Many children suffer from eczema.  Many are babies who are too young to realize what is going on and ask questions.  Older kids, however, know.  If you are a parent of a child with eczema, they are likely to have many questions.  A few of these common questions and ideal answers are outlined below.

Question:  What did I do wrong?

As a parent, it just breaks your heart when you hear this question.  Although eczema impacts many children, your child may not see these other cases.  They look at their friends and classmates and see children with normal skin.  Many automatically and mistakenly assume they did something wrong, but they didn't.  Tell your child they have sensitive skin, as do many other children and adults.  This sensitive skin is a known medical condition that happen to people of all ages; they did nothing wrong.

Question:  When will it go away?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question.  Some children outgrow eczema by their early teens and others are plagued with it for life.  You can't give your child an answer.  What you can discuss is ways to treat eczema and ensure they don't scratch so that painful rashes and blisters are a thing of the past.  Use this as an opportunity to educate your child on the importance of proper skin care.  They need to stay away from certain things, such as pets and pet dander, that irritate their skin.  They need to keep their body moisturized constantly, which they may be able to do themselves with lotions and creams.

Question:  Can I make others sick too?

This is another heartbreaking question because it is one that doesn't usually come from nowhere.  Another child or parent may have asked about your child's rash, blister-like sores, or scaly patches of skin.  Once again, use this as an opportunity to educate your child.  Not everyone knows about eczema and some people, even adults, mistakenly believe it is contagious.  It is not.  Your child can play freely with others.

Question:  Can I still swim?

A key to avoiding eczema flare-ups is to take short showers or baths in lukewarm water.  Long bubble baths filled with toys is dangerous for your child.  Since they aren't allowed to do so, they may wonder if they can swim.  Of course they can.

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