Investigation of the frequency of atopic dermatitis inpreschool children and its relationship with food allergy

Objective: Atopic dermatitis is the most common chronic, itchy skin disease of childhood. In our research, through surveys conducted on preschool children studying in the city center of Gaziantep, we identified those who had been previously diagnosed with atopic dermatitis by a physician or had an itchy rash that persisted for at least 6 months, and were subjected to further tests to be performed in our hospital (skin prick test, complete blood count, serum specific IgE). It was aimed to reveal the relationship between atopic dermatitis and food allergy by determining food sensitivities. Material and Method: Among 950 students in preschool childrens determined in the city center of Gaziantep, those who have been previously diagnosed with atopic dermatitis by a physician or who have an itchy rash that continues for at least 6 months will be identified by asking their parents to fill out the questionnaires to be distributed in schools, and with advanced tests to be performed in our hospital (skin prick test, full It was planned to examine the relationship between food sensitivities (blood count, serum specific IgE levels) and atopic dermatitis. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Windows 22.0 program was used for statistical analysis, and a p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 471 (49,6%) of the cases are girls and 479 (50,4%) are boys. His age is 68,21 ± 7,94 months (ages range between 39-85 months), with a median of 70 years (63, 74). It was observed that 49,5% of the mothers were university graduates and 50.5% of the fathers were university graduates. 37,9% of the cases live on minimum wage or below, and 62,1% live on above minimum wage. The rate of atopic history in parents is 54,7% and the presence of an atopic sibling is 31,6%. 20% have pets. 64,2% of them were exposed to smoking at home. The rate of those diagnosed with allergic rhinitis in the past is 29,5% and the rate of those diagnosed with asthma in the past is 14,7%. Risk factors were determined by multiple logistic regression analysis: mother's higher education level, smoking exposure, presence of pets, parents and siblings with allergic diseases.To the question "Have you been diagnosed with food allergy?", the answer was 10,2% to milk and 6,8% to egg. 23,7% of them followed an elimination diet and 5,1% used diet food. The number of skin prick test positive cases was 3 (one soy, one egg and the other milk) and the rate was found to be 5,0%. The number of cases with eosinophilia was 17 and was found to be 29,8%. As for specific IgE levels, egg white was positive in 12 cases with a rate of 21,1%, children's food product mix(wheat, soy, rice, peanuts, milk, egg white) was positive in 11 cases with a rate of 19,3%, and milk was positive in 8 cases with a rate of 14,0%.The number of milk and egg white specific IgE co-positive cases is 6, and the rate of milk or egg allergy according to the specific IgE values of cases with a history of eczema in the past was found to be 24,5%. Conclusion: Atopic dermatitis is an important cause of morbidity in childhood, the frequency of which is increasing. Among the preschool children examined in our study, the rate of children with a history of atopic dermatitis was found to be 10%, and among these children, the rate of children with ongoing food allergy sensitivity was found to be 5% according to the skin prick test. When examined according to specific IgE values, it was found to be 14,0% for milk, 21,1% for egg white and 19,3% for children's food product mixture.If atopic dermatitis is seen in preschool children, food allergy sensitivity should be investigated. Keywords: Atopic dermatitis, food allergy, skin prick test, eosinophilia, specific IgE