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08:46
A Neonatal Imaging Model of Gram-Negative Bacterial Sepsis
Published on: August 12, 2020
Eczema, birth order, and infection.
Ann Maree Hughes1, Simon Crouch, Tracy Lightfoot
1Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom.
American Journal of Epidemiology
|March 18, 2008
Summary
Early childhood infections are linked to a higher risk of eczema development. This association is particularly evident in second-born or later children, suggesting infection plays a role in eczema risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Dermatology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Eczema is a common childhood condition with complex etiology.
- The role of early life infections in eczema development is debated.
- Birth order has been previously associated with eczema risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infections in the first two years of life and eczema development.
- To examine if birth order modifies the relationship between early infections and eczema.
- To explore the influence of early infectious exposures on the birth order-eczema association.
Main Methods:
- National population-based case-control study in the United Kingdom (1991-1996).
- Inclusion of 1,782 control children.
- Ascertainment of eczema and infection diagnoses from primary care records.
Main Results:
- Children diagnosed with eczema before age 2 had more recorded infections (rate ratio = 1.26).
- The difference in infection rates was observed from birth through the first two years.
- The infection-eczema link was significant only in children of second or higher birth order (rate ratio = 1.45), not firstborns (rate ratio = 1.08).
Conclusions:
- Early life infections are associated with an increased risk of eczema.
- The association between birth order and eczema is unlikely due to variations in early infectious exposure.
- Infection appears to be a significant factor in eczema development, particularly in later-born children.
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