DR. ALLAN R. HANDYSIDES and PETER N. LANDLESS

I am a breast-feeding mother, and my baby was just diagnosed as having eczema. Marcus is only 7 months old, and I have avoided formula because I didn't want him to get allergies like I have. What can I do?

Eczema is a term sometimes used loosely for conditions such as "poison ivy contact dermatitis" or "seborrheic dermatitis." Most probably, though, your son has "atopic dermatitis." This condition may affect infants as young as 2 to 6 months old. It will be prominent in the joint folds of the skin, and is sometimes called flexural eczema. Adults will often have only a couple of patches of it.

Atopy often occurs in family members, so genetics probably play a role. Your breast-feeding may have minimized the extent of the problem, but as in so many situations, Marcus may also have an underlying tendency to the disorder. About 12 to 15 percent of American children have atopic dermatitis or eczema; asthma is often associated with the condition. People with eczema usually have "allergic" type IgE antibodies to simple, everyday substances. Allergy is thought to play a role in eczema.

You may find that your baby will benefit by warm (not hot) baths into which you have placed some colloidal oatmeal (Aveeno). Avoid perfumed oils and talcs. Stick to hypoallergenic, gentle soap--or avoid soap altogether.

Scratching can be a problem, because it may be a causative factor in making things worse. I would suggest mittens at night if this is a feature with your baby.

Steroid-based creams are a standard, but on a baby so young I suggest you follow the doctor's advice.

There is a new ointment called Protopic or Tacrolimus, which seems to show promise. I would advise waiting, though, until there is more experience with it before using it on baby. As he grows older, the eczema may disappear; but if not, there will be more potent preparations he would tolerate.

Tobacco smoke contains elements that inhibit alpha-1 antitrypsin, and persons with low levels may be at increased risk of emphysema. A family history of emphysema should be a powerful warning of one's potential vulnerability to tobacco-causing emphysema.

Of course, tobacco may induce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a condition in which bronchiolar thickening owing to inflammation and hyperplasia of mucous glands narrows the airways. Such obstruction also alters respiratory dynamics and promotes emphysema.

Asthmatics often have extra air trapped in the alveola (air sacs) because of the narrowed airway, and an X-ray may demonstrate a hyperinflated picture, which on occasion is interpreted as "emphysema." More sophisticated testing can decide if this is a correct diagnosis. In the days when we had only simple X-rays, we were taught that "you can't make a diagnosis of emphysema on a simple chest X-ray."

If your doctor is correct--as he well may be--there is a powerful message for your children, who may have inherited your genetic predisposition. They should definitely avoid smoking! Even if they don't have your full-blown problem, they may be genetically weak in the area of alpha-1 antitrypsin activity. To smoke with a predisposition to emphysema is not something their lungs can cope with.

Her experiment tested 21 experienced TT practitioners by asking them to sense an energy field in situations in which they could not see whether there was a person present or not. The 21 practitioners were unable to discern whether a person was present or not, thereby showing conclusively that they could not detect the "energy fields" they were supposed to be able to sense and manipulate.

Obviously, these people are deluding themselves. What has made the matter unfortunate is that many of the practitioners of TT are registered nurses who, by reason of their nursing credentials, bring an aura of respectability to the practice.

The story of the emperor's clothes illustrates the delusion that these practitioners are working under. Obviously, just as it was a child who yelled "the emperor has no clothes," Emily Rosa has yelled "the TT practitioners can't feel energy fields."

It is about time we adults wise up to the nonsense of this type of "quackery."

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Allan R. Handysides, M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.P. (c), is director of the General Conference Health Ministries Department; Peter N. Landless, M.B., B.Ch., M.Med., F.C.P.(SA), F.A.C.C., is ICPA executive director and associate director of Health Ministries.

While this column is provided as a service to our readers, Drs. Landless and Handysides unfortunately cannot enter into personal and private communication with our readers. We recommend that you consult with your personal physician on all matters of your health.