Child Profiles

Genetic Factors: Eczema

Background Information:

Rosy is 4 years old and suffers with a skin condition called Atopic Eczema also known as Atopic Dermatitis. She isn’t the only person who suffers with this condition within her family; it is a gene that her father also carries, as he too has the same skin condition as his daughter.

Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It is a long-term, or chronic, condition.

Atopic eczema commonly occurs in areas with folds of skin, such as:

•behind the knees

•the inside of the elbows

•on the side of the neck

•around the eyes and ears

Atopic eczema can vary in severity and most people are only mildly affected. Severe symptoms include cracked, sore and bleeding skin.

People with atopic eczema usually have periods when symptoms are less noticeable, as well as flare-ups when symptoms become more severe, needing additional treatment.

How it can be caused?

The exact cause of atopic eczema is unknown. However, it often occurs in people who get allergies ("atopic" means sensitivity to allergens).

Atopic eczema can run in families and often occurs alongside other conditions, such as asthma and hay fever.

People who have this skin condition have a reduced level of oil in their skin, meaning that the skin barrier will lose water faster and the skin will become drier.

The affects it could have in the child’s family, health and development:

The affects that this condition might have the child’s family are that it may make the parents to become stressed with the constant visits to and from hospitals and with the treatment requiem that they have to do every day to make sure that their child’s skin is treated properly.

What support is offered to the child and their family?

There is an online trust called ‘talkeczema’ that offers trusted information from highly respected organisations such

as NHS Choices and leading UK charities. It also provides...