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Allergy trial 'disappointing' – The Age

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Probiotic Effects in Infants Last Until 4 Years of Age – Medscape

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Sunlight can ward off food allergies – Ninemsn

Sunlight could help ward off the onset of food allergies and eczema in children.

A study of 7600 Australians by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found that those in southern parts of the country were more likely to develop eczema and food allergies than those who lived further north.

Lead researcher Katie Allen said the results support the hypothesis that sunlight, or more specifically vitamin D, may play a role in the development of such ailments.

The study also showed that children aged between eight and nine who lived in Australia’s south had a six-times greater chance of having a peanut allergy than their northern counterparts.

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The National Eczema Association Awards Four MD Moms Products Seal of Acceptance – PR Newswire (press release)

LOS ANGELES, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The National Eczema Association (NEA) — a non-profit organization devoted to improving the health and quality of life for those living with eczema — awarded MD Moms’ Daily Skin Protection Moisturizing Balm, fragrance-free Daily Skin Protection Moisturizing Balm, Gentle All-Over Clean Hair and Body Wash and fragrance-free Gentle All-Over Clean Hair and Body Wash its NEA Seal of Acceptance.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110714/CG35727)

Products eligible for the NEA Seal of Acceptance are those that have been created or intended for use by persons with eczema or severe sensitive skin conditions and that have satisfied the NEA Seal of Acceptance Criteria. The Seal of Acceptance criteria includes a list of ingredients and contents that should be avoided because they contain known irritants or allergens. The NEA Seal of Acceptance Review Panel considers testing data on sensitivity, safety, and toxicity, as well as the ingredients, content, and formulation data. Acceptance of a specific product does not represent an endorsement of that product. Acceptance of a product means that the product has been evaluated to determine that it does not contain ingredients or contents that are known to be unsuitable for use by persons with eczema or sensitive skin conditions.

Dr. JJ Levenstein and Dr. Diane Truong diligently worked to create products that are free of phthalates, irritants and allergens and that can be used on sensitive skin.  All MD Moms products are made with pure, high-quality ingredients such as marine silk, Vitamins E and B5, aloe and shea butter, among others.

While developing the awarded products, the MD Moms safety and regulatory teams reviewed its fragrance carefully and developed products with potential irritating or sensitizing ingredients at concentration levels thought to be insignificant for most patients with sensitive skin or eczema.  After adding the fragrance to each product’s formulas, MD Moms re-tested the finished products for irritation on sensitive skin (RIPT).  The finished products scored 0 on a scale of 4 (0 meaning no reaction, 4 meaning severe redness with skin breakdown).  Responsible clinical testing allows MD Moms to claim its products as hypoallergenic.

For those interested in a fragrance-free option, MD Moms’ fragrance-free Moisturizing Balm and Hair and Body Wash are also clinically tested and free of harmful chemicals and known skin irritants.  

“We are pleased to award the selection of MD Moms fragrance and fragrance-free products our Seal of Acceptance,” said Julie Block, President and CEO of NEA. “All products that receive the National Eczema Association Seal have been reviewed to determine that they do not contain ingredients that are known to be unsuitable for use by persons with eczema or sensitive skin conditions.  The Seal of Acceptance program is intended to empower consumers to make educated purchase decisions.”

The most current formulations of MD Moms’ Daily Skin Protection Moisturizing Balm and Gentle All-Over Clean Hair and Body Wash are now available with the NEA Seal of Acceptance on the label.  Consumers are advised to look for the NEA Seal on MD Moms packaging for the products awarded the NEA Seal. The items will be sold at www.mdmoms.com as well as specialty and independent retailers.

The Daily Skin Protection Moisturizing Balm’s suggested retail price is $20.  The Gentle All-Over Clean Hair and Body Wash’s suggested retail price is $18.

SOURCE MD Moms

RELATED LINKS
http://www.mdmoms.com

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Sunshine Answer to Eczema and Allergies? – Pirate FM

Posted 6:09am 9th February 2012.

Researchers from Cornwall think the key to beating childhood eczema and allergies could be sunshine.

Teams from The Knowledge Spa in Truro have been studying groups living in areas where there is lots of it and those living in duller climates.

Their conclusion is that kids who are often out in the sun have fewer intolerances than those who are not.

Doctor Nick Osborne led the research. He said, “Obviously too much sunshine can be bad for you. But take it easy in the sun and it can provide a healthy option for your family. We are starting to get a body of evidence that will lead us to some conclusions about the importance vitamin D. In fact there are some trials starting up where people are getting capsules of vitamin D and hopefully that will provide even better evidence.”

