Your child, eczema and school. How to cope

School season is here. If your child has eczema or atopic dermatitis you need to ensure that certain measures are in place to make sure your child is prepared

Inform the school about your child’s condition. This goes a long way in avoiding stigmatization and social avoidance.The school needs to understand the recurrent nature of the condition. The associated itching and scratching may interfere with adequate sleep and can affect attention and concentration in class. If there are triggers that have been identified you may need to bring it to the attention of the school teacher and the school nurses. These triggers may come in form of food, detergents etc

Have a talk with the teachers and the nurse to explain the child’s routine skin care like the use of moisturizers and topical steroids. If the child is in boarding school ensure that you provide adequate moisturizers, prescribed topical steroids. You should educate the child to use the medications as prescribed by the dermatologists

Let the school know that the condition if severe will require regular review by your dermatologist