Skin problems in children such as diaper dermatitis (diaper rash) and atopic dermatitis often confuse parents. Because the symptoms that appear are usually almost the same and difficult to distinguish. Together with a pediatrician from Oetomo Hospital, Dr. Adila Nurhadiya, Sp. A, we discussed the differences between diaper dermatitis and atopic dermatitis on Instagram Live with the theme "All About Atopic Dermatitis on Baby's Skin" on Thursday, February 22, 2024.
Difference between Diaper Rash and Atopic Dermatitis
There is a difference between diaper rash or diaper dermatitis and atopic dermatitis. Dr. Adila explained that atopic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that is a chronic skin disease that can be inherited from one of the people. While diaper dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by diapers due to diaper material containing irritants or skin care products that cause inflammation.
Causes of diaper rash and atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is a complex disorder due to both internal and external factors. Dr. Adila explained that the internal causes of atopic dermatitis are within the child itself, such as:
- Genetic inheritance from the parents.
- Having sensitive skin
- Unbalanced immune regulation
While the external causes that trigger the appearance of atopic dermatitis are the environment, irritants from soap, antiseptics to hand sanitizers, allergens from the air, dust, food and extreme temperature changes. If these two factors meet, it will cause atopic dermatitis. Damage to the skin and water in the skin will evaporate more, making the skin scaly and dry.
The cause of diaper rash is usually caused by infrequent diaper changes, prolonged skin contact with dirt such as feces and urine, and the wrong diaper size (too small or too large).
To detect atopic dermatitis, there is a special examination. Usually, medical personnel will give some allergens such as cat hair and some types of food for trial and error. This aims to find out what causes the skin problems that occur in your child.
Symptoms of atopic dermatitis in children
The symptoms of atopic dermatitis are very distinctive. Dr. Adila explained that the symptoms of atopic dermatitis can be recognized from some of the child's behavior, such as the child often scratching his/her itchy body, especially at night. The child becomes more fussy at bedtime and there is a reddish rash on the skin.
Can atopic dermatitis in children be cured?
Atopic dermatitis is not completely cured and is a concern for parents. what parents can do is to prevent atopic dermatitis from recurring. The trick, Dr. Adlia said by knowing and avoiding allergens or allergic triggers in your child. She added, atopic dermatitis appears starting at the beginning of the growth period above 5 years. Then, there is improvement in adolescence and about 5% of children with atopic dermatitis can relapse as adults.
How to Prevent Atopic Dermatitis in Children
Moms and dads can apply moisturizer at least three minutes after bathing and reapply moisturizer continuously on your child's skin if it feels dry. Do not let your child scratch the skin until it bleeds. Because if there is an open wound on your child's skin, it is easier for bacteria and fungi to enter, making pus. If the condition is that severe, it certainly requires antibiotics.
Also pay attention to your little one's food intake and also moms' food if you are still breastfeeding. Foods containing cow's milk products such as yogurt, milk, butter, nuts and seafood can trigger allergies in children. Likewise, the food essence produced by the mother's breast milk must be considered.
In addition, using a moisturizer or moisturizer for your child that contains niacinamide, panthenol and glycerin can increase the resilience of your child's skin. Try to use a bath soap with a pH balance of about 5-6.
And, limit your child's bath time to about 15 minutes with water that should not be hot and too cold. Because the longer your little one takes a bath, it can make his skin dry. (Aq/MKK)
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