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Healthcare professionals should be aware that in Asian, Black Caribbean and Black African children, atopic eczema can affect the extensor surfaces rather than the flexures, and discoid (circular) or follicular (around hair follicles) patterns may be more common. For bottle-fed babies aged under 6 months with moderate or severe atopic eczema that has not been controlled by optimal treatment with emollients and mild topical corticosteroids, offer a 6 to 8 week trial of an extensively hydrolysed protein formula or amino acid formula in place of cow's milk formula. Do not use diets based on unmodified proteins of other species' milk (for example, goat's milk or sheep's milk) or partially hydrolysed formulas to manage suspected cow's milk allergy in children with atopic eczema. Offer children with atopic eczema a choice of unperfumed emollients to use every day for moisturising. Prescribe large quantities of leave-on emollients (250 g to 500 g weekly). Do not offer emollient bath additives to children with atopic eczema. Do not use very potent preparations in children without specialist dermatological advice. Do not use potent topical corticosteroids in children aged under 12 months without specialist dermatological supervision. Do not use topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus for mild atopic eczema, or as first-line treatments for atopic eczema of any severity.