Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with shorter stature, higher body mass index, and lower weight in young children, according to a new study from Canada. Reported in JAMA Dermatology, the study further found that the association of height and BMI decreased with age and showed an improvement by adolescence.¹

The study included 10,611 children from the TARGet Kids! Study, an ongoing prospective study, which follows children in Canada from birth to adolescence to track their long-term health. The mean age at the time of enrollment in the study was 23 months. Children were followed up into adolescence at regular physician visits from June 2008 to February 2021. AD was reported by parents at the time of study entry and also during follow-up questionnaires.

The height (length in children younger than 2 years) and weight of the children were measured and BMI and standardized z scores were calculated.

Length-for-age and BMI-for-age z scores were the primary outcome measures, while weight-for-age z score was taken as the secondary outcome measure.

At the start of the study, nearly 9% (n=947) children had AD (as reported by parents) and this number increased to 17% (n=1834) during follow up.

Children with AD showed lower length-for-age z score (−0.13), higher BMI z score (0.05) and lower weight-for-age z score (−0.07). Children with AD were on average 0.6 cm shorter at age 5 years and 0.5 cm shorter at 2 years of age on WHO growth tables compared with children without AD. They were also 0.2 more BMI units at age 2 years. This differences in height decreased by 14 years of age and became similar and the association between AD and BMI declined by 5.5 years of age. But, the association with decreased weight did not change with age.

This study has confirmed an association of AD with shorter stature and increased BMI in young children. However, it has also shown that the association between height and AD was temporary, suggesting that these children could potentially catch up in height following effective treatment of AD.

Reference

1. Nicholas MN, et al. Association between atopic dermatitis and height, body mass index, and weight in children. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Nov 17. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.4529.