Key clinical point: Atopic dermatitis (AD) was associated with shorter height and higher body mass index (BMI) in early childhood, but these associations attenuated as children approached adolescence.
Major finding: AD was associated with a lower mean z-height score (−0.13; P < .001) and higher mean z-BMI score (0.05; P = .008); however, this association attenuated by age 14 and 5.5 years, respectively. Based on World Health Organization growth tables, children with vs. without AD were 0.5 cm shorter and had 0.2 more BMI units at 2 years of age and 0.6 cm shorter with no difference in BMI at 5 years of age.
Study details: Findings are from TARGet Kids! , a prospective, longitudinal cohort study including 10,611 children, of which 1,834 had AD during follow-up.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Women’s College Hospital and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Drucker reported receiving compensation and serving as a paid consultant for several sources.
Source: Nicholas MN et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 (Nov 17). Doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.4529.