To be or not to be for a diet? Decision-making algorithm for dietary management of children with atopic dermatitis

The widespread, and not always justified, long-term prescription of a hypoallergenic diet for atopic dermatitis without allergy testing and verification of the diagnosis of food allergy has led to the “pendulum swinging” in the opposite direction: in recent years, the effectiveness and necessity of an elimination diet in therapy atopic dermatitis is frequently questioned. At the same time, it is generally accepted that in proven food allergy, the targeted elimination diet remains a necessary method in complex therapy.

A study was conducted, including a retrospective analysis of 430 case histories and an examination of 130 children with severe atopic dermatitis as part of the prospective part of the study. The analysis of the nutritional status, chemical composition of the diet, body composition, quality of life, eating behavior, as well as compliance of the patients’ parents was carried out which made it possible to analyze the complex interaction of these indicators with various factors as well as with each other. Risk factors for impaired nutritional status and eating behavior in children with severe atopic dermatitis were early onset of the disease, and long-term adherence to recommendations for limiting or excluding various foods from the diet, especially dairy and/or 4 or more food groups. It was revealed that it is an unbalanced diet, and not elimination itself, is the main factor that reduces the nutritional status of a child. Additional risk factors for impaired nutritional status are the traits of children’s eating behavior caused by the disease itself and adherence to dietary measures, making it difficult to form a complete diet if a diet is necessary and to expand it. As a result, an algorithm was formed, aimed at optimizing the nutritional support of children suffering from atopic dermatitis and food allergy.