Food exclusion diets are only recommended to be tried in children with eczema when the above treatments don’t work. Food exclusion diets should be guided by a clinical immunologist or allergy specialist and dietitian. Only short term food exclusion is needed to determine if the food allergy is causing the eczema.

Dairy is often a common trigger for eczema, even if they are not allergic to dairy but to something else. Research has shown that more often than not food exclusion diets can be short-term. This is because eczema is an immune response, and in children, their immune system is not fully developed. It is predicted that as a child’s immune system develops, they are likely less sensitive to dairy causing eczema and can slowly introduce these foods back into their diet. It is important that this is done under close guidance of a paediatric dietitian.