Key clinical point: A lower alpha diversity in infancy is associated with an increased risk for atopic dermatitis (AD) in children of parents with atopy.
Major finding: Overall, the skin microbiome at birth and 2 months of age was not associated with the subsequent development of AD (P = .2). However, a lower alpha diversity at 2 months of age was significantly associated with an increased risk for AD during the first 2 years in children with at least 1 parent (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.67; P = .03) or both parents (aHR 4.44; P = .04) with a history of atopy.
Study details: Findings are from a prospective analysis of 300 children born to term, of which 153 had a parental history of atopy.
Disclosures: This study was funded by The Leo Foundation and others. Some authors declared serving as speakers, advisors, or consultants for or receiving research grants or speaker or consulting honoraria from various organizations, including the study funders.
Source: Halling AS et al. Reduced skin microbiome diversity in infancy is associated with increased risk of atopic dermatitis in high-risk children. J Invest Dermatol. 2023 (Apr 19). Doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.03.1682