Atopic dermatitis and gestational age – is there an association between them? A review of the literature and an analysis of pathology

INTRODUCTION: The connection between prematurity and atopic dermatitis (AD) is an intensively investigated topic with existing knowledge gaps. The last review with a meta-analysis in this field was published in 2018. Since then, there have been great advances in the comprehension of AD pathophysiology. AIM: To update the knowledge and to discuss the recent findings in the field of AD and its association with prematurity in light of the newest publications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search of Medline was conducted, limited to the last eleven years. The screening of the full version of English articles was performed to ensure the fulfilment of the selection criteria. RESULTS: Thirteen articles met the inclusion criteria, with a total of over 4 million participants. In the majority of the studies (n = 8), prematurity was associated with a lower risk of atopic dermatitis, although there were also publications (n = 5) that did not find an association between these factors. CONCLUSIONS: According to this study, prematurity is associated with a lower risk of atopic dermatitis.