TUESDAY, Feb. 17, 2009 (Health.com) – Children with eczema are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than those without the skin problem, according to a study.
The children in the study had atopic eczema, a scaly, itchy skin rash that is typically caused by allergies and is common among infants. The rash often improves as a child gets older, although it does signal an increased likelihood that he or she will go on to develop allergies, hay fever, or asthma.
German researchers spotted the link in a study of 1,436 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 who had atopic eczema and 1,436 young people without it. They found that 5.2% of eczema patients had been diagnosed with ADHD, compared to 3.4% of eczema-free youngsters, according to a research letter in this week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Young people with atopic eczema were 54% more likely to have an ADHD diagnosis than those without it. And the more frequently they had visited a doctor for eczema, the more likely they were to have been diagnosed with attention problems, say study coauthors Jochen Schmitt, MD, a dermatologist at Technische Universität in Dresden, and Marcel Romanos, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Hospital Clinic of the University of Wuerzberg, both in Germany.
About 20% of children in Western nations are diagnosed with atopic eczema by age six. About a third of those children go on to be diagnosed with hay fever or asthma.
“Atopic eczema is highly prevalent in children and it is known to gravely affect the quality of life,” Drs. Schmitt and Romanos wrote in an email. “Therefore the assumption that it might be related to or influence the presence of psychiatric problems is not far-fetched.”
Next page: Can a child’s diet affect ADHD symptoms?
Comments (9)
I have to say that diet DOES help, from my own expierence. And Dr. Benjamin Feingold’s research as a pediatric allergist determined this DECADES ago.
Often there is an Environmental & FOOD Allergy Component with ADHD.
Eczema ( FOOD Allergy) is the first Menifestation of Allergy March in a Child’s Progression of Allergy Disease ..
possibly leading to Allergic Asthma and a further Lifetime of Multi-Diseases, Health complications & compromised Quality of Life.
Thus said ..
We believe that it is terribly IMPORTANT for Parents and Physicians to be on Allergy ALERT to early signs of Allergy March in Children…
and take Pro-Avive IgE Blood Allergy Testing for FOOD Allergy .. then IgE Testing for Respiratory Allergy.
We belive that thru Early Preventive Efforts Allergy March CAN be DeRailed .. preventing a life of allergy misery.
Regards.
Stephen
Yup. We have the textbook case. DS will get excema if he eats something not allowed by feingold. It was such a miracle to find out what was causing it. His ADHD symptoms disappeared with the diet as well!
I am a 39 y.o. that has thought for years I might have ADHD, but never got tested until recently by a therapist, still waiting for the results. But I had allergies and eczema growing up if anybody can share with me – what is the link with food and what diet is best. Has the Dr.Feingold deals with these issues for a while, I’d rather aleviate the ADHD issues naturally, but has anybody had any success with medication?
Thank-you for any information,
hana
Had problems PRINTING “Kids with eczema more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD” study using PRINT button…can you put articles like this one in a more printer-friendly format so ads don’t print over text and delete text randomly? Thanks for the good and current info! …decided to email it to myself to see if can print in out “whole” that way.
My son developed excema at age 1, and when he turned 2, we removed all dairy and it disappeared. Whenever he consumes dairy, by accident, I can tell because the excema reappears on his face, arms and legs.
He also developed autism, which is recognized by many physicians as a much more severe form of ADHD.
Try diet modifications. The immune system of some children can’t take certain foods, even if we consider them to be benign. Continuing to ingest something that causes a reaction can only make it worse, as shown in the article to develop into allergies and asthma. For some it’s dairy, but it can also be gluten, soy, eggs or even corn. The excema takes a couple weeks to fully disappear when the causative food is removed.
i have 2 children with atopic ezcema and after 3 hospitalisation I have finally found relieft. 1/2 White king in the bath at night and put there cream on their sores and cover them in zinc cream. They are now sleeping through the night and not scratching at all. There skin is almost perfect and we are in week 2.
i suffer from Eczema and what i do is just take as much vitamins A, C and E supplements plus some topical corticosteroid to remedy the itch.
An INFANTs propensity for Allergy is greatly Hard-Wired …
While DIET modification to address Eczema ( which is Food Allergy to Milk ) .. even “Waiting it out” is helpful… and Infant Eczema Status may dissipate ..
Quite often the dissipation of Eczema may only indicate that the Progression of the INFANT’s Allergy MARCH has only ” ReInvented” itself and has now moved on to Respiratory > Rhinitis > Quite possibly Allergic ASTHMA.
Remember > FOOD Allergy is the first Manifestation of Allergy MARCH .
As an Allergy Parent of an Allergy INFANT > If you wish to Find Out if Allergy MARCH is present in your Infant / Child > We offer the Only F.D.A. Approved At-home / Allergy Blood Test Kit which can be purchased WithOut a Dr. Prescription.
AllergyMarchTopTen.com Allergy Kit will test your Child for the TOP Ten Allergens ( 3 food / 7 InHalant ) that Signal the Presence / Emergence of Allergy MARCH.
Then with your Positive FDA Approved Allergy Test Results > You and Your Dr. can move confidentely toward Expanded Allergy Blood Testing and Neutralization of TEST ID’ed Offenidng Allergens.
It is Never to Late to STOP the Progression of Allergy MARCH in your Child.
Take ALLERGIES > Out of your Child’s Future.
Best Health = Wealth Regards,
Stephen
Reading suggestion : Dr. Bock’s Book > Healing the New Childhood Epidemics >
> Autism ( Jury is still out on Cause)
>ADHD ( Typically a FOOD & Enviro Allergy Component is Present )
> ASTHMA ( 65% = Allergic ASTHMA > Meaning Asthma is really the untreated migration of Allergy MARCH to ASTHMA )
> Allergies ( Achoo & Ouch ).