Eczema in Childhood: The Facts (Oxford Medical Publications)

Rating:
Summary: Eczema in Childhood: The Facts
Review: David Atherton goes into great depth to help the reader understand some possible reasons for the eczema. He gives a very comprehensive explanation of how the body reacts to undigested proteins. I found that part to be very valuable.

However, I was very disappointed that he did not mention his opinion on nutritional supplements such as zinc, flax seed oil (Omega 3 vs Omega 6), vitamin B12 or B6, etc. He never mentioned digestive enzymes or his opinion on whether they may assist in breaking down the proteins. He never mentioned if an overgrowth of Candida Albicans in the intestines might be a cause of eczema. He never mentioned acidophilus as a supplement to help balance the flora in the intestines.

I felt that his conclusion was that children will eventually outgrow eczema and therefore, should consider using a very aggressive course of oral steroids. I hope he understands that the reason I am reading about eczema is because after 10 years of American Medicine treating only the symptom, I am looking for assistance in finding the cause. I do not want my child to suffer any repercussions later in life due to a mistake I make now. I tried Chinese Medicine, but, I guess she was one of the 40% which did not benefit from it.

Rating:
Summary: Just what the doctor ordered...
Review: There can be no other ailment as frustrating as eczema: any parent who has stood hopelessly by and watched their child scratch will testify to this. This book is a MUST read for any parent in that position. It covers EVERY question you ever had about the condition and more.

Rating:
Summary: Good resource to have on hand
Review: This 250 page book is a valuable resource for any parent contending with infant eczema. I found the color pictures particularly helpful. Without it, I'm not sure that I would have had the courage to insist that our child be seen by a pediatric dermatologist. It turns out that he not only had eczema, but a common secondary infection that looked much like the photos in the book.

David Atherton writes this book not as a sure-fire method to eliminate the source of eczema, but as a tool for trying different tactics to alleviate the symptoms. He also takes the reader through the different stages that appear at different ages. There were several tips that I gathered from the reading, making the book well worth the $... to purchase.