The meta-analysis showed that a parental history of atopic dermatitis was associated with a 3.3-fold greater risk of atopic dermatitis in the offspring than in families without a parental history of atopy. A parental history of asthma was associated with a 1.56-fold increased risk, while allergic rhinitis in a parent was linked to a 1.68-fold increased risk.
“It does matter what type of atopic disease the parents have,” she observed. “Those with a parental history of asthma or allergic rhinitis can be considered as being at more of an intermediate risk level, while those with a parental history of atopic dermatitis are a particularly high risk group.”
Of note, the risk of pediatric atopic dermatitis was the same regardless of whether the father or mother was the one with a history of atopic disease. If one parent had a history of an atopic disease, the pediatric risk was increased 1.3-fold compared to when the parental history was negative. If both parents had a history of atopic illness, the risk jumped to 2.08-fold. And if one parent had a history of more than one form of atopic disease, the pediatric risk of atopic dermatitis was increased 2.32-fold.
Bruce Jancin/MDedge News
Dr. Andreas Wollenberg
“An interesting result that was new to me what that fathers’ and mothers’ contribution to risk is equal,” said session cochair Andreas Wollenberg, MD, professor of dermatology at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. “For the past 2 decades we were always taught that the mother would have a greater impact on that risk.”
“I was also surprised by our findings,” Ms. Ravn replied. “But when we pooled all the data there really was no difference, nor in any of our subanalyses.”
She reported having no financial conflicts regarding her study.
SOURCE: Ravn NH. THE EADV CONGRESS.