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Men with eczema at higher risk for erectile dysfunction? – ABC7Chicago.com

  February 8, 2012 (WLS) — Men who have eczema may be at a higher risk for erectile dysfunction.

The study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found men with ED were 60 percent more likely to have a history of eczema.

But experts say though the findings are interesting there are too many limitations in the study to know whether there is a direct link.

But authors of the study say doctors should be more attentive to sexual complaints from men with eczema.

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Eczema tied to higher impotence risk – HealthNews

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Men who have the allergic skin condition eczema may have a higher risk of erectile dysfunction than other men, a new study finds.

The study, of nearly 4,000 Taiwanese men with ED, hints at a connection between eczema and impotence.

And the researchers suggest that doctors “be more attentive to sexual complaints” from men with eczema — known medically as atopic dermatitis.

But an allergy expert not involved in the study said that while the findings are “interesting,” there are too many limitations to know whether eczema actually raises the risk of ED.

“More studies are needed to confirm that atopic dermatitis alone may be a cause of ED,” Dr. Donald Leung, an allergist/immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, told Reuters Health in an email.

It’s well known that some chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes, are connected to a higher ED risk. That’s thought to be related to dysfunction in the blood vessels and nerves.

And some past studies have found that men with certain inflammatory skin conditions, like psoriasis, have a higher rate of ED than other men.

So for the new study, Dr. Shiu-Dong Chung and colleagues at Taipei Medical University looked at whether there might be a link between eczema and ED.

The researchers combed through insurance claims data on 3,997 men with newly diagnosed ED, and compared them with nearly 20,000 men the same age with no known history of ED.

Chung’s team found that almost 11 percent of men with ED had had eczema before the impotence diagnosis. By comparison, just under seven percent of men without ED had a history of eczema.

After the researchers weighed other factors — including health problems like diabetes and heart disease — they found that men with ED were 60 percent more likely to have a history of eczema than were men without sexual problems.

The findings appear in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Exactly what they mean is unclear.

One question is why skin diseases like psoriasis or eczema would be linked to ED. It’s possible, according to Chung’s team, that the underlying inflammation of the diseases — which may affect not only the skin, but also blood vessels — is to blame.

But the study had a number of limitations, Leung pointed out.

One is that it relied on administrative claims, which may not be accurate. And it’s not clear whether the men had eczema at the time of the ED diagnosis, or at some point years earlier, Leung said.

And the researchers themselves acknowledge that they had no information on men’s lifestyle habits or family history. Some of those factors might help account for the connection between eczema and ED.

Leung also noted that any chronic health condition could potentially create “emotional stress” for a couple.

“Future studies are recommended,” Chung’s team writes, “both to replicate the results seen here and to clarify the mechanisms behind them.”

Still, the researchers suggest that doctors ask men with eczema about their sexual function, as part of “routine holistic care.”

Leung had a similar conclusion. “In any case,” he said, “it is reasonable to conclude from this study that atopic dermatitis patients complaining of ED should be heeded.”

None of the researchers on the work reports any financial conflicts of interest.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/yI9DBP Journal of Sexual Medicine, online January 12, 2012.

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Sunshine likely to protect kids from eczema – Times of India

Sunshine likely to protect kids from eczema – Times Of India You are here: Home>Collections>EczemaSunshine likely to protect kids from eczemaIANS Feb 5, 2012, 03.39PM ISTTags:sunlight|Food|Eczema|children(Sunshine likely to protect kids from eczema (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images))

Increased exposure to sunlight may help protect children from the risk of both food allergies and eczema, a study reveals.

Researchers from the European Centre for Environment & Human Health, along with Australian institutions, have found that children living in areas with lower levels of sunlight are at greater risk of developing food allergies and eczema.

Researchers used data from a study of Australian children and analysed how rates of food allergy, eczema and asthma varied throughout the country, the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reported.

The report builds upon existing evidence that suggests exposure to the sun may play a role in rising levels of food allergy and eczema, a university statement said.

Sunlight is important because it provides our body with the fuel to create vitamin D in the skin, and locations closer to the equator typically receive higher levels of sunshine.

Nick Osborne, who led the research, believes these findings provide us with an important insight into the prevalence of food allergies and eczema, which appear to be on the increase.

“This investigation has further underlined the association between food allergies, eczema and where you live,” said Osborne.

Osborne will present the findings at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Orlando on Mar 6.

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September 25, 2011IN-DEPTH COVERAGEEczemaFood AllergiesTHE TIMES OF INDIA© 2012 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reservedIndex by Keyword|Index by Datewww.timesofindia.comFeedback|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use|Advertise with us document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src=’” + (document.location.protocol == “https:” ? “https://sb” : “http://b”) + “.scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js’ %3E%3C/script%3E”)); COMSCORE.beacon({ c1:2, c2:6036484, c3:”", c4:”", c5:”", c6:”", c15:”" });

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Eczema tied to higher impotence risk – Fox News

Men who have the allergic skin condition eczema may have a higher risk of erectile dysfunction than other men, according to a study.

