Culprits identified in kids' eczema flare-ups

Not much is known about what might trigger flare-ups of eczema in children. So a group of scientists logged the daily indoor environment of over 60 children with eczema using a combination of diaries and portable data collectors. This information was then linked to weather data for the same period.

The diaries were used to record the daily effect of the child's eczema by answering the question "how much bother did eczema cause today?"

The impact of various irritants on the severity of the children's eczema was measured. Exposure to nylon clothing was most likely to increase eczema, followed by dust, unfamiliar pets, sweating, and shampoo use. The effect of using shampoo was increased during cold weather.

Nylon increased eczema outbreaks on the body and limbs, whereas unfamiliar pets affected the hands. Wool also had an effect on body eczema.

Combinations of factors increased the severity of the eczema. For instance, washing hair during a bath or shower increased eczema severity, perhaps due to the interaction between shampoo and soap.

The study was carried out at the University of Nottingham and reported in the British Journal of Dermatology. The researchers called for further investigation involving larger numbers of participants to allow for an accurate picture of the effect of these irritants on eczema. Hopefully this will allow for better formulation of shampoos and other skin products.

This article was published on Tue 21 July 2009