Italian researchers have developed a simple test using sticky tape that can predict whether newborns will go on to to develop childhood eczema.
Their research showed that newborns with higher levels of the compound thymus and activation-regulated chemokine were more than twice as likely to to have developed eczema two years later.
The condition affects up to one in five children, causing cracked and itchy skin which can become infected. Discovering the risk early on would help doctors to treat and prevent the skin problem.
Source: Sticky tape eczema test for newborns gives medics an early warning about the painful skin disease. Daily Mail Health Notes: 14 Sept. 2022.
