Atopic eczema is a common condition affecting up to 1 in 5 infants.  While the "cause" is generally not known, having a family history of eczema and allergies is very common for those affected.  Especially when eczema is severe, families and patients generally want to know the "cause" and identify a "cure", but most often neither of these is possible.  For patients with eczema however it is useful to identify triggers that aggravate eczema, and in infants with severe eczema food is sometimes one of these triggers.  There are generally many other potential triggers which can include soaps and detergents, other illnesses, scratching, changes in temperature and (in babies) teething. 

Since there is no cure for eczema, management generally involves:

• Identifying and avoiding triggers where possible. This might include:
• Keeping fingernails short to minimise scratching
• Use of loose cotton clothing
• Keeping bathwater tepid not hot
• Skin care which will generally include:
• Avoiding soaps and detergent
• Appling copious moisturiser
• Using topical steroids for flares in eczema. There is a lot of anxiety about use of topical steroids
• Identifying and treating secondary infection.