From Eczema to Asthma: What Every Mama Should Know About the Atopic March

My baby girl had very fragile and delicate skin from the start. This was frustrating, and I spent weeks looking for a product that would be clean and safe and actually offer support—instead of just coating the skin without offering any nourishment.

That’s when I reached back into my nursing knowledge and began researching and formulating a deeply nourishing cream to strengthen her delicate skin. Our Royal Heir First Touch butter that is the next best thing to Vernix!

When she was around 3–4 months old, I noticed dry, red, irritated spots growing on her cheeks. The only thing that really stopped them was steroid cream from the doctor and knowing the consequences of using topical steroids, I wanted a better, natural solution. So I expanded my research into the most common issues new moms face, so I wouldn't be caught off guard again few months down the road. 

This was when I learned that boys experience eczema and asthma nearly 3x more often than girls. While science doesn’t fully understand why, this information guided me to formulate differently for babies with skin and lung issues—often boys.

I also found that girls experience thrush and yeast infections up to 10x more than boys due to simple biology. That’s why I created Baby Butter in Pink. And I am very proud to say that my girl never experienced a yeast infection in her life despite being diapered in cloth diapers nearly exclusively. 

The struggle with my daughter’s skin lasted over a year. During that time, I experimented and tested my formulas daily. I created a butter that was not only deeply nourishing and protective but also calming to the nervous system. Because itchy, uncomfortable skin leaves the entire body frayed. That’s how Royal Heir Botanicals Baby Body and Bum Butter in Blue was born.

With a consistent routine of herbal baths and organic butters, her skin gradually improved, with only occasional flares.

🎓 What Doctors Don’t Always Say

Doctors often don’t diagnose food or seasonal allergies in babies. The first year of life is filled with developmental events—organ maturation, teething, microbial exposure—making it difficult to pinpoint causes.

Her first solid food—soft boiled egg yolk—was met with delight. But after a few spoonfuls, she turned beet red and began crying. She had strong dislikes and even stronger reactions to some foods.

Runny noses, sneezing, skin rashes—all on-and-off for years—culminated in an asthma attack before she turned three.

Her father had experienced severe asthma as a child, requiring daily medication and constant monitoring. This wasn’t random; it was hereditary. I began to connect the dots.

This spring, she had another flare—sneezing, raw throat, seasonal allergies. But this time, I was ready. Medical journals are finally catching up with what my intuition told me all along.

🧬 The Atopic March: What It Is and Why It Matters

The "atopic march" describes a pattern that starts with eczema and can progress to food allergies, hay fever, and asthma. This is most common in babies with a genetic predisposition toward immune sensitivity.

But it's not just genetics—it's what comes through the skin.

Inflamed, dry, or compromised skin becomes porous to allergens. Babies with high transepidermal water loss (TEWL) are significantly more likely to develop food allergies and asthma.

🛡️ The Skin Barrier: An Immune Training Ground

A baby’s skin is thin, sensitive, and highly intelligent. It’s part of the immuno-neuro-endocrine interface—meaning it connects to the immune, nervous, and hormonal systems.

When well cared for—hydrated, soothed, and protected—the skin helps regulate inflammation and teaches the immune system what is safe.

What Helps:

• Use a HEPA filter in the baby’s primary environment

• Avoid known food triggers

• Pay attention to maternal diet during breastfeeding

• Recognize the difference between colds and allergies

• Read more on that topic here- Springtime Sniffles-is it a cold or allergies, a natural guide for moms

💨 My Daughter's Asthma Story

Did she develop asthma? Yes. But she never needed daily medication like her father. She used her puffer occasionally until age 6—and hasn’t needed it since.

Now, she experiences seasonal allergy flares—but they’re short-lived. We manage them with:

• Skincare

• Aromatherapy

• HEPA filters

• A ritual of bathing and changing clothes after school

I explained it in full detail in this blog post: Seasonal Sniffles-is it cold or allergies, a natural guide for moms

✨ Our Evening Ritual

• A warm bath with honeysuckle, oat, and calendula

• A slow, loving massage with Baby Butter in Blue

• A gentle diffuser blend suited to her age and symptoms

These rituals regulate her skin, soothe her nervous system, and reconnect us both. While teaching her the importance of awareness and self-care. She started learning how to care for her body from day 1 when I involved her in the evening ritual in a calm and peaceful way. Allowing her to hold the tin, the food-grade organic and all natural ingredients allowed for this gentle approach from the start and have had a long term impact on her awareness and self-respect. 

