A new study out of Germany indicates that children with eczema are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than other kids.

Atopic eczema is a scaly, itchy rash that is usually caused by allergies. It’s very common among infants. It often appears to resolve on its own as the baby gets older.

Eczema in childhood is considered a predictor of increased risk of allergic diseases, including hay fever and asthma.

German researchers discovered a potential link between eczema and ADHD in a large study of over 1,400 children from age 6 to 17. These kids were compared to an equal number of children in the same age range who did not have eczema. Of the study participants with eczema, 5.2 per cent had ADHD. Of those who did not have eczema, 3.4 per cent had ADHD. This means that individuals with eczema in infancy were over 50 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children without eczema.

The study also found that the more often a patient had to see a doctor regarding infant eczema, the higher the likelihood that they would have attention issues.

This is not good news for parents. Childhood eczema is common in western nations with as many as 1 in 5 children suffering with it between birth and age 6. As many as 1/3 of these kids will go on to develop full blown allergic disease. Add to this a potential link to ADHD and the common childhood ailment could become a real parental worry.

Drs Jochen Schmitt and Marcel Romanos, coauthors of the study, point out that more research needs to be done to establish this link between ADHD and eczema. They said, “It’s important to note … that this finding might only be relevant for some … children.”

While this research is suggestive of a link, Dr David Goodman of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine comments that this study cannot be taken as conclusive or definitive. However, evidence is mounting. A recent 2008 study in the Netherlands suggests that ADHD may be an allergic condition in some, and that allergic symptoms such as itchiness and pain could be behind disruptive behavior.

Source: CNN Health