Baby Eczema and Environmental Toxins: A Deep Dive into Their Fascinating Link

Aug 11

If your little one has struggled with eczema, you know just how frustrating it can be to watch their skin erupt in itchy, uncomfortable patches. And don’t get me started on how exasperating it can be to make change after change in an attempt to get it under control, only to have flare-up after flare-up.

And while you can’t control all of the factors that might be contributing to your little one's eczema, there is one often overlooked factor that might help keep those frustrating flare-ups at bay. The often overlooked factor I’m referring to is your baby's exposure to a class of compounds known as environmental toxins.

In this blog, we’ll explore the complex link between hidden toxins lurking in our day-to-day environment and baby eczema. Let’s start by defining what baby eczema is and how to know if your baby does in fact have this vexing condition.

What Is Baby Eczema?

The term baby eczema encompasses a group of conditions that cause your baby's skin to become dry, flaky, red, itchy, and inflamed. These inflamed, irritated patches of skin can pop up anywhere on your baby's body, but tend to be most prevalent on their face, scalp, and in the creases of the joints on their limbs.1

Baby eczema is relatively common and can affect up to 20% of infants – usually appearing within the first six months to five years of life.2 So how do you know if your baby does in fact have baby eczema?

How Do I Know If My Baby Has Eczema?

Eczema can look a little different for each baby. Some clues that might mean your baby has eczema include:3

Red and inflamed skin patches, commonly found on the cheeks, scalp, and limbs (sometimes, in babies with darker skin tones, these patches can appear purplish, brownish, or grayish).
Intense itching, leading to scratching, which can worsen the condition.
Dry, scaly, or rough skin texture.
Small, raised bumps that may ooze or crust over.
Disrupted sleep patterns due to itching and discomfort.

Typically a medical provider or dermatologist can diagnose baby eczema through a visual and physical inspection of their skin. So, if you suspect your baby might be struggling with eczema, you're probably wondering what on earth is causing it in the first place.

What Triggers Eczema In Babies?

The underlying root cause of baby eczema is likely multifactorial – meaning multiple underlying triggers come together to create the perfect storm that eventually leads to eczema. Some of the potential underlying causes of baby eczema include:4,5,6,7,8

Genetics: If one or both parents have a history of eczema, allergies, or asthma, the baby is at a higher risk of developing the condition. You see, certain genetic variations can affect the skin's barrier function and immune response – making your baby’s skin more susceptible to inflammation and irritation.
Abnormal skin barrier function: Our skin serves as a protective barrier against environmental irritants, allergens, and moisture loss. Babies' skin is already more fragile than adult skin. But some babies' skin barrier function is even more compromised – allowing irritants and allergens to penetrate and trigger an inflammatory response.
Immune system dysregulation: Baby eczema can, in part, be traced back to an immune response – meaning their body's immune system is having an overzealous reaction to perceived threats to the skin – leading to inflammation and skin irritation.
Microbiome imbalance: Your body and your baby’s body is home to a diverse community of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome. This delicate ecosystem of microbes is designed to work in harmony with our bodies. But if this fragile balance gets thrown out of whack, it can spark inflammation, dysregulate the immune response, and spur the development of eczema..
Stress and emotional factors: While not a direct cause, stress and emotional factors (for mom and baby) can exacerbate eczema symptoms. Stress can weaken the immune system and trigger inflammatory responses, leading to flare-ups in babies with eczema.

But there’s another underlying factor that can contribute to baby eczema that’s often overlooked – exposure to harmful compounds known as environmental toxins.

What Are Environmental Toxins?

Environmental toxins aren’t a single type of substance. Rather, it’s an umbrella term that refers to any substance that can be found in our environment that has been shown to have harmful effects on human health. There are quite literally tens of thousands of compounds that classify as environmental toxins – some all natural and some man-made.9

You see, thanks to some loopholes in our policies and outdated regulations, the majority of chemicals used in many day-to-day products have been deemed safe with absolutely zero requirements that actually proved their safety. To learn more about the basics of environmental toxins, head over and read my article Environmental Toxins 101: What Are They and Where Do They Come From?

Now let’s zoom in on exactly how you and your baby are likely coming into contact with all of these environmental toxins.

Where Do Environmental Toxins Come From?

