- About 15% to 20% of children around the world have atopic dermatitis, which is also called eczema.
- Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found that kids with atopic dermatitis had more trouble learning and remembering things than kids who didn't have the disease.
- They also said that kids with acne were two to three times more likely to have memory problems if they had a cognitive issue like ADHD or learning disabilities.
About 15% to 20% of children around the world are thought to have atopic dermatitis by researchers.
This long-term condition, which is also called eczema, makes the skin dry, itchy, red, and sensitive.
Studies have shown that kids with atopic dermatitis are more likely to get asthma, skin diseases, and food allergies.
Researchers have also found a link between eczema in kids and a higher risk of neurological disorders like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and learning challenges.
In a study that was just released in the journal JAMA Dermatology, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland show more proof that eczema can make kids have cognitive problems like having trouble learning and remembering things.
Researchers found that kids with atopic dermatitis were more likely to have learning and memory problems than kids who didn't have the disease.
They also found that kids with acne were two to three times more likely to have memory problems if they also had a cognitive issue like ADHD or learning disabilities.
CHILDREN WHO HAVE COGNITIVE WEAKNESS
About one-seventh of children in the US between the ages of 3 and 17 have one or more developmental problems that can make it hard for them to learn, talk, or behave.
According to Dr. Joy Wan, lead author of this study and assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, cognitive impairment, especially early in life, is linked with bad life outcomes such as bad academic, occupational, and socioeconomic outcomes in later life. she spoke to Medical News Today. “Because of this, it is important to be aware of cognitive deficits, even if they are mild, so that quick and effective treatments can be found.”
It's becoming more and more common for studies to link atopic dermatitis to diagnoses like ADHD and learning disabilities, but Wan said that studies that focus on symptoms of cognitive impairment, rather than using reported diagnoses as a stand-in for such, are few and have mixed results.
"That's why we wanted to use data from this nationally representative sample of U.S. children to see if atopic dermatitis was linked to learning or memory problems," she said. "Also, we wanted to look at how this relationship is affected by known neurodevelopmental conditions to find out if certain groups of kids with atopic dermatitis are more likely to have cognitive problems."
CHILDHOOD
ACNE AND HAVING TROUBLE LEARNING AND REMEMBERING THINGS
Wan and her team looked at information from the U.S. National Health Interview SurveyTrusted Source from 2021 about more than 69 million kids ages 17 and younger for this study.
Atopic dermatitis affected a little more than 9 million kids, or about 13% of the kids who took part in the study.
Researchers looked into it and found that kids with atopic dermatitis were more likely to have learning and memory problems than kids who didn't have the skin disease.
"The results didn't really surprise us because they back up what our group and others have found before: that atopic dermatitis is linked to learning problems and forgetfulness," Wan said.
ECZEMA
ALONG WITH ADHD AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS
Researchers also found that kids with eczema and any kind of brain disorder, like ADHD or learning disabilities, were twice to three times more likely to have memory problems.
A part of us wasn't totally shocked because it makes sense that kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD or learning problems might be more likely to show signs of cognitive damage than kids who don't have these conditions, Wan said.
But, she said, "we also saw an interaction between atopic dermatitis and these neurodevelopmental conditions for memory impairment. This suggests that they may have effects on cognitive dysfunction that are added to each other." This means that having atopic dermatitis was linked to two to three times higher chances of memory problems in kids with ADHD or learning disabilities compared to kids who did not have atopic dermatitis.
THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT LINK IN CHILDREN WHO DID NOT HAVE COGNITIVE PROBLEMS.
Wan said that another interesting thing that the study added to what was already known about the subject was that they found no significant link between atopic dermatitis and learning or memory problems in kids who did not have any other known neurological issues.
She said, "This is reassuring and may help us better stratify our patients with atopic dermatitis based on their risk for cognitive problems." "While it's still important for doctors to find out how a child's atopic dermatitis affects their daily life, including school activities, our findings suggest that kids who don't have neurodevelopmental problems like ADHD or learning disabilities aren't at a very high risk for cognitive impairment. Instead, kids who do have neurodevelopmental problems should be the ones who are screened for cognitive impairment."
Wan said, "Since the data source we used for our study didn't have any information about how bad atopic dermatitis was or how old the person was when they first got it, more research is needed to figure out how the risk of cognitive impairment may change based on these factors." "We are also looking into other risk factors, like sleep or having mood disorders along with atopic dermatitis, that might mediate the link between the two, especially in children who already have known neurodevelopmental disorders."
HOW TO FIGURE OUT WHY KIDS GET ECZEMA
Dr. Peter Lio, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois, told Medical News Today that this study both adds to what is known about childhood eczema and backs up what has already been learned.
"We've known for a long time that there is a strong link between atopic dermatitis and some problems with development and cognition," Lio, who wasn't part of the study, said. "This is important because it makes the point that we need to pay attention to it, especially with patients who are moderate to severe."
It's not fully clear why this connection happens, which is important, he said. "It might have something to do with the fact that the disease itself makes people itch and sleepless, which makes it very hard to concentrate and learn." I'd like to see more research into the "why." Is this just a coincidence, or can we really figure out what's causing it so that we can start making plans to stop it?
We also talked to Dr. Daniel Ganjian about the study. He is a doctor at California's Providence Saint John's Health Center.
Ganjian, who wasn't part in the study, said, "This study supports the whole field of psychodermatology." „It proves the strong link between the mind and the skin. For a number of reasons, researchers are still looking into what might be causing cognitive disability in children.
Understanding the reasons behind cognitive weakness can help researchers come up with better ways to help kids who have these problems live better lives, he said. Besides that, it can help find kids who might be at risk for brain problems so that they can get help and support early on.
