Science Daily reports that childhood eczema, although decreasing in the 13 to 14-year-old age group, is still on the rise in six to seven-year-olds. The continuing rise in eczema prevalence in younger children as well as the number of reported cases in developing countries is of growing concern.

A paper published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicates that environmental factors are key to the manifestation of eczema. This is because genetic factors are not likely to change in the span of time covered by the study (ten years).

The leader of the eczema research, Hywel Williams, Professor of Dermato-Epidemiology in the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology at The University of Nottingham, says that even moderate cases of eczema have a significant impact on family life. The cost of treating eczema also poses a financial burden that is similar to that of asthma.

Professor Williams summarizes the study: “This is the first time we have been able to have a glimpse at what has been happening to eczema symptoms across the world using standardised methods. The results suggest that environmental factors are key to the expression of eczema — if only we could identify those factors so that we could prevent eczema in those countries experiencing significant increases.”

Professor Williams goes on to say that there is evidence that eczema is preventable to some degree as well as evidence on effective approaches to the managing of eczema symptoms.

For more information, and to read about the relationship between eczema and allergies and asthma, see our Eczema FAQ.