Here - Health Promotion Agency

Illness and accidents
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TIPS ON MANAGING ECZEMA
Keep your child cool and the bedroom temperature cool. ●
The faeces of the house dust mite can sometimes cause
an allergic reaction and make eczema worse.
If your child has fluffy or furry toys in the cot or
bedroom, the house dust mite collects on them. Limit
these toys to one or two favourites, and either wash them
weekly at 60˚C or put them in a plastic bag in the
freezer for 24 hours to kill the house dust mite.
Wash your child’s bedlinen at 60˚C to kill the house dust mite.
Parents sometimes get worried about using topical
steroids. However, used properly for short periods they are
safe and may prevent the eczema getting worse.
Don’t cut out important foods, such as milk, dairy
products, wheat or eggs, without consulting your GP or
health visitor. It’s fine to cut out such foods as citrus fruits,
juice or tomatoes if you think these are irritating the skin.
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Don’t let your child’s skin get dry. Apply a moisturising
cream or emollient to the skin several times a day. (Try to put
some cream on when you feed your baby or change a nappy.)
Apply the cream with downward strokes – don’t rub it
up and down.
Avoid using substances that dry or irritate your baby’s
skin, such as soap, baby bath, bubble bath or detergents.
Bath your child in cool water with a suitable skin oil added.
Aqueous cream, which can be bought cheaply from pharmacists,
is often as effective a moisturiser as more expensive
creams. It can also be used for washing instead of soap.
Try to identify and avoid anything that irritates the skin
or makes the problem worse. For example, soap powder,
animals, chemical sprays, cigarette smoke or some clothing.
Avoid wool and nylon clothing – cotton is best.
FITS OR CONVULSIONS
Febrile convulsions or ‘fever fits’ are
common in children under the age of
three, but can seem very alarming to
parents. Although there are other reasons
why children ‘fit’, fits are most commonly
triggered by a high temperature. If your
baby or child seems feverish or has a
high temperature it is important to
cool him or her down immediately.
See Temperatures on page 98 to find
out how to do this.
What to do if your child has a fit
If your child has a fit he or she may
suddenly turn blue and become rigid
and staring. Sometimes the eyes will
roll and the limbs start to twitch and jerk.
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Remove your child’s clothing and
any covering, and ensure your
child is cool but not chilly.
Most fits will stop within three
minutes. When it is over, reassure
your child, make him or her
comfortable, and then call a doctor.
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If the fit hasn’t stopped, and your
GP isn’t immediately available, take
your child to the nearest hospital
or get someone else to go for help,
or dial 999 to call an ambulance.
Stay with your child and move
objects away that might cause
injury.
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Keep calm.
Lie your child on his or her side to
make sure he or she does not vomit
or choke. Remove any objects
from your child’s mouth. Do not
put anything in the mouth.
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Tell your GP that your child
has had a fit.
Febrile convulsions become
increasingly less common after the
age of three and are almost unknown
after the age of five. Children with
epilepsy, which causes fits or seizures,
may also grow out of these.
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