Understanding the Link Between Eczema and Food Allergies in Babies and Young Children
As a pediatric allergist, I work with many families whose babies or toddlers struggle with itchy, irritated skin. Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is one of the most common chronic skin conditions in early childhood, affecting about 10% of children in the U.S. While it’s not life-threatening, it is often uncomfortable, persistent, and can be emotionally stressful for both child and caregiver.
A question I hear often is whether eczema is linked to food allergies, or if certain foods might be causing or worsening a child’s symptoms. In this article, I’ll break down what eczema is, what actually triggers flares, and what research tells us about the real relationship between eczema and food allergies, so you can feel informed, reassured, and confident in caring for your child.
What is eczema in babies and young children?
Eczema is a problem with the skin barrier. Healthy skin functions like a brick wall: tight, protective, and able to keep moisture in while keeping irritants out. In babies and toddlers with eczema, that wall has holes, allowing water to escape, and allergens and microbes to come in.
Allergens and microbes trigger an exaggerated inflammatory response in the skin. All of this leads to dry, flaky, red, and itchy skin, classic for eczema.
There’s also a strong genetic component: many children with eczema have family histories of allergies, asthma, or eczema. While we don’t yet have a cure, understanding that eczema is rooted in a combination of skin barrier dysfunction and allergic inflammation guides effective treatment. Most children outgrow their eczema in childhood.
What can trigger eczema flares in babies and toddlers?
Although eczema is a chronic condition, it waxes and wanes, meaning some days the skin is clear, and other days it rashes. Eczema can flare with certain triggers, and these vary between individuals.
Common eczema triggers you might notice at home
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Dry air
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Soaps and bubble baths
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Chlorine
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Wool fabrics
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Overheating or sweating
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Infant drool
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Fragrances
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Environmental allergens such as dust mites or pet dander
Foods are not a major trigger of eczema, including in children who later develop food allergies.
How eczema and food allergies are connected
There has been a lot of interest among parents and physicians regarding the connection between eczema and food allergies, and understandably so. We’ve known for some time that having eczema, particularly moderate to severe eczema in infancy, is one of the strongest risk factors for developing food allergies later in childhood.
Does eczema increase a baby’s risk of food allergies?
One-year-olds with eczema are 6 times more likely to have an egg allergy and 11 times more likely to have a peanut allergy (¹).
Which food allergies are more common in babies with eczema?
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Egg allergy
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Peanut allergy
Why babies with eczema may be more likely to develop food allergies
The most widely accepted explanation is that infants with a compromised skin barrier are exposed to environmental food proteins through the skin. Their immune system recognizes that protein as foreign and dangerous, instead of tagging it as inert or non-harmful. This process is called “sensitization.”
This explains why early oral exposure to allergenic foods (eating the food) appears to promote immune tolerance rather than sensitization, which is why guidelines now support introducing allergenic foods such as peanut and egg early, a practice often referred to as early introduction.
Can food allergies cause or worsen eczema?
After understanding eczema as a risk factor for food allergies, researchers have examined the question another way: Do foods cause or trigger eczema?
Foods themselves do not cause eczema, and they rarely trigger it. Eliminating foods without evidence of allergy will not improve eczema and may even be harmful by limiting nutrition and increasing the risk of developing true food allergies.
What research tells us about eczema and food allergies
Let’s break it down.
A large study analyzed results of over 1,000 food challenges over a 10-year time period and found that children who had eczema flare as their only symptom of allergy were found to have eczema flares after placebo ingestion (no food allergen) just as often as after eating the allergenic food (²).
In the same review, some children had exacerbations of their atopic dermatitis 6–48 hours after food allergen ingestion, but these mostly occurred after immediate allergic reactions such as hives, swelling, vomiting, or trouble breathing (²).
Immediate allergy symptoms vs delayed eczema flares
These children had a true food allergy, not eczema alone.
The authors concluded that children with an exacerbation of eczema in the absence of other allergic symptoms were unlikely to be food allergic (²) (³).
Should foods be removed to help eczema?
Not necessarily.
Many parents hear that eczema is linked to food and are told about something called an elimination diet. An elimination diet is an approach where specific foods are temporarily removed to see whether symptoms improve, then reintroduced to observe how a baby responds.
