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Early eczema and the risk of childhood asthma: a prospective, population-based study

Marit Saunes1, Torbjørn Øien, Christian K Dotterud

  • 1Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. marit.saunes@ntnu.no

BMC Pediatrics
|October 26, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood eczema increases the risk of developing asthma. This study investigated the link between eczema in toddlers and later allergy development, supporting the atopic march hypothesis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric allergy and immunology
  • Epidemiology of allergic diseases

Background:

  • Most childhood eczema cases are mild to moderate.
  • Severe eczema in young children is linked to higher risks of asthma and rhino-conjunctivitis.
  • The study investigated eczema and allergy development in a general population cohort.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the risk of current asthma at age 6 in children with and without eczema at age 2.
  • To examine the co-existence of allergy-related diseases at age 6 based on early eczema status.

Main Methods:

  • Health questionnaires were administered at ages 2 and 6.
  • Eczema diagnoses were confirmed through clinical investigation in a subsample.
  • Multiple imputation was used to handle missing data.

Main Results:

  • Eczema at age 2 was associated with an increased risk of asthma at age 6 (OR=1.80).
  • Children with eczema onset before age 2 had a higher co-existence of allergy-related diseases at age 6.
  • Four out of ten children with eczema at age 6 developed it after age 2.

Conclusions:

  • Early-onset eczema, even if mild to moderate, is linked to an increased risk of childhood asthma.
  • Findings support the concept of an 'atopic march' in the general population.
  • Early eczema may be an indicator for subsequent allergic disease development.
Abstract

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