About 20 percent of infants and young children have eczema so you are not alone if you are reading this. It can be triggered by allergens in your baby's diet — or in your diet if you're breastfeeding - the usual triggers are cow's milk or eggs, followed by soy, wheat, peanuts, and fish. The rash can also be aggravated by heat, irritants that come in contact with your baby's skin (like wool or the chemicals in some soaps, lotions, and detergents), changes in temperature, and dry skin.

Some tips for keeping eczema at bay:

• Don't make bath water too warm, because very warm water dries out the skin faster than lukewarm water.
• Use a mild soap, and wash and shampoo your baby at the end of her bath so she isn't sitting in soapy water. Try our Burt's Bees, Beaming Baby and Organic Baby brands below.
• As soon as you get your baby out of the tub, pat her skin dry (don't rub), then apply a liberal amount of moisturizer or emollient — an ointment, cream, or lotion that "seals in" the body's own moisture. Try our Avalon Organics, Organic Baby or Weleda brands below.
• Allow your baby's skin to breathe (and not become overheated) by dressing her in smooth natural fabrics, like cotton. Avoid wool and other scratchy materials, which can irritate her very sensitive skin. Try our organic babygrows and bedding.
• Use mild, fragrance-free detergent for washing your baby's clothes and bedding. Avoid fabric softeners. Try our ecover range in the Natural Home section.
• Rapid changes in temperature can make eczema worse, so try not to let your baby get too hot and cool quickly, or vice versa.
• Help your baby avoid scratching. She may try to get relief by scratching with her hands or by rubbing her face against the sheet when she sleeps. But scratching and rubbing can further irritate or inflame her skin and make matters much worse.
• Use the softest sheets possible in her crib (try our organic cotton ones), and keep her nails short. Put her to bed with cotton mittens or socks on her hands, if she'll tolerate them.
• During a flare-up, you can try applying cool compresses to the area several times a day, followed by a moisturizer.

The good news is that the condition usually becomes less severe with age. And there are ways to manage it. By following the measures mentioned above and treating any flare-ups immediately, you can help keep your baby's eczema under control.(excerpts taken from www.babycentre.com)