Fear of catching skin disorder!

[UtterlyMonkey]

Due to big changes happening at work, my team have been istructed to move to a new hub to hotdesk as an interim measure so we can familiarise ourselves with the other team members.
One member of the other team has severed eczema and I am paranoid of catching it. I hate to be mean, but Im pregnant and do not want to put the baby at risk. Does anyone know if its contagious??! :-(

Why get at the op? because she makes a big deal about the yukkiness of having to hotdesk with her poor colleague. If she just wanted to dispel her ignorance, 'can I catch eczema from someone who has it?' would have done the job.

True I am just shocked at the level of ignorance about an extremely common skin condition. I hope the OP has been reassured though, pregnancy is a worrying time but don't let it send you crazy!!

I'm a severe eczema sufferer myself and at 26 weeks pregnant I really hope that I don't pass it onto my baby. I know that there is a very strong chance that this could happen.
If it is to be the case then I hope as my child is growing up people don't stare at them as if they are a leper as has happened to me throughout my life. Fortunately pregnancy seems to have made my eczema improve, so much so that some days you can't even tell I have it!
I can see both sides of the current argument on this thread, as a pregnant lady I am overly cautious at work, being a nurse I come into contact with a lot more infectious diseases than sitting at an office desk. But I'm also sure that I have the support of my manager and colleagues to make sure that the risk to myself and my unborn baby is as minimal as possible (I'm not the only pregnant lady on the unit). As for dirt, and the odd germ here or there, it hasn't hurt previous generations, and current research shows that wrapping children up in anantibacterial bubble may do their immune systems more damage than good! However, I also find the way in which the advice was asked for a little hurtful, with no thought or compassion for mums-to-be who may be suffering from severe eczema and have the additional worry of passing it on to their babies and putting them through the same ridicule that they received at school and beyond.
I'm not one for ranting but this thread hit a raw nerve which I have lived with all my life and probably will continue to live with. My comments are not said to offend anyone, they are merely my opinion.

God. I have a skin disorder. Nothing major but it means I have three patches of inflamed looking skin on my face. I never ONCE thought anyone would worry it was contagious until this thread. It's not.

Both my husband and I get horrid, nasty bouts of eczema, as such there is a disctinct possibility my baby will have it at some stage. I can now only imagine the wonderful looks and questions I'm going to have to deal with.

I remember a little girl I went to school with who was literally covered in it. She couldn't sit still as it was so itchy. I felt terribly sorry for her every day I was in contact with her as it can't have been nice. I only hope if she still gets it as badly as she used to then she has more understanding co workers!

where has she said yukky? you are taking offence deliberately. ds has eczema, sometimes quite badly, so i'm not unsympathetic. TBH i don't know much about other skin disorders (see my delightful ringworm thread) nut i would prefer not to develop any.

No, its not catching.

Lets hope the other team members dont "catch" your ignorance!!!!

ffs.

I don't think OP should come in for such a hard time; if I didn't read stuff on the Internet I wouldn't know a thing about eczema (no 1st or 2nd hand experience). I can barely remember anybody I've ever known talking about somebody they've known having it, too.

You definitely can't catch excema so don't worry about it at all. I imagine that for many excema sufferes (my brother suffers from severe excema), this is one of many rubbish myths they are surrounded by. I agree, though, that it's not awful to ask the question about whether or not something is catching - you don't know until you are informed, right?
Although I can't remember where I saw it, I read a really interesting study on taking probiotics in pregnancy and how this looked to reduce incidences of excema in babies. Probiotics were big news in autoimmune diseases a few years ago - not sure if they are now.

Sorry - eczema - now there's my ignorance for you. I'm a rotten speller!

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100720101351.htm

eczema is not contagious (other skin conditions are though). Eczema tends to have a genetic tendency - if your family members have it you may well get it at some stage. My family don't have it, DH's do - some severely - 2 DCs show mild signs of it, one doesn't (more like me).

I think you come from a family that doesn't have it then you won't know much about it. I don't think I met anyone who had it until I went to university. I have a vague memory that it is more prevalent in higher IQ people (no idea if that is true, or if it is just a coincident genetic tendency).

Wowsers! When I asked what I now realise was categorised as an ignorant question, it was never my intention to hit raw nerves or stigmatise anyone with any disorder -skin or non. I apologise if I have, and agree I could have phrased it better
But if I didnt put the question to whom I saw as a panel of experts, how would I know the answer? However, if this is the reaction people expect to receive if someone asked an honest question , Im not surprised so many people remain, as you say, "ignorant" on the matter. Non?
Rant over