Allergic eczema

Three times more common than 30 years ago, today, eczema affects up to 20% of children. It has become the most common childhood cutaneous condition in industrialized countries. However, in the majority of cases, eczema disappears in adolescence, and only 10 to 15% of patients remain affected throughout their lives.

An excessive immune response

Eczema is related to a genetic predisposition that alters the skin barrier. This alteration paves the way for allergens to penetrate into the skin, which causes an excessive immune reaction. Changes in the composition and diversity of the intestinal and cutaneous microbiotas observed in these patients may also be involved.

Eczema manifests very early in infancy (between 1 and 3 months) by rough, dry skin, and the appearance of very itchy red patches during inflammatory flares.

Limit skin irritation

Treatment for eczema primarily tries to limit skin irritation (wearing cotton clothes, using gels without soap, being gentle when washing your skin, etc.) and to reduce cutaneous lesions with hydrating creams and topical steroids. In the most severe cases, the doctor may prescribe short-term antihistamines.

Probiotics improve symptoms

Another approach: correct the dysbiosis (imbalance in bacterial flora) by modifying the intestinal and cutaneous microbiotas. Several studies have shown that probiotics improve eczema symptoms (particularly certain lactobacilli) and reduce intestinal inflammation in affected babies. Given as a preventative treatment to pregnant women, they could reduce the frequency of symptoms in their baby.