title: The natural course of eczema from birth to age 7 years and the association with asthma and allergic rhinitis: a population-based birth cohort study.
abstract: Although "atopic march" is a popular concept, the relationship between eczema and subsequent asthma is far from clear. However, some cohort studies have shown the possibility of two different allergic phenotypes in those who present with early eczema in terms of their persistency.  We checked the cohort data from 308,849 children born in 2000 in Taiwan, to evaluate the different courses of eczema and their relationships to subsequent asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) at age 7 years. We examined the age prevalence of eczema, asthma, and AR up to 7 years of age. We grouped  all cases according to their course of eczema, as well as wheezing, and determined the rates of asthma and AR at age 7 years. We checked the adjusted risk factors by multiple logistic regression model. We also examined the distributions of wheezing types in different eczema groups. We found  the "atopic march" pattern of allergic diseases based on their age prevalence. Early eczema was associated with asthma and AR at the age of 7 years. Those with eczema symptoms persisting after 36 months of age had a higher risk than those with transient eczema. Early wheeze also  contributed to asthma and AR later in childhood. In addition, late-onset eczema had a completely different wheeze distribution compared with other groups and also had a higher risk for asthma and AR than transient eczema. In conclusion, different eczema phenotypes could be found in this population-based  cohort. This article emphasizes the special attention to the persistency and late-onset eczema in clinical practice.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors: Chian-Yin
authors: CY
authors: Shen
authors: Ming-Chih
authors: MC
authors: Lin
authors: Heng-Kuei
authors: HK
authors: Lin
authors: Ching-Heng
authors: CH
authors: Lin
authors: Lin-Shien
authors: LS
authors: Fu
authors: Yun-Chin
authors: YC
authors: Fu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044382:Population Groups; D015995:Prevalence; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012306:Risk; D013624:Taiwan