Though the study of several thousand men with erectile dysfunction (ED), which appeared in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, addressed a link, researchers said more study is needed and it is still too soon to confirm that eczema alone can cause impotence.

“There was an association between ED and prior atopic dermatitis,” wrote lead researcher Shiu-Dong Chung and colleagues at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan. Atopic dermatitis is the medical term for eczema.

“Future studies are recommended, both to replicate the results seen here and to clarify the mechanisms behind them.”

It’s well known that some chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes, are connected to a higher risk of erectile dysfunction, perhaps due to dysfunction in the blood vessels and nerves.

Some past studies have also found that men with certain inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis, have a higher rate of erectile dysfunction than other men.

Chung and colleagues looked through insurance claims data on 3,997 men with newly diagnosed erectile dysfunction, and compared them with nearly 20,000 men the same age with no known history of erectile dysfunction.

Almost 11 percent of men with erectile dysfunction had eczema before the impotence diagnosis. By comparison, just under seven percent of men without erectile dysfunction had a history of eczema.

After the researchers weighed other factors, including health problems such as diabetes and heart disease, they found that men with erectile dysfunction were 60 percent more likely to have a history of eczema than men without ED.

What the findings mean is unclear.

One question is why skin diseases like eczema or psoriasis would be linked to erectile dysfunction. Chung’s team said it’s possible that the underlying inflammation of the diseases, which may affect blood vessels as well as the skin, is to blame.

Allergy expert Donald Leung, an allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, said the results were “interesting” but the study had limitations.

One is that it relied on administrative claims, which may not be accurate. It was also not clear whether the men had eczema at the time of the erectile dysfunction diagnosis or at some point years earlier, said Leung, who did not take part in the study.

“More studies are needed to confirm that atopic dermatitis alone may be a cause of ED,” Leung told Reuters Health in an email, noting that any chronic health condition potentially creates emotional stress for a couple.

Chung and his team agreed, acknowledging that they had no information on the men’s lifestyle habits or family history, and some of those factors could help account for the connection between eczema and impotence.

Still, they suggested that doctors ask men with eczema about their sexual function, as part of “routine holistic care.”

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Some pregnancy myths – Jamaica Gleaner : Eczema.

When I was pregnant with my first child, my mother’s helper informed me that if I drank too much milk my baby would get eczema. Although my initial reaction was to see this as a myth I still conducted some research and found nothing to support this claim. Fortunately, my son does not have eczema.

It is not unusual for pregnant women to receive a variety of advice and/or warnings during their pregnancy. Unfortunately, though well-intentioned, sometimes these bits of advice leave many expectant mothers feeling worried and confused. Let’s look at some of the myths.

1.You are now eating for two

I would answer yes and no to this myth. Yes, a pregnant woman has to consider the developing baby for both the types of foods she eats and quantity, but remember she is not eating for two adults and she only needs about 300 extra calories per day and she could meet this requirement by consuming a medium-sized ripe banana and two extra glasses of low-fat milk.

2.No coffee, no caffeine

For women who enjoy that morning cup of coffee, the news is good. Assuming that an average cup of coffee contains 100mg of caffeine, research suggests that she can consume up to three cups of coffee per day. Otherwise she may increase her risk of miscarriages and having a baby that is smaller than expected.

3.No sex during pregnancy

I find this question particularly important for the spouses of my patients. To the relief of many men, this is untrue for the most part. A woman with a normal healthy pregnancy can have sex throughout the pregnancy. However, if she has certain conditions such as placenta previa where the placenta covers the cervix, or she is at a high risk for preterm labour, the couple should avoid intercourse.

3.Don’t exercise during pregnancy

While this is true for pregnant women with certain high-risk conditions such as preterm labour, incompetent cervix and heart disease, exercise is recommended for healthy women with a normal pregnancy. If a woman exercised regularly prior to pregnancy, she can continue to be active with a few modifications. If she rarely or never exercised prior to pregnancy, she would still benefit from about a half hour of exercise each day but this certainly is not the time to sign up for a marathon.

4. If you have a craving for a certain food and you don’t eat it, and you scratch your body, the baby will have a birthmark resembling the food that you did not eat

I find this one particularly interesting because some people insist that it is true with various stories to prove it. Birthmarks can vary in size from a few millimetres to several centimetres and some even need to be removed surgically. However, the bottom line about birthmarks is that no scientific cause has been found.

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.

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