Diverse, Nutritious Early Diet May Ease Childhood Persistent Atopic Dermatitis
A South Korean study explored the link between lifestyle decisions beginning in infancy and persistent atopic dermatitis, citing exclusive breast milk diet and childhood obesity as potential factors.
baby with atopic dermatitis © SkyLine - stock.adobe.com
Childhood obesity, as well as a diet of only breast milk after six months, may be linked to persistent childhood atopic dermatitis, according to the results of a nationwide South Korean study published recently in Allergy. This may be because the immunologic properties of breast milk may prevent immune system development, according to the research team co-led by Ji Su Lee and Seong Rae Kim from Seoul National University.
Similar persistent atopic dermatitis rates were also elevated in overweight, unhealthy and “picky” eaters. For example, there was a 1.06 risk of persistent atopic dermatitis in children who continuously consumed fruit juice or sugar added beverages greater than 200 mL. Instead, researchers suggest infants may benefit from adding other nutrition such as baby food earlier and be fed a diet of healthy food as they grow.
Data was gathered using the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Out of 608,943 atopic dermatitis patients born between 2008 and 2019, 21.6% (131,525) had persistent atopic dermatitis before the age of seven. Patients were followed up with until age 9. Researchers measured dietary factors at seven stages from four to 71 months.
“At 4–6 months, children exclusively fed breast milk (adjusted odds ratio 1.07) or special formula milk (1.16) had higher odds of atopic dermatitis persistence,” Lee and Kim write. “At the 9 to 12 months follow up, even after switching to complementary feeding, persistent atopic dermatitis odds were still high (adjusted odds ratio 1.08).”
Continuously obese children at the (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) at the seventh examination at 66-71 months had an adjusted odds ratio of 1.09 of developing persistent atopic dermatitis.
Atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema, is a chronic skin disease that compromises the skin barrier causing redness, inflammation and itching. In the United States, it affects about 9.6 million kids under the age of 18 with about one-third having moderate to severe forms. About, 80% of sufferers experience onset of symptoms before the age of six. A majority (80%) of children “outgrow” their eczema by adulthood, but some experience lifelong severe or intermittent eczema flareups, according to the National Eczema Association.
“This study underscores the significance of fostering healthy dietary habits early in life to mitigate the burden of persistent atopic dermatitis beyond preschool age,” Lee and Kim write. “Specifically, our findings suggest that early complementary feeding with limited exclusive regular diverse eating habits, and healthy weight maintenance may help reduce persistent atopic dermatitis risk.”
