The severity of children’s AD in first grade may predict its persistence in sixth grade, according to a study published in the Journal of Dermatology. Akio Tanaka, MD, PhD, and colleagues examined primary school children during a 10-year period to determine the prevalence of skin diseases. AD (12.3%) was the most common disease among first graders, followed by eczema other than AD (9.7%), molluscum contagiosum (1.9%), and verruca vulgaris (1.1%). Acne vulgaris was most common among sixth graders (9.6%), followed by AD (8.9%), eczema other than AD (6.7%), and verruca vulgaris (3.1%). Over time, the prevalence of AD remained stable among first graders and increased slightly among sixth graders. Among the 87 children who had AD in first grade, more than half (58.6%), particularly those with mild severity, were in remission in sixth grade. AD was diagnosed for the first time in 30 sixth graders (4.5%). Severity of AD symptoms in first grade increased the likelihood of a child still having AD in sixth grade.
Daily Emollient Does Not Prevent AD in Infants
Daily emollient application during the first year of life does not prevent AD, food allergy, asthma, or hay fever, according to a study published in Allergy. For the Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention trial, Hywel C. Williams, MSc, PhD, FRCP, and colleagues analyzed the effects of daily emollient use on AD and atopic conditions up to age 5 among 1,394 term infants with a family history of atopic disease. Infants were randomized (1:1) to daily emollient plus standard skin care advice (N=693, emollient group) or standard skin care advice alone (N=701, controls). Parental reports of a clinical diagnosis of AD and food allergy were the main outcomes. In the emollient group, parents reported more frequent moisturizer application through age 5. Between 12 and 60 months, a clinical diagnosis of AD was reported for 31% in the emollient group and 28% in the control group (adjustedrelative risk, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.93-1.30).
