[Counseling of parents with children with atopic dermatitis]

Parents who have a child suffering from atopic dermatitis usually have to deal with a lot of problems. They seldom find support in coping with this problem. If families are left alone with these difficulties for a long period of time, chronical problems have to be expected, that might disturb the relationship between the parents and their child. A counseling program for parents of children suffering from atopic dermatitis is presented which was developed to prevent distress and helplessness of the parents. The program involved the following topics: 1. Medical information 2. Coping with scratching and itching 3. Care of the skin 4. Relaxation training. 5. Educational problems. Preliminary experiences with 23 parents indicate the usefulness of the counseling program as an important adjunct to the dermatological therapy of atopic eczema in childhood.