Kids whose parents use e-cigarettes may be at higher risk for developing atopic dermatitis (AD), a new study suggests.
Children with a parent who used e-cigarettes had 24% higher odds for AD than kids with two non-vaping parents, according to a survey of more than 35,000 U.S. households.
The prevalence of parental e-cigarette use was 14.4% in the non-AD population and 18.0% in the AD population.
Exactly how, or even if, e-cigarette use ups eczema risk is not fully understood, but the researchers do have a theory, namely that there is an inflammatory state created by e-cigarettes. “Evidence for this finding is present in in vitro studies, which have demonstrated increased oxidative stress in human keratinocytes and 3-dimensional skin models exposed to e-cigarette fluids and aerosol residues,” they conclude. “We hypothesize that secondhand exposure to e-cigarettes is associated with a similar response among children, elevating AD risk.”
The study is published as a research letter in JAMA Dermatology.
