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The video is a reminder of the broader outcome skin conditions in children can have. The disease itself may be unpleasant but the effect this has on cognitive function and educational performance could be as significant.
Researchers in this case focused on atopic dermatitis (AD), a quite common problem in childhood, with varying degrees of severity. Although the research took place in Denmark, prevalence in the UK is equally high.
The condition does decrease with age, infancy is the most common time and around 15% of children are still affected up to age 11. This reduces to around 10% at secondary school age, on average, 1 in 8 children of school age suffer.
An In Depth Study
The research looked at three age groups, secondary pupils (13 to 16 years), upper secondary pupils (17 to 19 years) and early adulthood. In total, they studied the performance of around 1.5 million young people.
Written and oral skills were assessed at different ages, along with measurable intelligence. There is always a degree of debate on this type of measurement but school grades were used as back up evidence.
Findings were clear, the younger age group with AD were notably affected, a more level performance in upper secondary and less equal results again in young adulthood.
The levelling out at 17 to 19 may in part be influenced by a more mature outlook but young adult results suggest not. Children with AD not reaching the upper secondary stage might be as significant a factor.
Damage may have already taken place in earlier years, as can happen to children with AD who are younger than those in this study.
Wider Opinion
Educational outcome in children with serious skin conditions has not had the research this deserves. The Danish study is perhaps the largest, although smaller studies across the globe have produced similar results.
Where they were questionnaire based, they also tended to highlight the same causes of lower performance, whichever country they came from.
Pruritus (itchy skin) is a common cause of sleep loss and sleep fragmentation, a known educational handicap. Children with skin conditions can be bullied and/or have lower self esteem, bringing about social isolation.
Apart from excluding young people from activities where they would learn, this has a direct effect on performance across the educational spectrum.
Evident Results
With severe conditions, not least severe AD, we could add absenteeism and further psychological, or behavioural problems to the outcome. Almost regardless of severity, educational and life achievement may be hampered.
There is more to be done in terms of investigation, including taking in socio-economic factors. We can still say with fair certainty that skin conditions affect the outcome of children’s lives and deserve the best treatment.
As with skin conditions at any age, early, effective intervention is key. To deal with the skin condition and as the research suggested, improve life chances.
AD and other conditions may not have a total cure but modern medicine can largely set unwanted symptoms aside. For paediatric dermatology patients this is valuable, allowing a childhood to happen as intended.