Children with AD, learning disabilities more likely to have learning, memory difficulties
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Key takeaways:
- A study found that atopic dermatitis in children was associated with learning and memory difficulties.
- However, AD was only associated with these outcomes among children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
SAN DIEGO — Children with vs. without atopic dermatitis are more likely to experience learning and memory difficulties, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.
In a population-based study, Hannah R. Chang, BA, a student at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues, investigated the relationship between AD and learning or memory difficulties.
The study included 9,223,013 children aged 17 years or younger with AD (mean age, 8.4 years; 50.8% girls; 71.1% white) and 60,509,794 children without AD (mean age, 8.7 years; 49.6% girls; 77.9% white).
The researchers found that a greater proportion of children with AD (10.8%; 95% CI, 7.8%-15.8%) experienced learning difficulties vs. children without AD (5.9%; 95% CI, 5.1%-6.9%). Similarly, 11.1% (95% CI, 8%-15.9%) of children with AD experienced memory difficulties compared with 5.8% (95% CI, 4.9%-6.9%) of children without AD.
According to adjusted analyses, children with vs. without AD exhibited higher odds of experiencing both learning difficulties (adjusted OR = 1.77; 95% CI, 1.28-2.45) and memory difficulties (aOR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.19-2.41).
Among children with neurodevelopmental conditions, AD was associated with an increased risk for memory difficulties (aOR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.43-3.57), especially in children with ADHD (aOR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.6-5.24) or learning disabilities (aOR = 2.04; 95% CI, 1.04-4). However, among children without neurodevelopmental conditions, the researchers did not find a significant association between AD and learning or memory difficulties.
Based on these findings, the authors concluded that AD was associated with greater odds of learning and memory difficulties, but only in children with known ADHD or learning disabilities.
“Evaluation for cognitive difficulties should be prioritized among children with comorbid ADHD or learning disability,” the authors wrote. “The identification of high-risk subgroups will facilitate efficient neuropsychological screening of children with AD so that affected individuals can benefit from interventions such as educational accommodations or behavioral therapies.”