- Most Homeless Americans Are Battling Mental Illness
- FDA Recalls Heart Failure Devices Linked to Injuries and Deaths
- COVID Does Not Spur Asthma in Kids, Study Finds
- Birth Control Pill Might Lower Odds for Sports Injuries
- Weight-loss Drug Zepbound Eases Sleep Apnea in Company Trials
- Mouse Study Shows Microplastics Migrating From Gut to Other Organs
- New Brain Target Key to Easing Tough-to-Treat Epilepsy
- Why Healthy Eating Is Key for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Placenta Plays Role in Gestational Diabetes, Study Suggests
- Some Gut Bugs May Help Lower Your Cholesterol
‘Hard’ Tap Water Linked to Eczema in Babies
“Hard,” mineral-laden water may increase the risk of a baby getting the skin condition eczema, a new British study suggests.
Eczema is a chronic condition marked by itchiness and rashes. The study included 1,300 3-month old infants from across the United Kingdom. Researchers checked hardness — the water’s mineral content — and chlorine levels in the water supply where the babies lived.
Babies who lived in areas with hard water were up to 87 percent more likely to have eczema, the study found.
“Our study builds on growing evidence of a link between exposure to hard water and the risk of developing eczema in childhood,” said lead author Dr. Carsten Flohr, from the Institute of Dermatology at King’s College London.
The study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship, so further research is needed to learn more about this apparent link, Flohr added.
“We are about to launch a feasibility trial to assess whether installing a water softener in the homes of high-risk children around the time of birth may reduce the risk of eczema and whether reducing chlorine levels brings any additional benefits,” Flohr said in a college news release.
Previous studies have found an association between water hardness and eczema risk in schoolchildren. This is the first study to examine the link in infants, the researchers said.
The study was published recently in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on eczema.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.