Paraben Exposure Increases Atopic Dermatitis Prevalence in Young Children

High exposure to parabens in children aged 0 to 3 years increased the prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD), according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Researchers aimed to examine the relationship between paraben exposure and the prevalence of allergic diseases in Japanese children aged 3 years or younger in a cross-sectional epidemiology study. Data on 236 children who underwent one of the following medical check-ups between January 2017 and March 2019 were included in the study: a 4-month-old medical check-up, a 1.5-year-old medical check-up, and a 3-year-old child medical check-up. Current allergic diseases were assessed by the health check-up doctor. Children and their caregivers were examined for all daily commodities used and their frequency of use. The presence of parabens in each item used was examined and individual exposure to parabens was assessed using urinary concentrations.

Children with high urinary concentrations of parabens showed a higher prevalence of AD compared with those with low urinary concentrations. A low number of cases of food and nasal allergies prevented a statistical analysis of the prevalence difference between the two groups with high and low urinary concentrations.

“The cross-sectional epidemiology of 236 children aged [0 to 3] years in Shika town in Japan showed that the prevalence of [AD] was significantly higher in children exposed to parabens, which was assessed using urine samples,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Arafune J, Tsujiguchi H, Hara A, et al. Increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis in children aged 0-3 years highly exposed to parabens. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(21):11657. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111657