Common respiratory infections early in life may reduce the risk of atopic dermatitis.

Infections that occur early in life may protect against atopic disease later in life. To investigate the relationship between common acute respiratory infections and atopic dermatitis in early childhood, we closely observed a cohort of 329 children from the ages of 2 to 24 months. We assessed the effect of proven viral infections and acute otitis media on the occurrence of atopic dermatitis. If the child had his or her first respiratory infection before the age of 6 months, the child's remaining risk of developing atopic dermatitis was reduced by 49% (95% confidence interval, -24% to 79%). The individual risk of developing atopic dermatitis was similarly reduced after infection experienced at >/=6 months of age, but the remaining risk was low, because most cases of atopic dermatitis had manifested by this time. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that early infections may reduce the risk of atopic disease.