Children living near heavily used highways have higher risk of developing atopic dermatitis: Study

The harmful effects of traffic-related air pollution on respiratory health are well-documented, but national Jewish health experts are also looking at how the growing number of pollutants affects the health sector – allergic disease. According to a recent study, highly traveled highways in the state of Colorado negatively impact skin health in children, increasing their chances of developing atopic dermatitis. Children who lived at least a thousand meters from a heavily used highway had a lower risk of developing atopic dermatitis than those who lived within 500 metres.

“These findings highlight the importance of environmental interventions designed to reduce traffic exposure in young children,” said Jessica Hui, MD, senior author of the study and a pediatrician and immunologist at National Jewish Health.

Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, usually occurs in children and can lead to the progression of allergic diseases, also known as atopic march. About 10 million children in the US have atopic dermatitis, and one-third have moderate to severe disease.

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“Children with atopic dermatitis have scaly skin surfaces and are prone to exposure to environmental hazards, which can lead to an allergic inflammatory response, possibly resulting in food allergies, asthma, and other problems,” says Michael Navid. , MD, said First author of the study, and a pediatrician and immunologist at National Jewish Health.

For the study, researchers reviewed charts of patients ages 0-18 who were seen at National Jewish Health in Denver from 2008 to 2021. Residential distance from highly trafficked streets was calculated for people with atopic dermatitis and controls without atopic dermatitis. Highway and local road traffic data were obtained from the Colorado Department of Transportation. Highly trafficked areas were defined as roads or highways with an annual average daily traffic of more than 10,000 vehicles.