A study presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) indicates that the timing, duration, and severity of eczema in children may affect their ability to outgrow food allergies.
Nicole Koulov, a second-year medical student at the University of Texas and ACAAI member who worked with the FORWARD team under Mahboobeh Mahdavinia, MD, PhD, explained: "Food allergy and eczema often appear together in childhood, but scientists do not fully understand how one condition affects the other. We examined surveys conducted with children who had a history of IgE-mediated food allergies that they later outgrew. Our findings highlight that eczema may play a role in developing oral tolerance to food allergens."
The research analyzed survey responses from caregivers of 855 children aged 0 to 12 years. Parents reported on when eczema appeared, when it resolved, and its severity. Severity was measured by assessing how much skin was affected and what treatments were needed to control symptoms using a scale from 0 to 6.
Results showed that children with longer-lasting and more severe eczema were less likely to overcome food allergies. Specifically:
- Children whose eczema began between four and six months old were significantly less likely to outgrow food allergies compared to those whose eczema started earlier (between zero and three months).
- Greater severity of eczema was strongly linked with lower chances of developing tolerance.
- The relationship between how long a child had eczema and whether they overcame their food allergy was not linear; chances decreased with shorter durations but increased modestly for those who had eczema for eight to ten years before declining again.
"These findings show that eczema is more than just a coexisting condition: it can directly influence whether children outgrow food allergies," said allergist Amal Assa’ad, MD, co-author of the study and ACAAI member. "Our data suggest that the timing and treatment of eczema could be an important factor in helping children develop tolerance."
Researchers noted that while having eczema does not cause food allergies, interactions among skin barrier health, immune responses, and exposure to allergens might help explain why some children outgrow these allergies while others do not.
The ACAAI is a professional medical organization based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. It has over 6,000 members including board-certified allergists trained in diagnosing allergies and asthma as well as providing immunotherapy.
For more information about treating food allergies or finding an allergist locally, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.
