More than 10 percent of all infants born in America suffer from a skin ailment that, while not terribly dangerous, is persistent, annoying and incurable. Pediatricians say they’re seeing more of it than ever before.

“I hear you came here because of a rash,” says Dr. Kathleen Nelson, M.D., professor of pediatrics.

Since birth, 5-year-old Petey Hudson has had dry, bumpy, itchy skin. It’s called atopic eczema.

“And I see he’s got a little bit of this bumpy rash on his neck,” says Nelson.

Eczema is an allergy. The cause could be any number of things: pollen, food or animal dander, for example. The allergen causes the body’s immune system to overreact, and that’s what’s known as eczema.  According to a study in the journal, Pediatrics, more children today have eczema than ever before.

“We’re seeing a significant increase in the rise of eczema in the young population in the United States; dramatically so,” says Dr. William Dobes, M.D., dermatologist.

Why the increase? No one knows for certain.  Doctors speculate it could be due to changes in the weather, more exposure to chemicals, or overuse of antibiotics.  However, there are treatments that can help, such as steroids -- which worry some parents.

“They’re just afraid that there’s going to be a negative effect to the child’s body from steroid ingestion.  You just have to make sure they understand that these are different types of steroids,” says Dr. Deborah Young, M.D., Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
 
Young explains that when the proper types of steroids are used correctly, they are completely safe. She also recommends to parents of children with eczema: don’t bathe your child too often, because it dries out the skin. And when bathing, always use mild soap.

“Following the bath, you pat them dry and when the skin is still moist you put on a moisturizer,” adds Nelson.