irritation from scratching by using an oral antihistamine or steroid for itching and other anti-inflammatory creams or ointments daily to reduce the inflammation (which may require a prescription if over the counter products are not sufficient).

¯ The key to dealing with eczema flare-ups is to prevent them from happening.

¯ The best way to do that is to avoid frequent long hot baths which can dry the skin. Instead, have your child take a brief shower, pat the skin dry and follow by applying a moisturizing ointment or cream (even if eczema is not severe) to lock moisture into the skin which is also good if an eczema flare-up occurs.

¯ Keeping your child hydrated will also keep the skin moist and less prone to dryness and irritation.

¯ Wearing clothes that breathe such as cotton will help, rather than wool or polyester, which can be harsh or irritating to the skin.

Hopefully tips like these will provide you with the rash-ional information you need when it comes to knowing more about eczema and how to deal with it.

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.