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Diagnosing Atopic Dermatitis in Children

When you have atopic dermatitis, your immune system overworks. This causes inflammation and damage to your skin barrier. Your skin barrier protects you from bacteria, allergens, and irritants. When it can't do its job, you're more prone to rashes, itching, and even infection.

Certain factors put you at higher risk of getting atopic dermatitis. You're more likely to have it if:

Atopic dermatitis symptoms may look different on different children depending on the severity of their condition, treatment, and skin color. Typically, the most common symptoms of atopic dermatitis are:

You'll see these skin changes in certain areas, and those areas may change as your child gets older.

When to See a Doctor

Take your child to see their doctor if their atopic dermatitis suddenly gets worse, stops responding to treatment, or if you see signs of infection, such as:

When to See a Doctor

Take your child to see their doctor if their atopic dermatitis suddenly gets worse, stops responding to treatment, or if you see signs of infection, such as:

How Is Atopic Dermatitis Diagnosed in Children?

There isn't a test for atopic dermatitis, but if your doctor suspects your child has it, they'll start by asking about your child's symptoms and health history. They'll especially want to know if your child or anyone in your child's family has had atopic dermatitis, asthma, hay fever, or other allergies.

They'll do a physical exam of your child's skin to look for signs of the condition.

Black children are at six times the risk of having severe atopic dermatitis than White children. Because atopic dermatitis looks different on darker skin, children of color are often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Even when doctors correctly diagnose it, they can sometimes underestimate how severe it is, leading to undertreatment and worse outcomes.

Sometimes certain tests are necessary to get more information and confirm a diagnosis. Your child might have:

Blood tests to check your child's immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. The immune system releases IgE in response to an allergic reaction or infection. Children with atopic dermatitis tend to have high levels of IgE.

Patch testing that helps your doctor see what might be triggering an atopic dermatitis reaction in your child's skin. In this test, a technician puts small amounts of different substances on your child's skin and then covers them. Your doctor monitors these patches over the next few days to watch for a reaction.

Treating Atopic Dermatitis in Children

There isn't a cure for atopic dermatitis, but there are many treatments, therapies, and lifestyle habits that can help reduce the swelling and itching, add moisture to your child's skin, and prevent infection.

Often, atopic dermatitis symptoms get better as you age. But for children dealing with symptoms, treatments can help. The type of treatment your child needs will depend on their atopic dermatitis severity, age, and general health.

One of the most important parts of atopic dermatitis care is keeping your child's skin moisturized. You can do this with non-medicated lotions, creams, gels, sprays, and ointments. Your doctor will help you know which types are best for sealing in moisture and protecting skin. These include:

Topical medications

These are medications you spread directly onto your child's skin to treat atopic dermatitis. They include:

Oral medications

Because medications your child takes by mouth go through their whole body, your doctor will typically only suggest these when symptoms are moderate to severe.

Injected medications

Your doctor will likely only prescribe an injected drug if other treatments aren't working.

Preventing Atopic Dermatitis in Children

There is no way to keep your child from getting atopic dermatitis, but you can minimize the symptoms. It's not contagious, so you and others can't catch it from your child.

You can help keep flares at bay by knowing your child's triggers and doing your best to avoid them.

Atopic Dermatitis Triggers

Managing Your Child's Mental Health

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Studies show a link between having atopic dermatitis and having certain mental health conditions. Because they have atopic dermatitis, your child is at higher risk of:

If you're concerned about how your child is doing, talk to your pediatrician about finding support. Therapy can be an important tool to help kids understand their disease better and learn tools for managing their mental health.

Helping Your Child Live With Atopic Dermatitis

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As you and your child learn to manage their skin condition, you can adopt these lifestyle practices:

Tips for Parents and Caregivers

What You Can Do as a Parent or Caregiver

As you learn to care for your child's atopic dermatitis, lean into your understanding of their condition and how you can be their advocate.

Support groups like the National Eczema Association, Global Parents for Eczema Research (GPER), and AltogetherEczema are full of resources, connections, and information about latest research and treatments.

You can also help your child navigate school while managing atopic dermatitis with these tips:

Learn More About Atopic Dermatitis

Manage Their Frustration

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Navigating Daycare and School

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Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD, Stephanie S. Gardner, MD March 23, 2025

Mayo Clinic: “Atopic Dermatitis.”

National Eczema Association: “Atopic Dermatitis,” “Eczema Treatments,” “FAQ – Zoryve,” “FAQ - Opzelura,” “Helping Your Child Cope with Eczema,” “Back to School Tools for Eczema Kids,” “Why Does Eczema Itch?”

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: “Atopic Dermatitis.”

University of Rochester Medical Center: “Atopic Dermatitis in Children.”

NHS: “Atopic Dermatitis.”

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: “Reframing racial and ethnic disparities in atopic dermatitis in Black and Latinx populations,” “Mental Health Comorbidity in Atopic Dermatitis.”

National Eczema Society: “Emollients,” “Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors,” “Why Does Eczema Itch.”

Eczema Society of Canada: “What are Topical PDE-4 Inhibitors?” “Caring for the Eczema Caregiver.”

Cureus: “Advancing Treatment in Atopic Dermatitis: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Efficacy, Safety, and Comparative Insights Into Corticosteroids, Calcineurin Inhibitors, and Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitors as Topical Therapies.”

Children’s National: “Pediatric Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis).”

Allergy & Asthma Network: “What’s Causing My Eczema? 6 Common Triggers.”