The skin makes the largest organ of the human body and is also one of the most sensitive indicators of a child′s general health. Skin disorders among children may lead to emotional and psychological stress for the patients and their families. 

A recent study compared the extent to which various skin diseases affect the quality of life among the pediatric age group (5–12 years) based on Children′s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) scores.

453 patients attending a skin clinic at a regional hospital in Northern India between November 2015 and May 2017 were included in the study, who were given questions regarding dermatoses and evaluated using a standardized pro forma and a CDLQI questionnaire. The diseases with abnormally high proportions were assessed by the control chart technique. 

The observations were as follows-

• Out of all identified patients for dermatoses, the average quality of life, based on the CDLQI score did not show significant variation across different seasons.
• However, the type of skin disorders had a significant effect on the quality of life of the children.
• The CDLQI scores indicated miliaria, atopic dermatitis, scabies, impetigo, and pediculosis capitis to have a significant adverse effect on the quality of life of the patients.

This study showed that skin diseases, irrespective of the type, adversely impair the quality of life of the child and in turn, the family, thus an enhanced level of compassion and care is crucial.

Goyal S, Sajid N, K. Nayak SU, Husain S. CDLQI-based assessment of skin disorders among children: A study from Northern India. Indian J Dermatol 2021;66:706