Beneficial effects of educational program for parents of atopic dermatitis infants

Abstract

Parents of children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are very anxious about eczema itself and also treatment method. We are performing group educational programs for the parents, “atopic dermatitis school for infants”, consisted of 4-week-completed weekly group sessions.
They are constituted of ‘etiology and course of atopic dermatitis’ ‘topical corticosteroids therapy’ ‘skin care’ ‘food allergy’. Quality of life of the parents by ‘questionnaire measuring quality of in primary caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis (QPCAD)’ were assessed before and after the education. Cutaneous inflammation activity is also tracked by peripheral eosinophil count and serum TARC of infants. The quality of life of the parents and clinical data were improved significantly by our group education programs. We are convinced that decrease of anxiety in the parents achieves favorable result in both disease outcome of the infants and their parents quality of life.Skin Research, Suppl. 18: 57-60, 2012