Children with mild, moderate, or severe atopic dermatitis (AD) are more likely to have a learning disability diagnosis by a health care professional than those with clear skin, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.
In a cross-sectional study, researchers aimed to evaluate the association of AD severity with learning problems in children. The study analyzed data from US participants children aged 2 to 17 years in the Pediatric Eczema Registry between November 1, 2004, and November 30, 2019. Participants had a physician-confirmed diagnosis of AD. AD severity was measured by Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure score and self-report.
Among the 2074 children with AD, 169 reported a learning disability. Children with a learning disability were more likely to have worsening AD severity. Logistic regression models adjusted for variables such as sex, age, race/ethnicity, age of onset, among others, showed participants with AD, regardless of severity, were all significantly more likely to have reported a learning disability that those with clear skin.
“This cross-sectional study found that worse AD severity was associated with greater odds of reported [learning disability], independent of socioeconomic characteristics, AD onset age, and other related disorders,” concluded the study authors. “Results of this study suggest that atopic dermatitis is associated with learning problems and that children with more severe skin disease should undergo screening and treatment for any learning difficulties,” they continued. –Lisa Kuhns
Reference
Wan J, Mitra N, Hooper SR, Hoffstad OJ, Margolis DJ. Association of atopic dermatitis severity with learning disability in children. JAMA Dermatol. 2021;10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.0008. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.0008
