Household environments, including owning a dog, may affect the likelihood of children developing eczema, according to an analysis of almost 300,000 people from across Europe.
The prevalence of eczema has rapidly risen in industrialised areas over the past 30 years, now affecting approximately 20% of children and 10% of adults in high-income countries.
The new study, published in Allergy, examined data from 16 European studies, to investigate whether those who are prone to developing eczema might respond differently to environmental factors.
The researchers investigated interactions between the 24 most significant eczema-associated genetic variants and 18 early life environmental factors during the mother’s pregnancy and the child’s first year of life. Representing the largest and most comprehensive…