The prevalence, characteristics of and early life risk factors for eczema in 10-year-old children

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http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1034/j.1399-3038.2003.00036.x/abs/

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Volume 14 Issue 3 Page 178 - June 2003 doi:10.1034/j.1399-3038.2003.00036.x


The prevalence, characteristics of and early life risk factors for eczema in 10-year-old children
Ramesh Kurukulaaratchy, Monica Fenn, Sharon Matthews and S. Hasan Arshad
Eczema is a common infantile disease but its nature and extent during later childhood remains unclear. In a whole-population birth cohort study (n = 1456) we examined prevalence and characteristics of eczema amongst 10-year-old children. At this age 1373 (94%) children completed ISAAC questionnaires, 1043 (72%) skin prick testing and 953 (65%) serum inhalant IgE antibody screening. At 10 years of age prevalence of eczema ever was 41.0% and for current eczema was 13.7% (combined current itchy rash and eczema ever). Most current eczema (71.0%) began before 4 years of age, but was associated with low morbidity at 10 years. Amongst children with diagnosed eczema at 4 years of age, 56.3% had current eczema at 10 years. Atopy (positive skin test) and other allergic states were associated with current eczema (p < 0.001). Risk factor analysis for current eczema identified independent significance for atopy (p = 0.01), rhinitis (p = 0.04) and food allergy (p = 0.01) at 4 years, plus maternal asthma (p = 0.03). Diagnosed rhinitis at 4 years emerged as a significant predictor of persistent disease. Eczema is not simply a transient infantile condition but a common problem at 10 years of age, often reflecting persistent disease from early childhood. Inherited predisposition towards atopy is the predominant risk factor for this state.

Accepted 13 December 2002

Affiliations

The David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Centre, St. Mary's Hospital, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom

Correspondence

Dr S. Hasan Arshad, The David Hide Asthma & Allergy Research Center, St. Mary's Hospital, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5TG

Tel. +44 1983 534373

Fax: + 44 1983 822928

E-mail: sha@soton.ac.uk

To cite this article

Kurukulaaratchy, Ramesh, Fenn, Monica, Matthews, Sharon & Hasan Arshad, S. (2003)

The prevalence, characteristics of and early life risk factors for eczema in 10-year-old children.

Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 14 (3), 178-183.

doi: 10.1034/

j.1399-3038.2003.00036.x

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