Infantile eczema: A long-term follow-up study.

A 15-17 year follow-up study was conducted on ninety-nine patients who had suffered from infantile eczema. The persistance of the eczema and the occurrence of related conditions were noted. The persistence of eczema was shown to be greater in those patients with a positive family history of eczema and in those who had developed asthma or hay-fever. An attempt was made to see if the persistence of eczema was affected by the position of the child in the family, and some factors provoking relapses were noted. The patients were also questioned with regard to their achievements in academic examinations, and to their social, artistic and sporting activities. The results showed a success rate in examinations not significantly higher than average. It was not possible to show if there is a particular type of atopic personality. There was no constant characteristic in social or artistic patterns. The group as a whole were normal at the milestones of early development, i.e. walking, talking and reading, and also normal with regard to weight and height.