The role of nutrition in the prevention and treatment of atopic dermatitis (literature review)

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disease with a high prevalence in children and adults. The disease characterized by pruritus, recurrent course is associated with other allergic conditions such as food allergies and asthma, forming the concept of “atopic march”. Genetic mutations affect the barrier function of the skin, creating conditions for allergens to penetrate and inflammation to develop. Environmental factors, including air pollution, nutrition, and microbiota, also play a significant role in the etiology and pathogenesis of AD. Nutrition during infancy and childhood is a key factor influencing growth and development in childhood, contributing to health and disease prevention throughout life. Breastfeeding and the diversity of the mother’s diet may influence the risk of AD in children. The consumption of certain foods during pregnancy and the specifics of complementary feeding may contribute to the development or decrease the risk of allergy in the child. The gut microbiota plays an important role in modulating immune responses and tolerance to food allergens. Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Global Health and RISC databases were used to create this review article. The article analyzes the literature on the peculiarities of the preventive diet in pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children in families with an aggravated hereditary history of atopic dermatitis. The review emphasizes the need for further research to identify the influence of early life nutrition on the risk of allergic diseases. The article discusses current approaches to the prevention and treatment of AD, including the use of probiotics, dietary diversity, and breastfeeding support as meaningful strategies to reduce the risk of AD and allergic diseases in children.