When my daughter was first born she had a shocking red inflammation on her face. We tried inflammation creams and herbal creams but these didn't work. At last, after exhausting other sources we went to a nutrtionist who told us about the association around dairy and eczema.
Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a skin condition that causes red, irritated skin. It is most frequently found in babies (and adults) with a family history of allergies and asthma. This brings up an interesting point; eczema is not an outside state, but an inner condition that has to do more with the immunity system than outside factors. This is crucial to know if you want to effectively treat it.
As early as 1936 the connection was recognized concerning eczema and early presentation of cow's milk (formula). Babies fed cow's milk were discovered to have seven times the occurrence of eczema as breastfed babies. Several studies also have shown that when breastfed babies do get eczema it is due to a food eaten by the mother -- usually cow's milk (Chandra et al., 1986; Jakobsson et al., 1985; Gerrard et al., 1973.)
This can be the same for adults also. I'm not saying there are grown ups who are breast feeding, but I am saying there is a link between dairy and eczema.
Not all doctors agree with this. In fact there are some (alot even) in the medical business who still believe eczema to be purely an outside matter. My physician was one of them. Our nutritionis pointed us to a holistic plan that treats eczema at the source.
Environmental matters positively have an effect on eczema. Bathing with harsh soaps or using laundry detergents with alot of perfumes, for instance, can aggravate eczema that is already present. Using humidifiers in dry climates can help ease some of the systems. But until the source is treated with a holistic methodology the red dry irritated skin will not go away.
It doesn't mean that you or your child has some sort of terrible immune defieciency if you have eczema. What it means is that you ought to take a look at the complete lifestyle (including diet i.e. dairy) and address of the issues one by one.
What's going on with your diet. What type of supplements or vitamins do you take. The filters in your HVAC system and your cleaning products - even your fitness level; all of these need to be looked with this skin condition in mind. Not an easy thing to do if you don't know what your looking for/ at.
The program my nutritionist puts us in addressed all these concerns and more. Not only did the eczema go away, but we all feel better. And we know we are living a much healthier lifestyle. If you or your child has this condition, it may be the dairy and it may not. I recommend you find a natural solution so you'll know exactly how to live free from this scratchy condition.