By Allison Sit
Babies may have a lower risk of eczema if their mothers take vitamin D during pregnancy, according to a new study in the British Journal of Dermatology. The study analyzed pregnant women who received 1000IU of vitamin D – or a placebo – from 14 weeks gestation until delivery. The study found maternal supplementation was associated with a reduced odds ratio of eczema at age 12 months, however, the effects of supplementation were non-significant at ages 24 and 48 months.
“Our data provide the first randomized controlled trial evidence of a protective effect of antenatal cholecalciferol supplementation on risk of infantile atopic eczema, with the effect potentially being via increased breast milk cholecalciferol levels,” wrote the study authors. “The findings support a developmental influence on atopic eczema, and point to a potentially modifiable perinatal influence on atopic eczema.”
New research from the National Eczema Association (NEA) points to the importance of shared decision making between patients and healthcare providers in the treatment of eczema. In an article published in JAMA Dermatology, the NEA outlined results of an online survey of patients and caregivers. The survey results suggest that a majority of patients with eczema and caregivers prefer a large role in decision-making for their care and that clinicians can initiate and facilitate shared decision-making to improve patient satisfaction.
“Patients and caregivers who feel they are informed about the causes of eczema and who have better-controlled eczema are more likely to engage in and feel confident about shared decision-making,” the authors of the article wrote. “Engaging to a greater degree in shared decision-making is associated with an increase in consult satisfaction, and patients and caregivers are motivated to engage in shared decision-making when they have a healthcare provider who initiates a discussion and values their opinion as the experts on their own body, or if they feel their treatment is no longer working.”
Recipients of the Mary Kay Skin Health/Skin Disease Research Grants were recently announced at the Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, according to a news release. The $25,000 grants were awarded to four researchers conducting work to uncover new perspectives and invention strategies:
- Allison C. Billi, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the dermatology department at the University of Michigan. Dr. Billi’s primary research goal is to understand “what drives photoaging.” The grant will fund research to identify targetable pathways that help prevent or potentially reverse the effects of photoaging.
- Angel S. Byrd, MD, PhD, assistant professor at Howard University College of Medicine and adjunct assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine dermatology department. Dr. Byrd’s work focuses on the genetic basis of melasma. This grant will fund research to help discover unknown genetic causes of melasma to design personalized treatment options.
- Mae Alexandra Carpenter, PhD trainee at Wright State University. Dr. Carpenter’s work explores how damaged DNA-containing particles are released and how they activate inflammatory pathways. Funding this research will help develop new therapeutic approaches to reduce UVB photosensitivity in autoinflammatory diseases.
- Jennifer Powers, MD, clinical associate professor in the dermatology department at the University of Iowa. Dr. Powers is interested in the influence of the microbiome and the healing environment on wound healing and scar formation. Funding for this research will help understand how the immune system and microbiota interact to modify scar formation from ulcers and surgical wounds.
