Health Tip: Eczema Uncomfortable But Not Dangerous

(HealthDay News) -- Most kids get rashes at one time or another. One in 10 children will develop eczema.

Eczema is a particularly itchy rash that scratching only makes worse.

The term refers to a number of conditions where the skin gets red, irritated, and occasionally, fills with small fluid-filled bumps.

Kids who get eczema often have allergies or asthma, or their family members do, the Nemours Foundation says.

For many children, the condition eases after age 5 or 6. But some children may experience flare-ups through adolescence.

Eczema is not contagious and can be treated with steroidal creams or ointments.

-- Deborah DiSesa Hirsch

Last Updated: March 21, 2006