Eczema or atopic dermatitis is a skin irritation characterized by rough, swollen and often itchy or sore areas. Commonly found in children, the skin condition causes great discomfort due to inflammation and itching. Irish scientists, however, uncovered that some skin bacteria can safeguard babies from developing the skin disorder.
Atopic dermatitis often appears early in life. Typically, red spots appear on the hands, feet, cheeks and elbows. In infants, the affected areas are often widely distributed.
Those who suffer from this disorder carry the bacteria familiarly known as Staphylococcus aureus. To those suffering from eczema, the bacteria can cause infection and cause injury to the skin barrier, the Medical Xpress affirms.
Some bacteria may function as defensive mechanism against the growth of eczema in babies, scientists at the University College of Cork's INFANT Center uncovered. Professor Alan Irvine of Trinity College explained to the Irish Mirror that this has been the first study that involved babies and observed the bacterial region of their skin on their first year.
Some bacteria has been detected to aid in impeding skin infection in these children. Moreover, it was found in a study led by Irvine that Staphylococcus came after the development of the skin condition. Furthermore, the University Times reported that some species of the aforementioned bacteria protected against eczema after a year.
Meanwhile, the research has been published Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology October issue. It has been a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College in Dublin, University College Cork and the University of Dundee.
This research is a breakthrough that progresses people's understanding why some babies develop atopic dermatitis and what preventive measures should be taken, as per Deirdre Murray. The Cork School of Medicine has learned in a previous research that the frailty of a baby's skin can predict development of food allergies.
