Wintertime Itching In a Three Year Old

2/5/2008

A three year old girl complains of severe itching in the deep winter months. The itching is particularly pronounced when she exits the bath. Her skin is generally dry and inflamed in some areas where she scratches. She has no history of food or environmental allergies. She is a poor eater and does not eat significant amounts of fruits and vegetables.

I usually refer to this entity as cold weather dermatitis but it is likely a form of seborrheic dermatitis. Children have a natural tendency towards dry skin as they are not usually big consumers of healthy omega three fatty acids. These healthy fats are critical for immunity and healthy skin. In the winter, all dry skin conditions worsen. When a child exits from the bath, the blood flow to inflamed skin is increased with the temperature change and thus the increased itching after the bath.

I suggested to mom to supplement her diet with as many omega three fatty acids as possible. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, organic salmon and flaxseed. Most flax seed oil is difficult to administer to a child as it goes rancid quickly on the shelf. Ground flax is often exposed to air and light and thus has less potency. I therefore suggested a child friendly flaxseed kid’s supplement. After two weeks on improved diet and flax seed supplement the child had no itching and a very soft quality skin. Mom was thrilled as this young child could now carry on her day without the debilitating itching.

      

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