The answer to this question is – everywhere! Some of the most common places that environmental toxins can be found lurking include:

Indoor air: Indoor air can be chock-full of airborne toxins – in fact, many times, indoor air can be anywhere from 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air.10 Things like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from building materials and furniture, chemicals from air fresheners and cleaning products, and mold spores are just a few of the toxins regularly found floating around in indoor air.
Tap water: Tap water is notorious for being tainted with all kinds of toxins – ranging from heavy metals, to pharmaceuticals, to pesticides and everything in between.
Cleaning products: Many conventional cleaning products can contain a plethora of chemicals – like ammonia, sodium lauryl sulfate, antibacterial agents, and artificial fragrances to name a few.
Laundry detergent and softeners: Laundry detergents and fabric softeners are often loaded with toxic chemicals – which can then be absorbed when materials come into contact with skin.
Air fresheners and fragrances: We all love a fresh smelling home and those yummy-scented products (especially baby products right?). But air fresheners and synthetic fragrances used in products usually get their delightful scents from a concoction of nasty chemicals that can be highly irritating.
Personal care products: Personal care products (like soaps and lotions) for both babies and adults often contain ingredients that you’d never knowingly slather on your skin.
Pets: While pets in and of themselves certainly aren’t toxic (in fact, studies have found that living with pets can actually boost your babies immune system), sometimes your little one can be sensitive to their hair and dander – meaning their little bodies flag them as a threat and respond accordingly.
Food: Food can be a major source of toxin exposure thanks to widespread use of fertilizers, herbicides,and pesticides. Even more toxins are thrown into the mix when we cook in toxin-filled cookware and store food in plastic containers that can leach into our food. Even if your little one isn’t eating food yet, these toxins can be passed from you to them and toxins can leach out of plastic baby bottles.

Exposure to these environmental toxins can be problematic enough for your baby’s developing body. But the problem is further compounded by the fact that these environmental toxins can accumulate in your body and be passed on from mother to baby.

Can Environmental Toxins Be Passed From Mother to Baby?

Environmental toxins can be passed from mom to baby in a few ways:11,12

Maternal exposure: An influx of environmental toxins can overwhelm your body's natural detoxification pathways – essentially allowing these toxins to begin accumulating within your body where they can slowly be recirculated and re-released into your bloodstream.
Placental transfer: Some toxins have the ability to cross the placenta, which is the organ that provides nutrients and oxygen to the developing fetus. This means that any toxins in your bloodstream can potentially reach your fetus.
Transfer through breast milk: Many toxins are stored in fat. Brestafeeding can mobilize these stored toxins and can be transferred to baby via breast milk.

While exposure to environmental toxins can have serious and negative effects for adults, exposure can be particularly problematic for baby’s developing bodies.

Why Babies Are More Susceptible to the Effect of Environmental Toxins Than Adults

Babies are more susceptible to the effects of environmental toxins than adults due to several physiological and developmental factors – making them particularly vulnerable to the harmful impacts of these hidden poisons. Here's an explanation of why this susceptibility exists:13,14,15

Underdeveloped organ systems: Babies organ systems are still developing – making them more vulnerable to the disruptive impacts of environmental toxins.This immaturity can hinder the body's ability to detoxify and eliminate toxins efficiently.
Limited ability to detoxify: Babies natural detoxification pathways are not fully formed – hindering their ability to metabolize and eliminate toxins.
Higher metabolic rate: Infants have a higher metabolic rate compared to their body size than adults. While this is essential for growth, it can also mean that they process and absorb substances – including toxins – more rapidly.
Higher respiratory rate: Babies also breathe more rapidly than adults, which can lead to increased inhalation of airborne toxins.
Greater skin absorption: An infant's skin is thinner and more permeable than that of adults – meaning toxins present on the skin's surface or in products applied to the skin can be absorbed more readily into their little bloodstream.
Less effective blood-brain barrier: The blood-brain barrier (which protects the brain from harmful substances) is not as effective in infants – allowing toxins to more readily sneak their way into babies developing brains.
Lack of immunity: Infants have an immature immune system, making them less capable of fighting off infections and toxins.
Body weight: Babies have a smaller body weight than adults, which means that even a relatively low exposure to toxins on a per-weight basis can be more significant for their health.
Critical periods of development: Exposure to toxins during critical periods of development, such as fetal development and early infancy, can sometimes have long-lasting and irreversible effects on the developing organs and systems. This can lead to developmental delays, cognitive impairments, and chronic health conditions.
Behavioral Factors: Babies often engage in behaviors that increase their exposure to environmental toxins, such as putting objects and hands in their mouths or crawling on the floor where dust and pollutants accumulate.
Cumulative exposure: Over time, repeated exposures to environmental toxins can accumulate in a baby's body – potentially leading to a greater toxic burden.

