Abstract
Accepted 10 February 1997
Cross sectional studies have reported impaired growth in children with atopic dermatitis. If this growth impairment is irreversible, it would be expected to adversely influence final height attainment. The standing heights and other anthropometric parameters were assessed in 35 adults with onset of atopic dermatitis before 5years of age and a control group of 35 adults with adult onset contact dermatitis or psoriasis. There was no significant difference in the standing height SD score, mid-parental height SD score, sitting height SD score, subischial leg length SD score, nor body mass index between the atopic dermatitis and control groups. The standing height SD score was not significantly different among: (a) patients with atopic dermatitis affecting less than 50% of their body surface area and those with greater than 50% affected; (b) patients using the four different potency topical corticosteroids; and (c) patients with atopic dermatitis without asthma and those with coexisting asthma. It is concluded that short stature is not a feature of our group of adult patients with onset of atopic dermatitis before 5 years of age, continuing into adulthood, and severe enough to require specialist care. This suggests that if growth impairment occurs in childhood, it is likely to be temporary and reversible.
• Severe childhood atopic dermatitis does not impair final height attained
• Any growth impairment from atopic dermatitis in childhood is likely to be temporary
• Individual susceptibility to growth impairment from topical corticosteroid treatment may vary
• Children treated with topical corticosteroids need careful growth monitoring
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (78.9 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Balfour-Lynn L. Growth and childhood asthma. Arch Dis Child. 1986 Nov;61(11):1049–1055. doi: 10.1136/adc.61.11.1049. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hauspie R., Susanne C., Alexander F. Maturational delay and temporal growth retardation in asthmatic boys. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1977 Mar;59(3):200–206. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(77)90150-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kristmundsdottir F., David T. J. Growth impairment in children with atopic eczema. J R Soc Med. 1987 Jan;80(1):9–12. doi: 10.1177/014107688708000106. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martin A. J., Landau L. I., Phelan P. D. The effect on growth of childhood asthma. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1981 Sep;70(5):683–688. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1981.tb05768.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Massarano A. A., Hollis S., Devlin J., David T. J. Growth in atopic eczema. Arch Dis Child. 1993 May;68(5):677–679. doi: 10.1136/adc.68.5.677. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pike M. G., Chang C. L., Atherton D. J., Carpenter R. G., Preece M. A. Growth in atopic eczema: a controlled study by questionnaire. Arch Dis Child. 1989 Nov;64(11):1566–1569. doi: 10.1136/adc.64.11.1566. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- REICHLING G. H., KLIGMAN A. M. Alternate-day corticosteroid therapy. Arch Dermatol. 1961 Jun;83:980–983. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1961.01580120092023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shapiro L. J. Gene therapy: possibilities and promise. Pediatr Res. 1993 Apr;33(4 Pt 1):321–322. doi: 10.1203/00006450-199304000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tanner J. M., Whitehouse R. H., Takaishi M. Standards from birth to maturity for height, weight, height velocity, and weight velocity: British children, 1965. I. Arch Dis Child. 1966 Oct;41(219):454–471. doi: 10.1136/adc.41.219.454. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]