Eczema, like its sister asthma, has become an increasingly common problem of today’s children. The obvious cause for the increasing incidence of both these symptom patterns is undoubtedly the increasing number of vaccines today’s children receive compared to kids in times past. This is one of the prices we are paying as a society for our efforts to eliminate childhood infectious diseases.

Fortunately, holistic pediatric treatment can address and effectively treat eczema in children. The treatment plan should be holistic and it must treat the problem from the inside, not just topically. Creams and lotions and moisturizers may be useful and soothing, but they will not solve the problem. Steroids applied to the skin will only worsen the problem. Generally, the more that parents have applied hydrocortisone or other topical steroids to a child’s skin, the longer it will take for the symptoms to resolve with holistic care.

Like most illnesses there are many degrees of eczema severity. Often the problem begins in infancy with redness and roughness of the baby’s cheeks. There may be patches of dry rough skin scattered over the trunk or limbs, and rashes in the flexures of elbows, wrists, or knees. These may be itchy. Babies sometimes rub their faces in the bedding or against their parents’ clothing. Older children are often kept awake at night by intense itching. Other children may not have itching at all. As symptoms worsen the skin may become raw with oozing of fluid from the eruptions and bleeding. Sometimes infections in the eruptions complicate the picture as well.

Whatever the severity of the symptoms, the holistic perspective will be the same. Treatment will focus on diet, exposure to potential allergens and irritants, addressing immune system function, constitutional treatment, and medications that relieve symptoms in the short term.

Nutritional factors include maintaining a clean, whole foods diet. Infants under 12 months of age should not eat any grains. Early introduction of grains into a baby’s diet has been associated with the development of eczema. Some children will need to avoid other allergenic foods depending on their sensitivities. Testing for food allergies using an IgE skin or blood test and IgG tests for individual foods may be helpful in pinpointing specific foods that aggravate the condition.

Skin irritants should be eliminated, including harsh laundry detergents. Lotions, moisturizers, soaps, and shampoos that contain petrochemicals, parabens, lauryl or laureth sulfates, and other irritating chemicals can aggravate the skin. Usually organic skin products will be well tolerated, but parents may need to try different products to find the one that works best. Washing and bathing can aggravate the dryness and inflammation accompanying eczema. This is because bathing opens the pores and allows water to evaporate from the skin, drying it out. Using an oil based lotion after a bath will prevent this drying effect. Soothing products such as Florasone (Cardiospermum) for rashes/itching and calendula products for raw skin can also be useful.

The most important aspect of eczema treatment is addressing the immune system imbalance that underlies the skin inflammation. This can be accomplished in a number of ways depending on the type of practitioner and the modalities he or she provides. Constitutional treatment with homeopathy and/or Chinese medicine (herbs and acupuncture) is essential to strengthen and balance the body’s immune function. A good supplement program is also important. Omega 3 fats in adequate doses are a mainstay. The therapeutic dose of cod liver oil is 1 tsp per 25 lbs body weight or at least 450 mg of DHA in fish oil capsules. Vitamins A and D should be added if children are not taking cod liver oil (10,000 IU of A and 400 IU of D from a fish oil source). Other supplements to support digestive function will fortify the immune system, especially in children with leaky gut and impaired intestinal integrity. Supplements may include digestive enzymes, probiotics, and glutamine to support the intestinal lining. The pediatric formula Grow and Thrive will accomplish this in younger children as well (www.kanherb.com). Investigation of gut function with specific laboratory tests can also provide valuable information (parasites, infections, inflammation, and enzyme adequacy).

Calming inflammation is also an integral part of treatment. This can be accomplished with Chinese herbs (e.g. Fire Fighter pediatric formulation, http://www.kanherb.com). Other anti-inflammatory treatment may include specific homeopathic medicines (e.g. Mezereum or Graphites). Vitamin C is a useful addition to the supplement program as well. Acupuncture can be very beneficial to calm inflammation using typical points to purge heat (e.g. LI 11, Sp 10).

Parents can expect that symptoms of eczema will gradually improve over a period of several months. Healing the immune system takes time. The more severe a child’s symptoms, the longer they have been present, and the more topical steroids or antibiotics used, the longer parents should expect treatment to continue before seeing significant results. Often in babies the symptoms improve dramatically in a short time. Older children may experience some aggravation of symptoms at first, since the body is being encouraged to dispel toxins, and this will often occur through the skin. If vaccines are given during the course of therapy, then parents should expect relapses and much slower progress. Holistic care provides excellent results in eczema, but patience is a key factor.

