Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Can Controlling Dust Mites Prevent Eczema?
Ridding the house of dust mites and making dietary changes does nothing to stop children developing asthma or eczema as was commonly thought.
The surprising research results prove that popular steps taken by parents to prevent the onset of allergic conditions simply don't work.
A team of Sydney researchers tracked 600 children from birth to age 5 to test whether avoiding dust mites in the home had any benefits.
"Basically, there wasn't any reduction in the risk of allergic disease or asthma, which was unexpected," said Dr Guy Marks, a researcher at Sydney's Woolcock Institute.
Scientists also tested the commonly held belief that boosting levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a child's diet could ward off allergic conditions.
Previous studies had shown that children who once a week ate fish, which has high doses of the special fats, were less likely than others to have asthma.
But this, too, was proven to have no preventative benefits, Dr Marks said.
"Once again we weren't able to demonstrate any beneficial effect," he said.
The study, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, involved children in western and south-western Sydney with a family history of asthma.
The result undermines popular beliefs and leave parents with no solid advice as to how they can protect their children, beyond the recommendation not to smoke around them.
"We're left with not having any strong evidence, apart from the avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke, about things that can be done to prevent the onset of asthma in children," Dr Marks said.
On the upside, the results prove parents should not blame themselves for failing to help their children dodge the conditions.
"Clearly, now there is no reason for people to feel that they should have been making major changes in the household."
But this does not mean asthma and eczema are purely genetic diseases, with Dr Marks saying some environmental factors very likely contribute to their onset.
"The fact is that at the moment, though, we don't know what they are, or how they affect us," he said.
More than two million Australians have asthma, with 15 per cent of children diagnosed with the condition.
The surprising research results prove that popular steps taken by parents to prevent the onset of allergic conditions simply don't work.
A team of Sydney researchers tracked 600 children from birth to age 5 to test whether avoiding dust mites in the home had any benefits.
"Basically, there wasn't any reduction in the risk of allergic disease or asthma, which was unexpected," said Dr Guy Marks, a researcher at Sydney's Woolcock Institute.
Scientists also tested the commonly held belief that boosting levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a child's diet could ward off allergic conditions.
Previous studies had shown that children who once a week ate fish, which has high doses of the special fats, were less likely than others to have asthma.
But this, too, was proven to have no preventative benefits, Dr Marks said.
"Once again we weren't able to demonstrate any beneficial effect," he said.
The study, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, involved children in western and south-western Sydney with a family history of asthma.
The result undermines popular beliefs and leave parents with no solid advice as to how they can protect their children, beyond the recommendation not to smoke around them.
"We're left with not having any strong evidence, apart from the avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke, about things that can be done to prevent the onset of asthma in children," Dr Marks said.
On the upside, the results prove parents should not blame themselves for failing to help their children dodge the conditions.
"Clearly, now there is no reason for people to feel that they should have been making major changes in the household."
But this does not mean asthma and eczema are purely genetic diseases, with Dr Marks saying some environmental factors very likely contribute to their onset.
"The fact is that at the moment, though, we don't know what they are, or how they affect us," he said.
More than two million Australians have asthma, with 15 per cent of children diagnosed with the condition.
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