While we don’t know exactly how eczema works yet, nor what causes it, there are several prominent theories on the topic. One of them looks in the direction of environmental contaminants affecting the body’s development during earlier years, including during pregnancy. However, recent research might indicate that this is not the case, and it could turn out that eczema is not caused by this factor at all.
The survey took pregnant women about a decade ago, and subsequently contact them for a follow-up when their children had been born and reached ages of between 5 and 9 years. The research was not only concerned with eczema, but asthma too, as it tried to find a link between various types of environmental contaminants and the likelihood of developing both conditions.
And according to the results, diisononyl phthalate was not associated with an increased risk of asthma in pretty much every case. There were also some rather unusual results, such as an inverse link between perfluoroheptanoic acid and asthma or current wheeze, although those results will likely be subjected to further studies in the future to dig deeper into them.
That’s the conclusion of the scientists involved regarding the study as a whole as well – while it does point towards certain interesting theories about what children should avoid (or not) when there is a fear of developing eczema, there will be a need for additional studies in order to truly figure out what’s going on.
In the end, eczema remains a highly controversial topic in medical and cosmetic fields, as we still don’t know exactly what causes the condition or how we can treat it most efficiently. Theories are certainly plentiful, and there’s no shortage of studies on the topic either. But it’s still a confusing condition, and some aspects of the way it operates make it even more puzzling to researchers.
The most prominent theories right now are pointing towards issues with a person’s diet, or oversensitivity to certain irritants in the environment. It could be an improper immune response, according to some studies, but the way the condition works makes it very confusing to determine exactly what it’s doing to a person’s body.
The best suggestion most physicians seem to be able to offer right now is for a person to carefully study their own patterns in order to identify any potential triggers. Eczema seems to be an individual condition to a large extent, so making sure that one understands what causes it in their own system is a very important step in defeating it. It may take some time to learn all the triggers, but it will be worth the effort in the end if it allows for a more relaxed life.