Tea tree oil is one suggestion, or rub some vitamin E around the ear, while another suggests a homeopathic remedy called Mobile Phone (seems logical) from Helios Pharmacy in London. Another idea is to use a Bioguard and Biophone to prevent direct contact with the phone, while another suggests 30C Electricitas or Psorinum. One reader rectified her rash by wearing an Ozaliet medallion (made of sea salt) on the thymus gland, which is available from Holland. One reader suggests a small ‘button’ called Ecoflow, which is attached to the phone and which reduces radiation levels. The company is based in Cornwall. Even a standard headset would help, several readers suggest, and one reader recommends the ‘air-com’ system.

Alternatively, try Elnas Nature Collection of creams and oils, available from Dulwich Health (020 8670 5883), while another reader suggests that our questioner sees a health kinesiologist as the eczema may be linked to some allergy.

Nutritionally, try vitamin B9 and B12 and C, while a lack of vitamin A can aggravate psoriasis. One woman found her son started developing eczema after she stopped breastfeeding, suggesting a food allergy. Remove all refined foods, and especially white flour, white sugar, white rice and pasta, from the diet, and don’t have any citrus, including orange juice, no artificial additives, and no sweets, chocolate, pop, squash, cakes, crisps etc.

Another reader wonders if the cause may have been antibiotics, which may have caused Candida. Oxygen therapy, combined with an anti-Candida diet, did the trick.

Stellaria cream is another option, or try aloe propolis cream.

But traditional herbal remedies with a long history of effectiveness can safely be used to treat this disease as well as many other bothersome skin disorders.

In Traditional (Folk) Western Medicine, the extract of the stems of Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet, a sprawling poisonous nightshade with purple flowers and red orange berries) makes an effective treatment for eczema; it can be applied either through soaked gauze compresses or as an ointment (Deutsche Apotheker-Zeit, 1983; 123: 22-3).

Another TWM remedy, Viola tricolor (blue violet or wild pansy) achieves excellent results when used for eczema and other skin complaints of early childhood, including cradlecap, milkcrust and infant eczema (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Part 2, 1979, p 227).

The remedy consists of two teaspoons of the herb to one cup of hot water and is given as an infusion; the child should drink one cup both in the morning and at night for several weeks. As this ‘tea’ mixes well with milk, it may also be used to make up baby feeds, using milk instead of water.

The herb may also be used externally by soaking gauze compresses in the infusion. However, when used for this purpose, be sure to use distilled water or boric acid solution. Be careful not to mistake this herb for Viola odorata (sweet violet), which is used as an expectorant.

In many countries in Africa, a dilute solution of the crushed seeds of lupin species Lupinus luteus or Lupinus termis is made into an ointment and applied topically for eczema. In one well controlled, experimental, double blind study comparing a 10 per cent ointment made with an ethanolic extract of this seed, a steroidal ointment and a placebo, the seed extract was as effective as the steroid in the treatment of chronic eczema (J Nat Prod, 1981; 44: 179-83). However, just bear in mind that the Lupinus species are known to be poisonous and should therefore only be used externally (Dreisbach RH, Handbook of Poisoning, Los Altos, CA: Lange Medical Publications, 1983, p 554).

Of the spurge group of shrubby plants, Euphorbia gorgonis has also been used as an effective lotion for sores and skin eruptions. Its relation, Euphorbia helioscopia, is successful in removing warts (S Afr Med Rec, 1918; 16: 306).

In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, the root of Euphorbia acaulis is used to treat eczema. In one experimental double blind study, of the 23 patients given 50 mg of powdered E. acaulis root three times daily for two to six weeks, 18 experienced complete relief and three experienced 75 per cent relief (Indian J Dermatol, 1971; 16: 57-9).

Make sure to stick with only the specific Euphorbia species mentioned here, as others are irritants and can cause blisters.

Potentilla tormentilla (common tormentil) is another plant used for a variety of skin complaints. For chilblains, you can paint a mixture of one part tormentil extract to five parts glycerin onto the affected areas. Another possibility is to take hand and foot baths made with 200 g of oak bark boiled for 15 minutes in two litres of water (Weiss RF, Herbal Medicine, Ab Arcanum: Gothenburg, 1988, p 336).

Dry seborrhoea (dandruff) responds to scalp massage using oil of Arctium lappa (burdock) root.

Infestation by head lice or crab lice is best treated topically using oil of Sassafras (North American laurel tree) (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Part 2, 1979, pp 191-3).

Bee and wasp stings each take a separate approach. Since bee poison is acidic, sodium bicarbonate should be applied after extraction of the sting. Wasp poison is alkaline and should be treated with lemon juice or vinegar (Solomons B, Lecture Notes on Dermatology, 3rd edn, Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1975, pp 174-5).

!AHarald Gaier

Harald Gaier is a registered naturopath, osteopath and homoeopath.

* In a recent study, one third of 773 individuals involved in a road accident as a driver, bicycle rider or pedestrian experienced some level of anxiety, depression, fear of travel or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 3 to 12 months later and, in most cases, persisted. After one year, about half the group had phobic travel anxiety, nearly 60 per cent had general anxiety, and half were diagnosed with PTSD (Am J Psychiatry, 2001; 158: 1231-8).

