Children living at least a thousand meters away from highly trafficked roads had lower odds of having atopic dermatitis than those living within 500 meters.

Traffic-related air pollution may increase children and teen’s risk for atopic dermatitis  report researchers at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo.

For the study, researchers reviewed charts of patients 0-18 years of age who had been seen at National Jewish Health in Denver, from 2008 to 2021. Residential distances from highly trafficked roads for people with atopic dermatitis and controls without atopic dermatitis were calculated. Highway and local road traffic data was obtained from the Colorado Department of Transportation. Highly trafficked areas were defined as roads or highways with annual average daily traffic of over 10,000 vehicles.

Children living at least a thousand meters away from highly trafficked roads had lower odds of having atopic dermatitis than those living within 500 meters, the study showed.

"These findings highlight the importance of having environmental interventions designed to decrease exposure to traffic in young children,” says Jessica Hui, MD, senior author of the study, and a pediatric allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health, in a news release.

“The surface of the skin in children with atopic dermatitis is leaky and prone to exposure to environmental hazards, which can lead to an allergic inflammatory response, possibly resulting in food allergies, asthma and other problems,” explains Michael Nevid, MD, first author of the study, and a pediatric allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health.