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HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALSGuidance to Support Better Prevention of Eczema in Children
Several leading European dermatologists have today launched guidance to help parents reduce the burden of eczema on children living with this disease.
Experts from Denmark, France, Germany, Poland and Spain have come together to agree a consensus of 'top tips', which focus on avoiding situations that trigger painful flares and different ways to increase eczema 'flare-free' periods. The 'top tips', sponsored by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., are launched today at the 10th European Society for Pediatric Dermatology Congress (ESPD), Switzerland.
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Professor Frederic Cambazard, Head of the Dermatology Service at the Saint-Etienne University Hospital in Lyon, states that, "Parents can only help children with atopic dermatitis if they understand the disease and how to treat it. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing disease which needs parental education. In fact there are many false beliefs about eczema which can lead parents to sometimes manage their child's eczema in the wrong way, such as severe diet or insufficient washing. These ten tips will help to improve parents' knowledge on how to properly treat their child's eczema. They provide clear and simple behaviours which are important to help control eczema skin and will also increase the efficiency of specific medical treatments." |
The expert 'top tips' cover a range of practical day-to-day advice to manage childhood eczema, including steps to help prevent flare ups. These include:
• Getting the teacher on side: Telling a school or nursery teacher about your child's eczema and the steps you are taking to avoid flare ups.
• Get your child involved: Sitting down as a family to make a chart of things you will all do every day, every week and every month to prevent flare ups.[5]
• Get the right treatment: Working closely with your child's doctor and nurses to monitor how effectively a treatment is working and ensure it is used correctly.[5] Some treatments are designed to be used regularly to prevent flare ups from happening, while others are used for a shorter period of time to treat a flare up and help the skin to heal.[6]
The UK National Eczema Society's Chief Executive, Margaret Cox, commented that, "Watching your child claw at their raw itching skin until it bleeds is devastating: you feel powerless and alone. For the millions of children who have eczema, it doesn't have to be like this. If you know how to use your treatments, the condition does usually improve. And by equipping parents with the knowledge they need to help to prevent their child's eczema flare ups, we can dramatically improve a family's quality of life. We welcome these simple but essential steps to help parents cope. It is vital that parents have the correct information about managing eczema in a readily understood format if we are to truly tackle the daily misery that eczema brings in its wake."
References
[1] Bieber T Mechanisms of disease: atopic dermatitis N Engl J Med 2008;358:1483-1494
[2] Carroll CL. Pediatric Dermatology 2005;192-199
[3] Leung D et al, J.Clin.Invest.113 ; 651-657 (2004)
[4] Beattie PE and Lewis-Jones MS A comparative study of impairment of quality of life in children with skin disease and children with other chronic childhood diseases Br J Dermatol 2006;155:145-151
[5] Caring for children and young people with atopic eczema- a guide for nurses. Royal College of Nursing. Available from:http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/156006/003228.pdf Last accessed: 8 January 2010
[6] National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health (2007) Atopic eczema in children: full guideline, National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Available from: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/EczemaFullGuideline.pdf
Last accessed January 2010
SOURCE Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd