Herbal remedies can be dangerous for kids with eczema

Herbal remedies

Before trying an herbal remedy to treat your child’s eczema, you should talk with your child’s dermatologist.

Herbal remedies may seem safer than prescription medicines for treating eczema, but some herbal mixtures have caused serious health problems.

Reports of unwanted side effects caused by herbal remedies for eczema include the following:

• Liver toxicity: One poison unit in London reported 21 cases of liver toxicity in patients taking Chinese herbal medicine to relieve skin conditions.

• Kidney failure: Some patients who used Chinese herbal medicine to treat their eczema developed end-stage kidney failure and needed kidney transplants.

• Heart disease: This has been linked to the use of Chinese herbal medicine.

If you are convinced that an herbal remedy would help your child, talk with your child’s dermatologist before using one.

Related AAD resource

• Childhood eczema: Treatment

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Reference
Sidbury R, Tom WL et al. “Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis.
Section 4: Prevention of disease flares and use of adjunctive therapies and approaches.” J Am Acad Dermatol 2014; 71:1218-33.