Mild eczema in first grade likely to resolve by sixth grade

The severity of children's atopic dermatitis (AD) in first grade may predict its persistence in sixth grade, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the Journal of Dermatology.

Akio Tanaka, M.D., Ph.D., from Hiroshima University in Japan, and colleagues examined primary school children during a 10-year period to determine the prevalence of skin diseases.

The researchers found that AD (12.3 percent) was the most common disease among first graders, followed by eczema other than AD (9.7 percent), molluscum contagiosum (1.9 percent), and verruca vulgaris (1.1 percent). Acne vulgaris was most common among sixth graders (9.6 percent), followed by AD (8.9 percent), eczema other than AD (6.7 percent), and verruca vulgaris (3.1 percent). Over time, the prevalence of AD remained stable among first graders and increased slightly among sixth graders. Among the 87 children who had AD in first grade, more than half (58.6 percent), particularly those with mild severity, were in remission in sixth grade, while AD was diagnosed for the first time in 30 sixth graders (4.5 percent). Severity of AD symptoms in first grade increased the likelihood of a child still having AD in sixth grade.

"These findings may help to formulate effective treatment strategies for school children suffering from skin diseases," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.