When Is It Time to Ask Your Child’s Doctor for a New Treatment for Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

In prepping for a doctor’s appointment to discuss changing your child’s atopic dermatitis treatment, it helps to put together a list of questions to make the most of your conversation, Hui says. Here are three top possibilities.

What Treatment Options Have Been Approved for Children?

Although this seems like an obvious question, a treatment that had not been approved for use in children at the time of your last appointment may now be an option, says Tanya Evans, MD, a dermatologist and the medical director of the skin cancer program at the melanoma clinic at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California.

“The treatments for atopic dermatitis are expanding rapidly, and that’s great news because it gives us more choices than ever before,” she says. “Part of that progress is seeing medications approved for younger children. For example, a treatment that might have been approved for 12 years and older initially may now be approved for children as young as 6 months. That’s why it’s important to ask.”

Does My Child Need to Switch Completely?

If a medication isn’t working effectively now but has in the past, it’s possible you won’t have to change meds, says Dr. Evans. In some cases, your health provider may suggest ways to make the current treatment work better.

“You may be able to stay on the same medication but change the dosage schedule or amount,” she says. “Your doctor may also recommend adding something like a topical vitamin D ointment or light therapy. In some cases, it may come down to lifestyle shifts like a different bathing schedule or using a humidifier in the bedroom.”

Bottom line: Just because a medication isn’t completely effective on its own doesn’t mean it can’t be boosted through complementary treatments and lifestyle habits, she says.

What Can My Child Expect on This Treatment?

Whether the shift is a medication change or another option like an over-the-counter remedy, phototherapy, bleach baths, or wet wraps, you should get an idea of what you can expect in terms of symptom relief.

Knowing the time frame for symptom resolution and the type of progress you should see along the way helps you know whether a treatment is working, says Evans.