Eczema and Pregnancy
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As a parent, eczema can introduce a whole other level of uncertainty into choosing to have a child (or another child). If you have eczema, will your baby have it? If your first child had eczema, will your second? And if eczema does run in your family, how can you identify and possibly prevent it early?
Assessing Your Child's Risk of Eczema
Even if eczema runs in your family, there's no sure way to tell whether your child will get it. Conversely, it's still possible for children to develop eczema even if neither parent has a history of eczema. Research has given us the following guidelines for estimating a child's risk of eczema:
If neither parent has eczema, asthma, or hay fever, there is approximately a 10% chance of a child developing eczema.
If one parent suffers from eczema, asthma, or hay fever, there is a 25% chance of a child developing eczema.
If both parents have eczema, asthma, or hay fever, there is a 50% chance of a child developing eczema.
If another child in the family has eczema, asthma, or hay fever, there is a 50% chance of a child developing eczema.
Mitigating Your Child's Risk of Eczema
As yet, there is no cure for eczema, but research has identified a few potential ways that expecting mothers can mitigate the risk of their child developing eczema during pregnancy. For example:
Some research has indicated that taking prebiotics and probiotics during pregnancy can reduce the likelihood of the baby developing eczema.
Eating a healthy diet while pregnant can help reduce your child's risk of eczema.
Breastfeeding your child and waiting at least 4 months to introduce solid foods may be protective factors against eczema (however, some experts disagree on this particular tactic).
Early Detection and Prevention
Odds are, you won't know for sure whether your child will develop eczema until they do. However, recent breakthroughs in eczema research have made early detection and prevention much easier. Both of these studies are covered in detail on the GPER Podcast: Is eczema inevitable for some kids? Breakthrough research suggests that testing and intervention for newborns could change the trajectory.
In a cohort study on 450 babies in Denmark, Dr. Anne-Sofie Halling and her team used tape to (painlessly) collect skin cell samples from babies. These were then analyzed for skin biomarkers that might indicate an increased risk for atopic dermatitis. They found that children with elevated levels of certain immune biomarkers had a substantially higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis, while another subgroup showed a correlation between lower levels of a certain lipid biomarker and developing atopic dermatitis. These tests can be extremely helpful in enabling parents to identify their child's risk of eczema at a very young age, and start preventive therapies and/or prepare themselves.
Another study conducted by Drs. Alan Irvine and Jonathan Hourihane compared two groups of babies, one that received regular moisturizer therapy, and one that didn't. They found that the babies who received the moisturizer therapy from their parents showed a 15% reduction in their rate of eczema over 12 months, and a 37% reduction in their rates of eczema over 6 months compared to the control group.
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Global Parents for Eczema Research (GPER) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2015 by parents of children with eczema. Frustrated by the lack of evidence-based information and resources around eczema and eczema treatments, they created GPER in an effort to support eczema research and advocate for evidence-based medical decision-making for parents. Our offerings include support and resources for eczema caregivers, research, and public policy work to improve care and treatments for people with eczema. Sign up for our newsletter today to learn more about how we can help you on your eczema journey! If you like what we do, please donate to GPER.
