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A mixed longitudinal study of physical growth in children with atopic dermatitis
Aparna Palit1, Sanjeev Handa, Anil Kumar Bhalla
1Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, BLDEA's SBMP Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Bijapur, Karnataka, India.
Insights
Atopic dermatitis in Indian preschool children can cause growth retardation, particularly affecting linear growth in girls with more severe disease. Some catch-up growth may occur, suggesting temporary impairment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Dermatology
- Growth and Development
Background:
- Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition causing significant morbidity in children.
- Growth retardation is a known complication, but Indian data is limited.
- This study addresses the gap in understanding atopic dermatitis's impact on Indian children's growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of atopic dermatitis on growth attainment in Indian preschool children.
- To compare growth patterns of affected children with healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study of 62 children (3-5 years) with atopic dermatitis and 68 matched controls.
- Growth parameters (weight, height, head circumference) were tracked over one year.
- Disease severity was assessed using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index.
Main Results:
- Lower growth velocities were observed in children with atopic dermatitis compared to controls.
- Girls with atopic dermatitis showed significantly lower height and head circumference than control girls.
- Boys with atopic dermatitis had comparable or higher growth parameters than control boys at certain ages.
Conclusions:
- Growth retardation was evident in children with severe atopic dermatitis.
- Linear growth, primarily height, was compromised, especially in girls.
- Severe atopic dermatitis may lead to temporary impairment of linear growth.
Background:
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing disorder associated with significant morbidity. Growth retardation is known to occur in children affected with atopic dermatitis. However, there is not enough Indian data for this disorder.
Aims:
We conducted a longitudinal study to look for the effect of atopic dermatitis on growth attainment of Indian preschool children.
Methods:
The growth patterns of 62 children, aged 3-5 years and suffering from atopic dermatitis were studied in terms of body weight, height and head circumference. Sixty-eight normal healthy children matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status were taken as controls. Every child was followed up at intervals of three months following a mixed longitudinal study design for the duration of one year. Severity of the disease was determined by the scoring atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index.
Results:
Growth velocities were lower in patients than in controls. Mean changes in body weight of patients of both sexes showed close similarity to controls. Mean values for height and head circumference were found to be significantly lower in girls than in the girls of the control group at majority of the age levels. In contrast, in boys, these values for the patients remained comparable or higher than in the boys of the control group at some of the ages. Girls had comparatively more severe disease than boys and they had lower values than boys for all the growth parameters assessed.
Conclusion:
Growth retardation was observed among children with a more severe form of the disease. Height of the affected children was compromised mostly, though a tendency for catch-up growth was observed. Severe forms of atopic dermatitis may impair a child's linear growth temporarily.
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