Diluted bleach baths help eczema sufferers

CHICAGO, April 27 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they discovered powerful relief in the form of a diluted bleach bath for children who suffer flare-ups of the skin disorder eczema.

Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said the diluted beach baths are a cheap, simple and safe treatment that drastically improve the rash as well as reduce flare-ups of eczema, which affects 17 percent of school-age children.

Dr. Amy S. Paller of the Feinberg School of Medicine and Children's Memorial Hospital said the typical treatment of oral and topical antibiotics increases the risk of bacterial resistance, something doctors try to avoid, especially in children. Bleach kills the bacteria but doesn't have the same risk of creating bacterial resistance, Paller said.

The study found patients on the bleach baths had a reduction in eczema severity five times greater than those treated with placebos in a one- to three-month period.

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.