Atopic Dermatitis Associated With Shorter Stature and Higher BMI in Children

Atopic dermatitis (AD) in children is associated with shorter stature, higher body mass index (BMI), and lower weight in early childhood, but these associations resolve with age. The results of the analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study were published in JAMA Dermatology.

Researchers evaluated the association between AD and height, BMI, and weight throughout childhood in an ongoing prospective longitudinal cohort study. TARGet Kids! (The Applied Research Group for Kids) collects data at routine physician visits throughout childhood, and in this cohort, children aged 5 years or younger were followed into adolescence at regular physician visits. The primary outcomes of the study were length-for-age and BMI-for-age z scores.

Compared with the healthy controls, AD was associated with lower length-for-age z score, higher BMI z score, and lower weight-for-age z score. Children with AD were shorter (0.5 cm less) with a higher BMI (0.2 more) at age 2 and shorter (0.6 cm less) with no BMI difference at age 5.

“In this cohort study, [AD] was associated with shorter stature, higher BMI, and lower weight in early childhood, but these associations were small and, for height and BMI, attenuated with age and resolved by adolescence,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Nicholas MN, Keown-Stoneman CDG, Maguire JL, Drucker AM. Association between atopic dermatitis and height, body mass index, and weight in children. JAMA Dermatol. Published online November 17, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.4529