About 50 percent of patients are affected throughout life, although not as severely as during early childhood. Atopic dermatitis cases can cause frustration to both the patient and the physician. When the disease starts in infancy, it's often called infantile eczema. The itchy rash is an oozing, crusting condition that occurs mainly on the face and scalp, but patches can appear anywhere. Because of the itch, children may rub their head, cheeks, and other patches with a hand, a pillow, or anything within reach.
Many babies improve before two years of age.
Proper treatment can help until time solves the problem. After infancy, the skin tends to be less red, blistering, oozing, or crusting. Instead, the patches are dry, red to brownish-gray, and may be scaly or thickened. The intense, almost unbearable itching can continue, and may be most noticeable at night. Some patients scratch the skin until it bleeds and crusts.