While this approach may sound logical, it’s important to understand when it helps, and when it can actually do more harm than good.
Why elimination diets rarely improve eczema
We now know that elimination diets, removing select foods from an infant or child’s diet, rarely improve eczema and can be harmful, especially when done without guidance from a medical professional.
Eczema is most often driven by skin barrier issues and inflammation, not food reactions. Removing foods without clear evidence of allergy usually doesn’t address the root cause of eczema flares.
How removing foods can increase food allergy risk
A child with eczema is already at high risk for developing food allergies. Removing allergens like egg, milk, and peanut from the diet for stretches of time can actually promote the development of a life-threatening food allergy (³).
A few studies have shown that food removal in children with eczema may cause a food allergy in up to 13-20% of children such as this one or this one (⁴) (⁵).
For this reason, elimination diets should not be started based on positive allergy testing alone if a child is otherwise tolerating the food. Allergy tests can produce false positives, and unnecessary removal of the allergen from the diet could be harmful (³).
When it’s helpful to talk with a pediatric allergist
If you are concerned that a particular food is worsening your child’s eczema, talk to a board-certified pediatric allergist in your area. They will be able to best understand your child and how food is playing a role, if at all, in their eczema, and help keep allergens safely in their diet where appropriate. They can also provide allergy testing to help guide decisions, which can be nuanced.
Can food sensitivity testing help identify eczema triggers?
Short answer, no. Let's dive in.
Understanding IgE allergy testing vs IgG food sensitivity testing
Food sensitivity testing, or food IgG testing, looks for IgG proteins specific to a food. This is completely different from allergy testing (IgE).
IgG molecules are present in individuals with and without food allergies. IgG antibodies to foods are a normal physiological response to food exposure, not an indicator of allergy or intolerance.
We’ve also seen that higher IgG levels to peanut in peanut allergic children indicates tolerance of higher doses of peanut, meaning they can eat more peanut than before without reacting.
Why IgG testing isn’t recommended for eczema or food allergies
The presence of food-specific IgG simply reflects prior exposure to foods and does not correlate with clinical symptoms of eczema or food allergy.
The 2024 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology guidelines found that test-guided elimination strategies (including IgG testing) were no more efficacious than empirical elimination, and both approaches showed only marginal benefit with potential for harm. They explicitly do not recommend IgG testing for any children with food allergies or eczema.
How eczema is treated?
Treatment of eczema focuses on restoring the skin barrier and calming inflammation.
What usually helps calm and protect eczema-prone skin
Daily moisturization is the foundation: thick emollients applied generously and frequently help lock moisture in and protect the skin. Bathing should be brief and followed immediately by moisturizer.
During flares, your pediatrician or allergist may recommend topical anti-inflammatory medications such as corticosteroids or newer non-steroidal options. For moderate to severe cases, other therapies such as injections may be considered under specialist care.
Avoiding known triggers and maintaining a consistent skin care routine often keeps flares less frequent and less intense.
Eczema and food allergies: takeaways for parents
Eczema can be challenging, but with the right knowledge and partnership with your child’s pediatrician, dermatologist, or allergist, most children can achieve significant relief and improved quality of life.
Consistent skin care and avoidance of triggers are key pieces of long-term management (⁶). If you ever feel uncertain or your child’s eczema seems unusually severe or unresponsive, support is available. And if you have concerns about food allergies in relation to your child’s eczema, a board-certified pediatric allergist can help guide next steps with clarity and reassurance.
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Written by Dr. Taylor Lin
Pediatric Allergist & Advisor at Bébé Foodie
Meet Dr. Taylor Lin, our go-to expert on allergies and immunology! Dr. Lin serves families in southeast Michigan as an allergy and immunology physician with Allergy & Immunology Associates. With top-notch training from the University of Michigan and a specialty fellowship in pediatric food allergy, she’s not just highly qualified—she’s also a mom to a child with food allergies herself! Dr. Lin directs her clinic's food oral immunotherapy program and brings evidence-based, accessible advice to families through her role with Bébé Foodie.
This blog post is for information purposes only and shouldn’t be used as personal, health, nutritional, or medical advice. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any decisions about your child's health or readiness for various foods.
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