Childhood eczema linked to adult asthma

An Australian study conducted by the University of Melbourne, the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Menzies Research Institute and Monash University has found children who have eczema are nine times more likely to develop allergic asthma later in life.

In the longest study of its kind in the world, the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study commenced in 1968 by recruiting all Tasmanian children born in 1961 to take part in a study of asthma. The latest data was collected in 2004 from 1400 participants at age 44 years.

Analysis of survey results and skin prick testing data collected in the study showed that childhood eczema, particularly when hay fever also occurs, is a very strong predictor of who will suffer from allergic asthma in middle age. A persistence of childhood asthma to adult atopic asthma was also observed. No association was found between childhood eczema or rhinitis and non-allergic adult asthma.

The authors of the study say their data provide a rationale to seek new interventions targeting eczema in childhood, in the hope that the atopic march towards asthma can be prevented. This would bring significant savings to health care costs related to management and treatment of adult asthma.

Reference: Martin et al. 2011. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. DOI:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.02.041