More and more kids are being treated for Eczema. Eczema can cause serious stress in children, sleep disorders, and even problems in school.

There's nothing like the soft, smooth skin of a baby. Two-year-old Brady's skin wasn't always so perfect.

"Brady got Eczema when he was about 2 months old. It was pink, a rash. It looked a little bit oozy when it scabbed over," Brady's mom, Heidi said.

Heidi says it was on his elbows, and spread down his legs.

"He did touch it a lot. He scratched it a lot. It was just heartbreaking. People were like 'Oh my gosh what's wrong with him?'" Heidi said.

Instead of blocking irritants like dust and pollen, Brady's skin allows them to pass through…triggering an immune reaction. Pediatric dermatologist Julie Schaffer says he's not alone.

"It's very common. About 15-20% of school age kids in North America have atopic dermatitis," Julie Schaffer said.

That's five to six times the number reported in the 1950's. Why the increase? Dr. Schaffer says there are several theories.

"One of them is called the hygiene hypothesis: Kids today don't get exposed to as much dirt and germs and childhood illnesses, and one thought is that their immune systems don't mature in quite the same way and might be more likely to be directed to allergic type responses," Dr. Schaffer explains.

Researchers also suspect that's the reason kids with Eczema tend to develop asthma and hay fever. Early diagnosis and treatment are important. For mild flare ups, an over the counter hydro cortisone cream often does the job.

"When kids have more severe eczema they tend to need a little bit of a stronger prescription cortisone cream. Once they're cleared up then moisturizers become extremely important in preventing recurrences," Dr. Schaffer says.

Heidi says heat triggered Brady's outbreak. She tried several over-the-counter and prescription ointments until she found one that helped.

"I put that on religiously every morning, night, afternoon. It did control it," Heidi exclaims.

Heidi says once the cooler weather hit, Brady's Eczema disappeared completely. Many parents are worried about using prescription cortisone creams, but Dr. Schaffer says they are very safe as long as they are used short term or intermittently.

The scientific jury is still out on whether there's an association with food allergies, but some doctors do recommend staying away from things like eggs, milk, and wheat.