Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Atopic dermatitis and the hygiene hypothesis: a case-control study.

Sam Gibbs1, Heidi Surridge, Ruth Adamson

  • 1Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, Ipswich IP1 3PP, UK.

International Journal of Epidemiology
|April 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pixels, privacy, and permission: Using patient images from social media images for dermatology education.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology·2026
Same author

Cutaneous mimickers of child abuse: Ethical considerations for dermatologists.

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology·2026
Same author

Considerations for study design and analysis for ethically and culturally safe DNA methylation research in Aotearoa New Zealand.

SSM - population health·2025
Same author

Acne and the cutaneous microbiome: A systematic review of mechanisms and implications for treatments.

Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV·2024
Same author

Impact of a Youth Sun Safety Educational Program.

Dermatology practical & conceptual·2024
Same author

Retrospective Analysis of Presymptomatic Treatment In Sturge-Weber Syndrome.

Annals of the Child Neurology Society·2024

The hygiene hypothesis suggests infections prevent atopic disease. However, this study found no evidence that infections reduce atopic dermatitis risk, questioning the hypothesis in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • The hygiene hypothesis posits reduced early-life infection exposure increases atopic disease risk.
  • Rising atopic disease prevalence and inverse birth order correlation support this hypothesis.
  • However, direct evidence remains inconsistent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between early-life infection exposure and atopic dermatitis (AD).
  • To evaluate the hygiene hypothesis as a causal explanation for AD in children.

Main Methods:

  • A UK-based case-control study of 602 children aged 1-5 years.
  • Measured infant infection exposure using various methods.
  • Analyzed data using logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Reduced odds of AD were associated with higher birth order (more older siblings).
  • No significant reduction in AD odds was linked to infection exposure measures.
  • Infection exposure did not explain the protective effect of older siblings.

Conclusions:

  • Increased infection exposure does not explain the reduced risk of AD in subsequent siblings.
  • These findings challenge the hygiene hypothesis as a direct cause of AD in young children.