Eczema Treatment Navigator
Treating eczema is step one to helping your child and improving your family’s well being.
This page helps you learn about available options with details on treatment type, safety, efficacy, availability and what issues to discuss with your doctor.
New treatments and clinical trials are available for children with eczema and more are coming. Check back here often for updates.
Select a treatment category below to learn more about what options are available.
Glossary of Terms
EFFICACY
A measure of how well a treatment succeeds in achieving its aim (I.e. to improve eczema symptoms)
PHASE I TRIALS
Researchers test a drug or treatment in a small group of people (20–80) for the first time. The purpose is to study the drug or treatment to learn about safety and identify side effects.
PHASE II TRIALS
The new drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people (100–300) to determine its effectiveness and to further study its safety.
PHASE III TRIALS
The new drug or treatment is given to large groups of people (1,000–3,000) to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it with standard or similar treatments, and collect information that will allow the new drug or treatment to be used safely.
Navigating Treatment Options
In most cases, treatment will begin with a "topical" (cream, ointment, gel, lotion) and progress to an injectable, pill or other therapy if eczema symptoms can't be controlled with topicals.
Above, we share results from clinical trials which report the percentage of people who saw a 75% or better improvement in eczema severity (EASI-75).
We also share the percentage of people who experienced a meaningful improvement in itch, defined as a 4-point drop on a scale called The Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS).
Most studies compared the experience of people who received the drug to experience of people who didn't (a "placebo" group). We have provided links to the studies so you can read more about how the medication compares to the "placebo".
Always consult your physician about the treatment that's best for your child and family.
Moisturizers
Moisturizers are one of the mainstays for treating children with mild to severe eczema. Most parents are used to slathering on emollients after baths and throughout the day to manage their children’s dry, irritated skin. But new research suggests that some moisturizers might be doing more harm than good. In our blog we cover what research says about choosing a moisturizer.
Natural Remedies
Many caregivers of children with eczema are concerned about managing their child’s inflamed skin with medicines and prescription creams. Can natural remedies safely reduce eczema symptoms? In the last decade, some natural approaches have gained attention in both medical research and holistic healthcare circles. Read on to see how we explore some of these natural remedies for eczema that are supported by research.
Learn about choosing a treatment plan – from an Eczema Parent
Learn more from another parent about her journey and thought process for choosing a treatment on this blog post.
Podcast with Dr. Eric Simpson on New Treatments for Children
Tune in to our 20 minute podcast on how to consider treatment options depending on your child’s symptoms and severity with special guest dermatologist Dr. Eric Simpson from Oregon Health Sciences University.