Emollients and Atopic Dermatitis Prevention

A recent study, published in Allergy, revealed intriguing findings about the effectiveness of daily emollients in preventing atopic dermatitis in children. The Barrier Enhancement for Eczema Prevention study aimed to examine whether daily emollients during a child's first year of life could reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis and other atopic conditions up to age 5 years.

This large-scale study involved 1394 term infants with a family history of atopic disease, which traditionally puts them at a higher risk of developing the condition. The infants were divided into 2 groups: 1 group received daily emollient treatment along with standard skin care advice, while the other group received only the standard skin care advice as a control measure.

Interestingly, the use of emollients did not significantly reduce the occurrence of atopic dermatitis in the children studied. Parents in the emollient group reported using moisturizers more frequently for their children during the 5-year study period. Nevertheless, the incidence of clinically diagnosed atopic dermatitis from months 12 to 60 was comparable in both groups.

"Daily emollient application during the first year of life does not prevent atopic dermatitis, food allergy, asthma or hay fever," concluded the study authors.

Reference
Bradshaw LE, Wyatt LA, Brown SJ, et al. Emollients for prevention of atopic dermatitis: 5-year findings from the BEEP randomized trial. Allergy. 2023;78(4):995-1006. doi:10.1111/all.15555