* New research in nearly 1300 men suggests that, during a severe asthma attack, men are less likely than women to notice the symptoms of the attack. The reason for this is unclear, but it may be that men perceive less discomfort because of greater lung size and muscle strength, or because they generally develop asthma at an earlier age than women. Men also tend to only seek medical attention when symptoms are too severe to ignore, the researchers noted (Ann Emerg Med, 2001; 38: 123-8).

* What’s lurking in that paddling pool? Physicians in Canada have found the first outbreak of a new type of Pseudomonas infection called ‘hot foot syndrome’. This discovery was made when 40 children, aged 2 to 15, developed intense pain in the soles of their feet within 40 hours of using the same wading pool. A hot, red swelling began after a few hours, along with pain so severe that the children were unable to stand up. Three children were given oral cephalexin (an antibiotic) while the others were treated with cold compresses, analgesics and foot elevation. In all cases, the condition resolved within 14 days, although it recurred in three children after they revisited the same pool (N Engl J Med, 2001; 345: 335-8).

Well, if we’re wrong, we’ll eat our stethoscope, but look out for the early warning signs. One came just the other day from the UK’s Medicines Control Agency, which has banned two products that contain evening primrose oil.

The products are Epogam, for the treatment of atopic eczema, and Efamast, which treats mastalgia (breast pain). Both contain gamolenic acid, which is derived from Evening Primrose Oil.

The MCA ban is strange on two counts. First, the MCA admits there has never been any health risks associated with the products, and its decision is contrary to the guidelines of the National Health Service, which advocates the use of gamolenic acid for the treatment of mastalgia.

So is this a portent of things to come? Don’t forget, the MCA will gain enormous powers under one EU directive, which will give it the right to control any product that claims to have an efficacious effect. As every alternative and complementary product obviously makes such a claim, so they will fall under the watchful gaze of the MCA.

To help us fight the EU directives, visit the Health Freedom Movement website and make a donation. You’ll find it on: http://www.healthfreedommovement.com

In looking at data on mass smallpox vaccinations in the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden from 1947 to 1968, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say such transmissions – known as contact vaccinia – during that period were about two to six cases per 100,000 vaccinations. However, such factors as increased numbers of people with weakened immune systems, a reduced natural immunity in the population since vaccinations ended in 1972, and higher rates of the skin condition eczema – a condition linked to contact vaccinia – make more transmissions likely (JAMA, 2002; 288; 1901-05).

The same thing happened to her mother Jane. But just before her 13th birthday, I became ill and consulted a local expert on diet and nutrition. He told me to give up eating artificial additives and refined foods such as white flour and white sugar. He said that Jane’s dyslexia would also disappear.

For the next eight months, we stuck to these rules, and gradually became fond of natural foods and no longer enjoyed what Jane called ‘plastic food’. By now, I was completely rejuvenated, but could see no particular change in Jane’s schoolwork. So we decided to do the thing properly – taking sandwiches for lunch made from my own wholemeal bread, and giving up shop biscuits for homemade.

Two months later, Jane told me she could ‘learn like the clever kids’. Another three months, and she could remember the alphabet – she was 14 by then. With ever-increasing delight, she found herself reading anything and everything, and was able to write quickly and accurately. Jane got seven O levels and two A levels, one in English, and went on to get an upper second in Fine Art, which involved researching and writing a very extensive thesis. – Val Kearney, North Yorkshire

WDDTY replies: Readers, what else have you found has helped with learning difficulties? Write in to WDDTY at info@wddty.co.uk.

I ‘joined the club’ in 1975 and have been fighting to put an end to steroid prescribing ever since. I want to live long enough to see the ‘sleaziest of drugs which cures nothing and for which there is no safe dose’ banned from use. Until that happens, my brother died for nothing.

All he had was eczema. He asked his GP for a referral to the Liverpool Homeopathic Hospital, but his ignorant, arrogant doctor told him it would do no good and gave him steroids instead. These drugs destroyed his immune system and damaged his heart. The autopsy showed that he died of kidney, liver and bone marrow failure – no mention of steroids or eczema.

One of my two sisters was also killed by steroids 20 years after my brother died. She developed steroid-induced osteoporosis after being injected with steroids; she was not told what the injection was.

She lost four inches in height and suffered great pain. Homoeopathic treatment did result in an improvement – she was able to drive and enjoy walking again. Her bones began to strengthen and no longer fractured so easily. However, she didn’t get her four inches back. Her organs were crushed between her ribs and pelvis, and couldn’t function properly. She died from a sudden brain haemorrhage.

Had my brother been given a referral to an NHS homoeopathic hospital, he would be alive today. – Margaret Marsh, Alvescot, Bampton