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The association between early daycare attendance and risk of allergic diseases remains inconclusive. Therefore, we examined the association among Japanese children on a long-term basis using a nationwide longitudinal survey data. We estimated the association between daycare attendance at age 6 or 18 months and allergy development using information on outpatient visits for atopic dermatitis (AD), food allergy (FA), and asthma and admission for asthma up to 12 years of age as a proxy for developing these diseases, with multilevel logistic regression. Early daycare attendance was associated with increased odds of AD at ages 2.5–3.5 years: the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.34 [95% CI: 1.21, 1.47]. The association with FA was equivocal. The odds of asthma was increased before age 3.5 years and afterwards decreased: the adjusted ORs were 1.60 [1.44, 1.77] for ages 1.5–2.5 years and 0.77 [0.69, 0.87] for ages 5.5–7 years. The effect of early daycare attendance depends on the type of allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population-based cross-sectional study was performed to estimate the prevalence of chemical intolerance and to examine the characteristics of the sample. A Web-based survey was conducted that included 7,245 adults in Japan. The criteria for chemical intolerance proposed by Skovbjerg yielded a prevalence of 7.5% that was approximately consistent with that reported from a Danish population-based survey. Female gender, older age, and renovation in the house during the past 7 years were positively associated with chemical intolerance. Improvements in the condition were observed with daily ventilation habits. Medical history of atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, multiple chemical sensitivity, and depression were associated with chemical intolerance. Fatigue, depressed mood, and somatic symptoms were also positively correlated with chemical intolerance. Better elucidation of the causes, comorbidities, concomitants, and consequences of chemical intolerance has the potential to provide effective solutions for its prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effects of particulate pollutants on lung function in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) remain to be determined. The authors investigated the short-term effects of ambient particles on peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) in 84 children with and without AD. Daily particulates less than 10, 2.5, and 1 μm (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1) and number concentrations of submicron particles were measured. The authors observed elevated levels of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1, and accumulation-mode particles were associated with decreased PEFR in children with AD. The PEFR decrements were −2.89 L/min (95% confidence interval [CI], −4.93 to −0.89) for an interquartile-range increase of previous-day PM10, −2.79 L/min (95% CI, −4.89 to −0.69) for PM2.5, and −2.71 L/min (95% CI, −4.81 to −0.61) for PM1. These results suggest that ambient fine particles may affect the pulmonary function in children with AD. The respiratory health of children with atopic skin disorders renders them more vulnerable to ambient particles than healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]