Childhood Atopic Dermatitis and Performance on Standardized Testing: A U.S. Birth Cohort Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Atopic dermatitis (AD) may impair children's cognition due to lost sleep and distraction from itching, and systemic inflammation. In the present study, we test whether AD is associated with lower performance on standardized testing in a racially and ethnically diverse birth cohort of urban children of mostly unwed mothers. METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of 4898 children in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS). When children were 5 and 9 years old, caregivers were asked about AD symptoms, and standardized testing evaluated children's vocabulary, reading, and math skills. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 3641 children (1755 female). The most common racial and ethnic categories were Black, non-Hispanic (50.7%), Hispanic/Latino (26.1%), and White, non-Hispanic (20.1%). Many children were born to single mothers (77.5%). Fully adjusted longitudinal models indicated AD was associated with slightly higher vocabulary scores (β = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.12-2.08) and no difference in reading scores. At 9 years, there was no difference in math scores. Cross-year models revealed AD at 5 years was associated with slightly higher reading scores at 9 years (β = 1.47; 95% CI, 0.07-2.87). Persistent AD (Present at both 5 and 9 years) showed associations similar to AD at either year alone (no difference to slightly higher scores). CONCLUSIONS: AD seemed to be associated with comparable or slightly higher vocabulary and reading scores. Increased sedentary activities, such as reading and watching television, among children with AD may confer benefits that counterbalance or even slightly outweigh any inherent negative effects of AD on standardized testing performance.