Sleep Patterns and Development of Children With Atopic Dermatitis

Abstract

To evaluate sleep patterns and the development of children with atopic dermatitis at an early age.In the study, the researchers included 80 children seen in a pediatric allergy clinic at the ages of 0 to 36 months who had atopic dermatitis, did not have any other chronic disease, and did not have a known developmental delay.This was a cross-sectional study in which the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical information of the patients were recorded. Severity of AD was evaluated according to the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index. The sleep pattern and development of the patients were assessed by the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire and by the Guide for Monitoring Childhood Development, respectively. The primary outcome of the study was defining sleep patterns and the development of children with AD.The median age of the patients was 6 months; 63.7% of them were male and 50% of them had sleep problems. Male sex, having AD in the first 3 months after diagnosis, and moderate to severe AD were determined as risk factors for sleep problems. In all, 12.5% of the patients needed support for ≥1 developmental areas (gross motor skills, expressive language and communication, receptive language, fine motor skills, relationship, and play). Developmental delay was higher in patients with sleep problems. Multiple siblings and the presence of sleep problems were found to be risk factors for developmental delay.Boys with moderate to severe AD within the first 3 months of diagnosis were at increased risk for sleep problems. Children with AD who have multiple siblings and sleep problems should be evaluated for developmental delay and monitored closely.This is a unique study evaluating both sleep patterns and developmental problems together in children ages 0 to 36 months with AD. Frequent nighttime awakenings affected particularly the development of gross motor skills. Early detection of such problems may help prevent behavioral and cognitive dysfunction in later years. Further studies in this area are needed.