NICE
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produces evidence-based clinical guidelines, quality standards and technology appraisals for the NHS in England. Its main eczema output for toddlers is NICE CG57, Atopic eczema in under 12s (2007, last updated September 2025). CG57 sets out the Stepped Care Approach, with Emollient Therapy always used and Topical Corticosteroids matched by potency to severity and body site. Quality standard QS44 turns this into measurable statements: children should be prescribed 250–500 g a week of unperfumed emollients from a choice of products, used even when the skin is clear. Suspected Eczema Herpeticum needs immediate systemic Aciclovir plus same-day specialist referral.
NICE [regulates] Emollient Therapy NICE [regulates] Topical Corticosteroids NICE CG57 [part-of] NICE
NICE spreads its eczema guidance across several products. Technology appraisal TA82 (2004) limits Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors to second-line use. NICE NG190 (2021) covers antibiotic choice for Infected Eczema: no routine antibiotics if the child is well, otherwise Fusidic Acid or Flucloxacillin. The Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on atopic eczema gives primary-care practice advice, though the full text is geo-blocked outside the UK. Many CG57 recommendations still date from 2007. The British Association of Dermatologists and National Eczema Society patient materials are written to be consistent with NICE. The US equivalent guidance comes from the American Academy of Dermatology.
NICE [regulates] Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors NICE [regulates] Infected Eczema NICE [relates] American Academy of Dermatology
Connections
- Emollient Therapy — sets prescribing standard, source: NICE QS44
- NICE CG57 — NICE guideline on atopic eczema in under 12s, source: NICE CG57
- Topical Corticosteroids — sets potency-by-site rules and age limits for TCS in children, source: NICE CG57
- NICE NG190 — publishes infected-eczema antibiotic guideline, source: NICE
- Stepped Care Approach — defined in CG57 table 2, source: NICE CG57
- Eczema Herpeticum — QS44 statement 7: aciclovir + same-day referral, source: NICE QS44
- Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors — TA82 second-line restriction, source: NICE CG57
- American Academy of Dermatology — US counterpart, source: AAD
- Dupilumab — declined child-specific appraisal (2022); NHS England commissions under-18s via TA534, source: NICE TSID10434