Average parent uses enough emollient to paint an entire house twice on their child’s eczema
New research conducted by Epaderm, finds parents will use a staggering 65 litres of emollient over the course of their child’s eczema - enough to paint a house twice!
18th September 2018, Milton Keynes, UK - To mark National Eczema Week (17th – 25th September), Epaderm today releases results of a survey of 1,000 British parents, which uncovers if mums and dads are managing their child’s eczema effectively. The results reveal that the average parent uses 10.8 litres of emollients every year – accumulating to 65 litres over the course of their child’s eczema (enough to re-paint an entire 2 bedroom / 1 bathroom house twice over with emollient!). A leading eczema expert believes that even larger amounts are necessary for effective treatment.
“When it comes to eczema the old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ is true. Parents should aim to keep their child’s skin soft and supple with generous use of emollients, applying multiple times a day. This will prevent your child from suffering itchy flare ups and reduce the need to use stronger steroid based creams,”
comments Paediatric Dermatology Nurse Karen Pett,
“The Epaderm survey found that parents used 900ml of emollients each month which although a significant amount, is lower than national guidance recommends
The Epaderm Junior Survey’s ‘Emollient Equation’
- 900ml of emollients per month
- 10.8 litres per year
- The average child will have eczema for six years
A staggering 65 litres over the course of childhood eczema!
Only 16% of parents apply emollients multiple times a day, the frequency recommended by the National Eczema Society who advise application should be ‘liberal and frequent’
However application techniques varied, with more than 1 in 4 parents applying emollient incorrectly, either by rubbing on and working it in until the skin feels dry or just dabbing a small amount on to flare ups. Correct application, as recommended by the National Eczema Society, is to massage in lightly, leaving the skin damp
“Parents should not be ‘rubbing in’ emollients, this approach is too abrasive for sensitive, dry eczema-prone skin and could irritate it further,”
explains Dermatology Nurse Karen Pett,
“Parents should also not be just ‘dabbing’ emollients on flare-ups. This leaves the rest of the skin at risk of dryness, eczema may then flare up in a different area and so the cycle continues.”
Dealing with the physical symptoms isn’t the only challenge that parents face with eczema. The survey also revealed the emotional effects that eczema can have on day to day life for their child.
The Emotional impact of Eczema
90% of parents reported eczema impacts their child’s day to day life
- A third said it affects their child’s sleep
- Over half of parents report that eczema leaves their child irritable or fed up
- 40% of parents said that eczema affects the clothes their child can wear
Support for parents
Three quarters of parents said they don’t feel very confident about looking after their child’s eczema and 94% of parents had sought further advice on managing eczema. Health and parenting forums ranked as the most commonly used online resource (58%), more common than visiting a GP for advice (52%). Around the same number reported they use the NHS Choices website (50%) for eczema guidance.
The majority of parents (57%) of parents wish they had more information on how to look after their child’s eczema. The topics which parents said would be most useful were: information on emollient application (38%), bath-time advice (37%) and tips for talking to their child about their eczema (33%).
National Eczema Week
See the resultsTo mark National Eczema Week, Epaderm Junior have created an infographic which gives parents and at-a-glance guide to emollient application
-ENDS-
Contact
Lydia Fisher, Epaderm Press Office
EMAIL: Epaderm@fourhealthcommunications.com
PHONE: +44 20 3761 4494 / +44 7805 933 183
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About Epaderm and Epaderm Junior
Epaderm is an award-winning and highly effective emollient range and is the number one prescribed emollient ointment in the UK.
The Epaderm Junior range offers complete emollient therapy and includes Epaderm Junior Cream, a 2-in-1 emollient that can be used as a skin moisturiser and a skin cleanser; and Epaderm Junior Ointment a 3-in-1 emollient that can be used as a skin moisturiser, a cleanser, or added to a bath. The lighter cream might be preferred during the day and the heavier ointment at night.
