Asthma risk in young children with atopic eczema: A systematic review
October 31, 2007
A systematic review of published prospective follow-up studies concerning the relationship of early life atopic eczema (AE) to asthma in later childhood was conducted. Thirteen prospective cohort studies were included from 1960-2005; 4 birth cohort studies and 9 eczema cohort studies.
The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the risk of asthma after eczema (compared to children without eczema) was 2.14. The prevalence of asthma at age 6 years was 35.8% in inpatients with eczema cohort studies and 29.5% for a combined group of in and outpatients. The risk of developing asthma after eczema in early childhood was approximately one in every 3 children, a lower risk than previously reported (van der Hulst, A.E. et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007, 120 (5): 565-569).