The Impact of Dairy Elimination on Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a relatively common, inflammato ry skin condition of variable severity. Known food allergens such as dairy may play a role in the exacerbation of this T-cell mediated autoimmune condition. A four-year-old patient with severe, non-resolving AD was placed on a dairy-free elimination diet. Quantitative analysis included the use of the Hanifin and Rajka diagnostic tool and the Scor ing Atopic Dermatitis Calculator (SCORAD). The patient demonstrated a 76% improvement in her symptoms within 10 days of eliminating dairy products from her diet, illustrated by a SCORAD reduction from 70.9 to 16.7. A further 30% relative SCORAD improvement of 16.7/100 to 11.6/100 was demonstrated at the patient’s four-month follow-up. Potential food allergens such as cow’s milk and other dairy products should be considered as potential inflammatory media tors of this dermatological condition.