You want me to do WHAT to fix my son's eczema?

JOSEFA PETE

Last updatedMon Apr 13 03:00:00 UTC 2015

Gunnar Pippel 123RF

Eczema, also known as dermatitis, affects one in three Australians and one in five New Zealanders at some stage in their lives

Eczema in babies can be a hard diagnosis to face as a new mum, but that's exactly what I faced with my first son when he was just a few months old. He suffered from an all-over, ceaseless rash that consumed his happy spirit, while I chased my tail from one medical appointment to the next trying to ease his discomfort.

Eczema, also known as dermatitis, affectsone in three Australiansand one in five New Zealandersat some stage in their lives. While eczema isn't contagious nor life threatening, the symptoms of this condition can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life.

My son's quality of life was definitely consumed by his constant itch, red raw skin and a cycle of skin infections. It seemed that everything we tried worked for a little while, then the eczema flared up again.

Our saving grace came from a nurse and I'm still thankful for her advice today although at the time, her tip was so confronting I wanted to cry and run from the room.

"The first thing you need to do is wet your son's night romper, barely ring out the water and pop him into it all wet. That's his new sleep routine."

My reaction was almost manic. "You want me to dowhat?! He'll catch his death of cold!"

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You want me to do WHAT to fix my son's eczema?