Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Managing Eczema

When we visit the doctor for advice on managing our little one’s eczema, we usually expect our GP to ask questions about our child’s symptoms, family history and lifestyle behaviours that might be contributing to their condition. However, knowing what questions you, as a parent, can ask your little one’s doctor when developing their eczema management plan can be helpful. Being proactive and engaging in a conversation with your doctor or other medical professional will help expand your knowledge of eczema and understand what lifestyle changes you can make and what treatments are available to manage their symptoms. Keeping these lines of communication open will allow your doctor to support you and develop an appropriate eczema management plan to reduce the impact eczema can have on your child and your family.

How Can I Prepare for My Child’s Visit to the Doctor About Managing Eczema?

Doing some preparation before your appointment will allow you to get the most out of your visit and hopefully leave feeling better equipped to manage your little one’s eczema. Some ways you can prepare can include:

-       Researching eczema: resources like the Eczema Association of Australasia and Eczema Support Australia can be valuable in helping you understand how eczema might affect your child and give you an idea of what you might want to know from your doctor.

-       Keeping a record of your child’s eczema flare-ups: take note of any recent flare-ups and the possible triggers. It can be helpful to note what they’re eating or any lifestyle or environmental changes that could be triggering their eczema. 

-       Note down which products you have tried: it can be helpful to note which products you have tried and how your little one responded to them, so you can discuss this with your doctor.

What Questions Should I Ask My Child’s Doctor About Managing Eczema?

We should keep in mind that each child has different eczema triggers and levels of severity. Therefore, your questions might be more specific or individualised, depending on their symptoms.

Here’s a list of general questions that might be helpful to ask your doctor during your little one’s appointment:

• What type of eczema does my child have?
• How severe is my child’s eczema?
• Does my child also have psoriasis?
• What should I be looking out for in terms of flare-ups?
• What should I do when a flare-up happens, and if their condition gets worse?
• Will my child’s eczema go away?
• What signs of infection should I look out for?
• Will my child be assessed for asthma or hayfever?
• Will food and allergy testing be helpful for my child?
• Could my child’s diet be affecting their eczema?
• What should I be doing on a daily basis to help manage my child’s eczema?
• Are there specialists I should consider seeing for my child’s eczema, such as a dermatologist?
• Are there any particular products you would recommend to help, and are there any products that should be avoided?
• What can I do to monitor and support my child’s mental and emotional health?

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it can be a great place to start. And of course, your doctor may also address some of these questions without you having to ask! 

Developing An Eczema Skincare Routine

Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action for managing your little one’s eczema, which will usually involve developing a skincare routine (amongst other things). Generally speaking, one of the most essential parts of managing eczema is ensuring the skin stays nourished and well moisturised. That’s where Itchy Baby Co. can help!

Itchy Baby Co. products are formulated with naturally-sourced ingredients like colloidal oatmeal and coconut oil to help soothe and nourish itchy, dry and sensitive skin. Our Natural Oatmeal Bath Soak helps to gently cleanse and moisturise little skin at bath time, washing away triggers that might be sitting on the skin’s surface. It also helps to prepare the skin to absorb as much moisture as possible from our Eczema Moisturiser immediately after bath time. Our Eczema Moisturiser is a thick ointment designed to coat the skin and seal in hydration after bath time.

Learn more about our Three-Step Skincare Routine here.

This blog post was brought to you and your family with love from the Itchy Baby Co. team x

Disclaimer: Information provided is of a general nature only, and you should always consult your medical professional.