Research finds early moisturizer use effectively prevents atopic dermatitis in infants

25 Nov 2022 --- Early application of emollients, or moisturizers, is effective in the prevention of atopic dermatitis (AD) in high-risk infants, according to an analysis in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology (JEADV).

AD, also called atopic eczema, is the most common, chronic, inflammatory disorder of the skin affecting 5 to 30% of children worldwide.

“The results of this systematic review and network meta-analysis show that early application of skin emollients can effectively prevent AD development in infants. Moreover, among the available three types of emollients, the emollient emulsion is probably the optimal option in infancy to prevent AD development more effectively,” the study authors wrote.

In another study conducted by the University of Copenhagen, the analysis of immune biomarkers via a painless tape has been found to predict the chances of newborns developing pediatric atopic eczema. The discovery opens the door to research aimed at preventing the condition.

Randomized controlled trials
The JEADV analysis included 11 randomized controlled trials involving 3,483 infants. Three types of emollients, including cream, emulsion (a combination of two fluids that do not usually mix), and mixed types, were found to have comparable effects in preventing AD. Additional analysis suggested that emollient emulsion may be the best option.

The study found that prophylactic application of emollients has been an effective strategy against infant AD; however, the difference between various emollients still needs to be discovered.AD affects between 5 to 30% of children worldwide. 

“We performed this network meta-analysis to compare different emollients in preventing infant AD,” the researchers note in, “A systematic review and network meta-analysis of different types of emollient for the prevention of AD in infants.”

Identifying relevant studies
A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane library to identify relevant studies from their inception to February 2022. The researchers evaluated the quality of eligible studies using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Eleven studies were included for data analysis.

Direct meta-analysis suggested that early application of emollients effectively prevented AD development in high-risk infants.

Network meta-analysis suggested that emollient emulsion might be the better option for preventing infant AD development, with a surface under the cumulative ranking curve of 82.6% for all populations, 78% for high-risk populations and 79.2% for populations with food sensitization.

Overall, early application of emollients is an effective strategy for preventing AD development in high-risk infants, and emollient emulsion may be the optimal type. 

Further study has been recommended to validate the research findings.

In related news, research from Latvia-based universities supports the theory that natural skin care products can help individuals with AD by easing their symptoms and improving their psychosocial well-being. Regarding visual aspects, the participants reported an improvement in skin swelling and a reduced burning sensation.

Edited by Inga de Jong

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