Despite contrary report, UK health agency says bath products help in managing eczema

London - In the wake of a recent report stating that bath products do little to combat eczema in children, Great Britain’s National Health Service is endorsing such products as being effective in helping to manage the disease, reports BBCNews.

At the same time, the NHS warns parents not to waste money on what it calls “high street” allergy tests for the condition, and to avoid herbal remedies and food supplements, noting their efficacy is unproven and that they may cause side effects.

In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) urges a holistic approach, which focuses on the child’s psychological as well as physical condition.

This is the first time recommendations for treating eczema, which affects one in five children, have been compiled. The new guidelines urge doctors to determine what sparks the eczema, such as soaps or certain foods, and to discuss the condition with the child and caregivers.

In addition to topical steroid creams, the guidelines also recommend that doctors offer patients a choice of emollients for moisturizing, washing and bathing. This recommendation comes following a report in the October edition of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin suggesting that bath emollients are ineffective in treating eczema.