Complementary and Integrative Therapies for Childhood Atopic Dermatitis

Background: Childhood atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes significant psychological and financial costs to the individual and society. Treatment regimens may require long-term medication adherence and can be associated with poor patient satisfaction. There is considerable interest in complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) approaches for childhood atopic dermatitis. Objective: To assess the effects of CIM approaches on childhood atopic dermatitis outcomes as defined by randomized, controlled clinical trials. Methods: A PubMed review of CIM-related treatments for pediatric atopic dermatitis was performed, and data related to age, study population, efficacy, treatment regimen, length of treatment, and sample size were included. Results: The search yielded 20 trials related to probiotic/prebiotic treatments for atopic dermatitis, three on the effects of vitamins on children with atopic dermatitis, and two on the effects of Chinese herbal treatments for atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents. The strongest evidence was for supplementation with the probiotics L. fermentum and L. plantarum. Conclusions: Certain strains of probiotics, specifically L. plantarum and L. fermentum, may improve clinical severity scores in children with atopic dermatitis. However, additional trials are needed to more thoroughly delineate the effects of additional integrative therapies on childhood atopic dermatitis.