Q: The report of my 11-month-old son's IgE test (as prescribed by a skin specialist) shows: results - 222.00; units - IU/mL; and reference range - (0.00 - 29.00). He has been suffering from skin problems for the last 3-4 months, like redness on cheeks; pimples on cheeks, forehead, hands and feet. Sometimes they come out in clusters, but then disappear. He is taking normal diet (mother's feed / dairy milk /cerelac, etc.) and is very active. There is no dog / cat in the house. We are using Axcel G cream (2-3 times) with Atarax drops (8 drops-3 times). Are his test reports normal? Is there any lotion that we can apply on his skin?

A:This level of IgE may indicate that your son is atopic, that is, he has an inherited tendency to childhood eczema and to allergic rhinitis or asthma. This condition affects some one in three of the population, and can be entirely symptomless. You shouldn't worry about the rhinitis or asthma unless your son is showing signs of nose or chest symptoms when exposed to animals, dust or pollens, etc. He may have childhood eczema which often improves as children get older. Avoiding soaps or detergents is helpful, and keeping the skin well moisturised with an aqueous cream or some similar emollient helps. An antihistamine like chlorphenamine (Piriton) can relieve itching and reduce the tendency to scratch the skin at night. Atopic children often have positive skin tests to milk and egg, but the best way to see if a food allergy is playing a part is to remove it from the diet for a couple of weeks.