Incidence and risk factors of atopic dermatitis among children in northern India.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly pruritic, chronic inflammatory, non-communicable and relapsing skin disease that affects all age groups, posing a significant burden on health-care resources and patients' quality of life (QoL). Objective: To study the clinical features, various risk factors, and their correlation with the severity of atopic dermatitis in northern Indian children. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective, descriptive study conducted in the department of Dermatology in a tertiary care teaching hospital in northern India. The study population included 380 atopic dermatitis patients upto 15 years of age attending the Out Patient Department of Dermatology. Results: The incidence of AD was 8.92%. Most of the patients (80.1%) were below six year of age. Male: Female ratio was 1.3:1. 50.5% of patients belonged to middle socio economic class, 58.9% of patients were from urban area. Family history of atopy was noted in 52.1% cases. 94.4% of patients have Pruritus and 88.9% had Chronic relapsing eczema. The most common site of involvement was face (70.5%), 64.2% of AD patients had mild disease. Conclusion: This guidance focuses on identifying the unmet gaps and provides practical recommendations for improving QoL, diagnosis, prognosis, and overall management of patients with AD in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]