🔍 What the Research Says

🧬 1. Prevalence of Atopic Conditions

• Up to 20% of infants develop eczema in the first year

• 30–50% go on to develop asthma, hay fever, or food allergies
  (Source: National Eczema Association, 2023)

🧬 2. Genetic Link: Filaggrin Mutation

• 10–20% of people of European descent carry a mutation in the FLG gene

• Increases eczema risk 3–4x
  (Source: Palmer et al., 2006; Brown et al., 2011)

🧬 3. Family History = Higher Risk

• One parent with an atopic condition: 30–50% risk

• Both parents affected: 60–80% risk
  (Source: AAAAI)

⚠️ A Note About Steroids

Steroid creams are often prescribed to manage eczema. While effective short-term, long-term use may lead to:

• Skin thinning (atrophy)

• Increased allergen absorption

• Withdrawal syndrome ("red skin syndrome") lasting up to 2 years

The medical model often focuses on symptom suppression rather than true healing.

🌼 What I Recommend Instead

• 🚰 A botanical soak to calm and prep the skin

• 🧶 A daily massage with food-grade, preservative-free butter

• 💨 Clean air, gentle aromatherapy, and a rhythm of care

This is immune support. Emotional regulation. And deep connection.

I formulated this protocol for my own child with the most potent and therapeutic ingredients and approach I learned from my experience as a nurse, mother and a certified clinical aromatherapist.

Using the most potent and therapeutic ingredients produced in the safest ways that I searched from around the world. So that you don't need to stress and spend precious time sourcing herbs, preparing baths and wasting money on skincare that doesn't deliver. 

I share it with you here: Eczema and Seasonal Allergy Support Bundle

Our botanicals soak is made with botanical extracts that dissolve in water without the need for steeping and cooling.

Our butters are organic and food-grade quality so that you can involve your baby in the process safely and turn this little daily ritual into a bonding experience.

All our products have light natural scent, no perfumes or harsh preservatives that irritate the skin further and feel like torture.

Only calming, natural, high performing, therapeutic approach that will create atmosphere of peace and calm to soothe your and your baby's nervous system, which in and of itself contributes to the improvement of conditions like eczema and asthma. 

You can use this protocol for years to come without any addictions, other than your joy in the ritual itself. No withdrawal symptoms should you have to skip it for a day or two here and there. You can space it out more as your baby grows and the condition improves without fear of it coming right back with a vengeance. 

And you can spend your time focusing on bonding with your baby and nurturing them so that your little prince/ss feels safe and sound, protected and calm.

You're not just moisturizing your baby. You're showing their body what safety feels like. And if you struggle with seasonal allergies too, and there is a good chance that you do, you would benefit from this approach greatly too!

❤️ If You Need to Hear It

If your baby has eczema, it does not mean you’re doing something wrong. It means their body is asking for support—and you’re listening.

You don’t need perfection. You need presence. And that is more than enough.

I'm here with you, and for you.

Henrieta

Former Nurse and a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, Royal Heir Botanicals Formulator

📚 Sources & Supporting Studies

1. National Eczema Association (2023)

   • Reports that up to 20% of infants develop eczema in their first year of life

   • https://nationaleczema.org

2. Palmer CN et al. (2006). Common loss-of-function variants of the epidermal barrier protein filaggrin are a major predisposing factor for atopic dermatitis.

   • Nature Genetics, 38(4), 441–446

   • Demonstrated the link between FLG gene mutations and increased risk of eczema and allergic disease

   • DOI:10.1038/ng1767

3. Brown SJ, McLean WH. (2011). One remarkable molecule: filaggrin.

   • J Allergy Clin Immunol, 127(4), 810–817

   • Discusses how skin barrier dysfunction from FLG mutations contributes to asthma and food allergy development

4. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)

   • States that children with one atopic parent have a 30–50% risk, while those with two have a 60–80% risk of developing allergic disease

   • https://www.aaaai.org

5. Kelleher MM et al. (2015). Skin barrier dysfunction measured by transepidermal water loss at 2 days and 2 months predates atopic dermatitis at 1 year.

   • J Invest Dermatol, 135(4), 939–945

   • Found TEWL is a predictive marker for future eczema and allergy development

   • DOI:10.1038/jid.2014.445

6. Topical Steroid Withdrawal Support resources

   • Patient-led research and case reports on Topical Steroid Addiction / Red Skin Syndrome (TSA/RSS)

   • https://itsan.org