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Eczema and How the Healthcare Team Can Help

For many children with eczema, their symptoms can be managed at home. But sometimes, extra help is needed, and that’s okay. Whether it’s to get that first diagnosis or advice on dealing with nighttime scratching, reaching out to your baby’s healthcare team is a great move. Keep reading to find out:

  • When are the right times to reach out to the healthcare team
  • What can you have handy to make the appointment go smoother
  • What are some of the questions you can ask
A smiling woman embraces a young child, who looks up cheerfully as a doctor listens to their chest with a stethoscope. The setting appears to be a bright, modern medical office.

When to Talk to the Healthcare Team About Eczema

There’s never really a wrong time to reach out to your baby’s healthcare team about eczema. However, there are certain times when it’s definitely right to reach out, such as:

Your baby’s eczema is not getting better

  • After 1–2 weeks of following your home treatment plan, your baby’s eczema is the same or worse
  • Flares keep coming back quickly
  • Treatments that used to work are no longer helping

This may mean the treatment plan needs to be changed a bit, such as using a different medicine for the skin or changing the daily routine.

There are signs of an infection

Scratching can break the skin and allow germs to enter. This can sometimes lead to an infection. These need to be treated right away!

Keep an eye out for signs of:

  • Increasing redness
  • Swelling or warmth
  • Yellow crusts or oozing
  • Pain or tenderness
  • Fever or feeling unwell
  • Eczema on the ear and face that got infected.
  • Eczema on the body that is infected.

Your family is struggling to get through their daily life

Eczema care can be exhausting for families.

Talk to your healthcare team if:

  • Your child is not sleeping because of itching
  • Your child seems very uncomfortable or upset
  • Eczema is affecting mood, behavior, or school/daycare
  • You feel overwhelmed or unsure how to manage flares
  • Daily routines feel hard to keep up with

Support and better tools are available — you don’t have to manage this alone.

Getting Ready for Your Appointment

If you find it easier to prepare for your baby’s appointment ahead of time, here is what you can have ready to get the most out of your visit.

Photos

  • Take clear pictures of flares
  • Include both close-up and full-body photos
  • Take photos during the worst part of a flare, even if the skin looks better at the visit

Symptom Tracker or Notes

  • When flares start and how long they last
  • What areas of the body are affected
  • How severe the symptoms are 
  • Impact on sleep and quality of life
  • Possible triggers (weather, illness, foods, stress)

List of medicines or products used

  • All moisturizers, soaps, and shampoos you use on your baby
  • Prescription creams (name and strength, if known)
  • How often each product is used
  • What seems to help or make things worse

Handouts or Care Plans

  • A written eczema care plan
  • Past visit summaries
  • Allergy test results, especially if done with a different healthcare team

Questions to Ask the Healthcare Team

The questions you ask your healthcare team can vary greatly depending on your baby, your family, and your daily life. There are no wrong questions! However, here are some example questions if you need help to get started.

You can print these, write them down, or keep them on your phone.

About Treatment

  • “Is our current plan strong enough for my child’s eczema?”
  • “Which cream should I use first — medicine or moisturizer?”
  • “How long should we keep using this medication during a flare?”
  • “What should we do if this treatment doesn’t work?”

About Safety

  • “Is this medicine safe to use on my child’s face or diaper area?”
  • “How often is too often to use steroid creams?”
  • “Are there side effects I should watch for?”

About Flares and Triggers

  • “What might be triggering my child’s flares?”
  • “Are there changes we can make at home to help?”
  • “How can we prevent flares from coming back so often?”

About Sleep and Itching

  • “What can we do to help my child sleep better?”
  • “Is itching normal even when the skin looks better?”
  • “Are antihistamines helpful for my child?”

About Next Steps

  • “When should we follow up?”
  • “When should we call you versus going to urgent care?”
  • “Do we need to see a specialist?”

When to Ask to See a Specialist

Your healthcare team may suggest seeing a specialist if:

  • Eczema is moderate to severe
  • Flares keep returning despite treatment
  • There are signs of food or environmental allergies
  • Sleep and daily life are significantly affected

Specialists may include an allergist or dermatologist.