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Our Atopic Dermatitis Story: Kids With Eczema

Our Atopic Dermatitis Story: Kids With Eczema

This post is in partnership with Pfizer Canada and all opinions are 100% my own.

I never thought I would be a parent to a child with atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) but here I am with half of our kids affected. Although we seem to have a good grasp of how to keep things under control now, we are always aware that we can get a painful flareup on any day and count our blessings that we have more good days than bad.

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a skin condition that makes your skin red, scaly and itchy. At its worst, the skin breaks open and oozes and can possibly even get infected.[i] I like to think ours is in the mild range and we do our best to keep things in control. For us, we have our worst skin days during the cold winter months or dry summer ones. Those are the days we work non-stop to make sure our littles are not burdened by AD. It almost always starts in kids under 5 years of age and that has proven to be true for us.[ii] There is no cure for AD, but it’s possible to manage symptoms and control flare-ups with the right treatment plan so we are crossing our fingers.

A day with AD usually starts with some itchy kids. Our two youngest need to keep their skin well hydrated with moisturizer and our daughter actually takes some moisturizer to school with her in her backpack. She is always itchy and can usually be found either scratching herself or rubbing her arms and legs against furniture to get some relief. It’s so sad to see her so uncomfortable.

Our Atopic Dermatitis Story: Kids With Eczema

We try and keep their nails short so that they don’t scratch themselves raw. They are at the age where they can voice that they are itchy so we can jump into action and help them soothe. It has become something we all help them with as a family.  The older kids are always willing to jump in and help them with either moisturizer or scratches.

While most moms snuggle their kids at bedtime, I lay in between my two youngest and scratch their little bodies until they get enough sweet relief to fall asleep. It was something we had to get used to, but it works for us. I am happy that they do fall asleep because according to the Eczema Society of Canada’s Patient Insights Report, 58% of parents reported interrupted or loss of sleep for their child over AD[iii] and that breaks my heart.

[i] Eczema Society of Canada (2019). What is Eczema? Available at: https://eczemahelp.ca/about-eczema/

[ii] Canadian Dermatology Association (2018). Available at: https://dermatology.ca/public-patients/skin/eczema/

[iii] Eczema Society of Canada (2017) Atopic Dermatitis: Patient Insights Report Available at: https://eczemahelp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ESC-AD-Patient-Insights-Report-Mild-to-Moderate-OCT-2017.pdf

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This post is in partnership with Pfizer Canada and all opinions are 100% my own.

Aneta Alaei
Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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25 Comments

  1. mrdisco
    October 10, 2019 / 10:07 pm

    i had no idea what eczema was

  2. Calvin
    October 11, 2019 / 1:02 am

    Sorry to hear about that. Good thing there are products that fit needs ofg those with this condition.

  3. Elizabeth Matthiesen
    October 11, 2019 / 11:06 am

    Eczema is horrible especially in kids, I feel so sorry for people who suffer with this condition.

  4. kristen visser
    October 11, 2019 / 4:24 pm

    thankfully my oldest doesnt really get it anymore but at one point she did and she just couldn’t stop scratching!! she would always scratch till she bled and we had to bandage her up so she wouldnt touch it

  5. October 11, 2019 / 7:11 pm

    cute pics

  6. Suzie B
    October 11, 2019 / 7:27 pm

    As someone who suffers from this – I know the extreme discomfort! I have scratched myself until my skin was bloody to get relief. I knew better, but that itch is torture! Interestingly enough, I have found my flare ups are actually often food related!

  7. Tammi L.
    October 12, 2019 / 4:43 am

    One of my daughters also has eczema, and suffers awfully. She turned 16 this year and got a job in a coffee shop where she is constantly washing her hands and putting them in buckets with disinfectants. There is no time to moisturize during her shift. Sometimes her hands get so bad they just crack and bleed , then she has to wear gloves that also really irritate. Until one of mine had it, I really had no idea just how awful it could be…

  8. Florence Cochrane
    October 12, 2019 / 3:34 pm

    Eczema is not nice. My husband has suffered from it for years.

  9. AD
    October 13, 2019 / 8:39 pm

    Eczema sucks! I have it, so I cannot image how horrible it can be on little ones… On a side note, wow, look at how tall your oldest is getting!

  10. Linda H
    October 16, 2019 / 11:00 am

    It’s surprising how many people suffer with eczema and it seems so difficult to treat.

  11. Deborah Dorrington
    October 17, 2019 / 1:54 pm

    I am an eczema suffer and I hate it. Like a lot of people with eczema I have scratch until I’ve bled. My first flare up wasn’t until I was an adult and it took me by complete surprise. Over the years I have tried several prescriptions and over the counter products with hope. Truthfully nothing has worked for any length of time. Now I track what I eat and some foods have triggered a flare up so I avoid them. I am so sorry when I read about children having this condition because how do you as a parent help them control the scratching and help them when other kids want to know why they have this condition and what is it.

  12. October 18, 2019 / 3:22 pm

    Eczema must be difficult for you and your kids to deal with. Hopefully, they find a cure for it soon!

  13. Caroline Lozinski
    October 18, 2019 / 3:52 pm

    Both of my grandchildren have eczema 🙁
    It’s food to know what to do to help lessen the irritation and pain .

  14. MrDisco
    October 18, 2019 / 10:36 pm

    cute pics !

  15. mrdisco
    October 20, 2019 / 3:44 pm

    those are helpful links

  16. Lilly K
    October 21, 2019 / 2:00 pm

    My toddler had eczema until he was about 2 years old and my baby currently suffers from it. Both were triggered by dairy. I am hoping my baby grows out of it as well.

  17. Kelly Freeman
    October 24, 2019 / 9:12 pm

    All five of my kids had eczema to varying degrees and they all grew out of it. Don’t give up hope!

  18. Debbie White-Beattie
    November 29, 2019 / 1:27 am

    Having itchy, dry skin can drive you crazy and I ought to know

  19. kathy downey
    December 1, 2019 / 8:40 am

    Thanks for the tips.I find as soon as Fall approaches the itching starts!

  20. Victoria Ess
    December 4, 2019 / 7:08 am

    Oy poor kiddos but it sounds like they are troopers!

  21. Karen Evans
    December 5, 2019 / 2:44 pm

    I am a 62 year old grandma that has eczema on my hands. My dr. prescribed me some atypical cream. I find its more of a hindrance than anything, so I where gloves whenever I have to.

  22. Piroska
    December 6, 2019 / 2:59 pm

    It’s so frustrating trying to find a product that works without being too strong. My 3 year old grandson has it, and worse in the winter. On his cheeks, upper arms and legs. He scratches himself bloody sometimes, and I feel so badly for him.

  23. Justine Bixby
    December 7, 2019 / 6:07 pm

    I have Eczema and 2 of my 3 kids do as well. Mine gets so bad sometimes that my hands crack and bleed. I had a colleague once ask me how I burned my hands so badly because it looked like I had 2nd degree burns. It was so hard finding products I could use on my kids when they were young because so much irritated their skin.

  24. December 11, 2019 / 11:11 pm

    What a beautiful little family! Thank you for posting the sites for eczema. My little grandson and I both have it.

  25. JoKing
    December 16, 2019 / 12:21 pm

    Thank you for sharing your family story with eczema. Finding the perfect regimen can be a trial and error.