Family history of allergies is the strongest determinant of eczema

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease and is among the most frequent chronic conditions in childhood and adolescence.

This German study analyzed a nationwide survey including 17,000 children aged 0-17 (response rate: 67%).

The prevalence of physician-diagnosed eczema was 13%.

Positive associations were found for:

- parental allergies (OR 1.94)

- infection after birth (OR 1.45)

- jaundice after birth (OR 1.27)

Being a migrant (OR 0.63) and keeping a dog (OR 0.78) showed inverse associations with eczema.

This study suggests that a family history of allergies is the strongest determinant of eczema.

Atopic Dermatitis Treatment - Illustrated (click here for full size image).

References:
Determinants of eczema: population-based cross-sectional study in Germany. Apfelbacher CJ, Diepgen TL, Schmitt J. Allergy. 2010 Aug 30.

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.