Natural fats in human skin could explain why some babies develop eczema

An Australian-first study has found that certain natural fats which exist in the skin of babies, called lipids, are linked to the development of eczema in children.

It is hoped this new discovery, led by researchers at the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Research Children’s Institute, in collaboration with the United States’ National Jewish Health, could help identify children at risk of developing eczema in early screening programs.

In the study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers have observed for the first time in Australian children that babies’ skin lipids, a key structure in the skin, can predict which children go on to develop eczema.

It builds on a similar study conducted in South Korea in 2023.

“These are exciting findings. We now have a better understanding of the role of skin lipids in the development of eczema, sometimes referred to as atopic dermatitis,” said senior author Professor Adrian Lowe, from the Allergy and Lung Health Unit in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.

“This helps pave the way to prevent children from developing eczema. In the future, we may be able to use these lipids in screening programs to identify which babies are at risk of developing eczema. And also, these lipids may be used in skincare products to prevent eczema.”

Eczema is the most common skin disease in children, with about one in three developing eczema in their first year of life.

The PEBBLES study included 133 infants in Australia. Skin lipids were collected when the babies were six weeks old from their forearms using a tape strip. The researchers followed children to see who developed eczema and who did not at age 1.

Professor Lowe said that children who went on to develop eczema had a lower level of a particular type of lipids called protein-bound ceramides.

“This phenomenon has also been found in a study conducted in South Korea, highlighting that these lipids are important for the development of eczema,” he said. “Currently, there are no effective ways to cure eczema despite advances in treatments in recent years.”

Preventing eczema from developing remains an important goal in the field.

“Several creams have been tested to prevent eczema, but they have not been effective. This may be because we have yet to determine which ingredients these creams need to contain.”

Professor Lowe said the next stage of research will be testing creams that can be created to promote the formation of protein-bound ceramides, and then to test if these are effective at preventing eczema.