Given all of these factors, it makes sense that your little bundle of joy is significantly more sensitive to the effects of toxins in their everyday environments. But how exactly can these toxins trigger baby eczema?

How Can Environmental Toxins Trigger Baby Eczema?

While the exact mechanism of action by which environmental toxins trigger baby eczema is not fully understood, it is believed to involve a process that goes something like this:16,17,18,19

Skin barrier disruption: Environmental toxins, such as harsh chemicals in soaps, detergents, and skincare products, can damage the delicate skin barrier in babies. The skin barrier's role is to protect the body from external irritants and allergens. So when this still-developing barrier is compromised, irritants can penetrate the skin more easily – triggering an inflammatory response.
Inflammatory response and immune system activation: Exposure to environmental toxins can elicit an inflammatory response in the skin – signaling your baby's immune system to release inflammatory molecules and launch an attack on the perceived threat. like cytokines and histamines. This immune response leads to the redness, swelling, and itching, characteristic of eczema.
Microbiome imbalance: Environmental toxins can also disrupt your baby's microbiome (the community of microorganisms living in their gut). A healthy and balanced microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining skin health, balancing the immune system, and keeping a lid on inflammation. Disruption of their fragile microbiome can lead to an imbalance of beneficial and harmful bacteria – potentially contributing to skin inflammation and eczema.
Chemical sensitization: Prolonged exposure to certain environmental toxins can sensitize the baby's skin, making it more reactive to subsequent exposures. This sensitization process can lead to persistent inflammation and eczema symptoms upon contact with the irritant.

While environmental toxins aren’t typically the ONLY factor triggering or exacerbating your baby’s eczema, they can indeed be a major piece of the puzzle. And taking steps to minimize the amount of environmental toxins your baby comes into contact with can go a long way in helping manage and heal eczema symptoms.

So let’s zoom in on how you can start tackling these toxins in your life.

How to Address Toxins In Your Baby’s Environment to Manage Eczema

Reducing the amount of environmental toxins floating around in your home can feel like a daunting task once you realize that these harmful compounds are quite literally everywhere. But the goal isn’t to completely eliminate environmental toxins – that’s impossible, unrealistic, and unnecessary. Your baby’s body is capable of handling some toxins coming in. The name of the game is to reduce toxins where you’re both able and willing.

And thankfully more and more brands are becoming aware of the dangers of these toxins and creating safer, less-toxic products that make creating a low-tox lifestyle a breeze. Some of the most impactful ways you can start lowering your babies exposure to environmental toxins include:

Use glass baby bottles if your baby is bottle-fed at all
Dust and vacuum your house regularly as toxins can accumulate in dust dirt on the floor
Swap out conventional cleaning products for non-toxic products
Use baby products (like soaps and lotions) that are verified safe and non-toxic
Invest in an air filtration system to minimize indoor air pollution
Purchase a quality water filter that’s proven to remove contaminants (a lot of water filters only remove a tiny fraction of toxins)
Buy organic foods as often as possible (for both you and baby)

While lowering exposure to toxins might take little effort and investment up-front, once you’ve made the initial adjustments, living a low-tox lifestyle can be pretty simple. Even just making one small switch at a time can have a monumental impact on the amount of toxins in your home – which can go a long way in helping your little ones body cope (and hopefully help ease their eczema symptoms).

Is Your Baby Struggling With Eczema?

Watching your baby struggle with eczema can be heart wrenching. And trying cream after cream trying to get it under control can be downright infuriating. But the good news is, you are not alone, and there are some steps you can take to help keep your little one comfortable and get their eczema under control.

And one pivotal piece of the puzzle when it comes to eczema management (and hopefully helping your little one grow out of eczema entirely) is addressing their exposure to environmental toxins. If you’re ready to start slashing the toxins in your home and adopting a less toxic lifestyle without the overwhelm, I’ve got you covered. I’ve got loads of free resources on the blog to help you do just that (plus I drop new content every week).

And I’ve got a free guide to help you simplify the process and make the shifts that will have the biggest impact with the least amount of effort. Click here to download your free Tackling Toxins Guide: 5 Simple, Heavy-Hitting Lifestyle Tweaks You Can Make To Reduce Your Everyday Exposure To Toxins.

Let me know – if your tot struggled with baby eczema, what helped them the most? Do you have any non-toxic eczema-related products that you and your baby love? Leave your questions and thoughts in the comments!

Resources:

Courtney Tilton