Health News
Let children with neurodermatitis be kids
By DPA
May 5, 2008, 13:46 GMT

Berlin - Many parents of children with neurodermatitis are inclined to shield them from having a social life, but such children actually need no special protection, according to a health and accident insurer in Berlin.

Parents worry that the fears and stress that occur naturally in school or in other situations involving social contact will trigger the impulse to scratch. In fact stress can lead to itching, but among people with neurodermatitis, there is a broad range of what is considered stressful and what is considered a positive challenge.

Distractions during phases of acute flare ups are often better than protecting oneself from a situation that might be stressful.

Some children are teased or excluded by their peers because of the skin condition, which is a type of eczema that develops when nerve endings in the skin become irritated. This is behind the unfounded fear that causes them to attack themselves by scratching, said Bernhard Egger, a dermatologist who works with a campaign for the prevention of skin conditions.

It's important to speak openly about the condition with children in order to avoid ostracism. Silence or unnecessary shame often leads to alienation of the children with neurodermatitis.