title: Skin prick test can identify eczematous infants at risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessment of allergic sensitization is not routinely performed in infants and young children with eczema.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether infants who have atopic eczema (with sensitization) are at a greater risk of developing asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) than those with non-atopic eczema (without concurrent sensitization).
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of eczema was prospectively documented until 2 years of age in a birth cohort of 620 infants with a family history of atopic disease. Sensitization status was determined by skin prick tests (SPTs) at 6, 12, and 24 months using six common allergens. Interviews were conducted at 6 and 7 years to determine the presence of asthma and AR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the first 2 years of life, 28.7% of the 443 children who could be classified had atopic eczema: 20.5% had non-atopic eczema, 19.0% were asymptomatic but sensitized and 31.8% were asymptomatic and not sensitized. When compared with children with non-atopic eczema in the first 2 years of life, children with atopic eczema had a substantially greater risk of asthma [odds ratio (OR)=3.52, 95% confidence interval=1.88-6.59] and AR (OR=2.91, 1.48-5.71). The increased risk of asthma was even greater if the infant had a large SPT (OR=4.61, 2.34-9.09) indicative of food allergy. There was no strong evidence that children with non-atopic eczema had an increased risk of asthma or AR compared with asymptomatic children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children with eczema within the first 2 years of life, SPT can provide valuable information on the risk of childhood asthma and AR.
authors: Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. lowe.adrian@gmail.com
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Lowe
authors: C S
authors: CS
authors: Hosking
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Bennett
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Carlin
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Abramson
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Hill
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Dharmage
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007428:Intradermal Tests / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors