IntroductionAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a frequent chronic skin disease in infants. It creates great difficulties, both diagnostic and therapeutic.AimTo assess the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in infants during the first 6 months of life.Material and methodsThe analysis comprised 2256 children at the age of not more than 6 months, treated at the 2nd Department of Paediatrics and Allergology of the Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital in Lodz, Poland, during seven years. Out of all the patients, children with cutaneous changes were isolated, and the location, type and aetiology of changes were assessed.ResultsDermal changes were diagnosed in 471 children, including 391 (17.3% of all the patients) with atopic dermatitis. Out of the children with AD, IgE-dependent allergy was identified in 39.9%. Cow's milk protein was the most frequent sensitising allergen. In 71.6% of the infants, cutaneous changes were disseminated and involved at least two areas of the body. All of them were strongly itching. An applied elimination diet, together with anti-allergic medications in some of the children, provided a clear clinical improvement.ConclusionsPerformed studies demonstrated the prevalence of atopic dermatitis in 17.3% of examined children. The changes in children with AD were disseminated, what was confirmed already at the infantile age. The obtained clinical improvement after the applied therapy indicates a relationship between the observed symptoms and allergic disease.

We evaluated the usefulness of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and of the sTfR/log ferritin index(sTfR/logF) in the differentiation of anemia in young children. 96 children, aged 6-36 months, were examined.From these, four groups were distinguished: 1 - (IDA): 33 children with anemia due to iron deficiency; 2 -(IA): 19 children with infectious anemia without iron deficiency; 3 - (IA + ID): 16 children with infectious anemia and iron deficiency; and 4 - a comparator group (CG): 28 healthy children without iron deficiency. The soluble transferrin receptor, hematological indices and iron balance were evaluated and the sTfR/logF was calculated for each examined child. It was proved that the mean values of sTfR and sTfR/logF were substantially higher in children with anemia due to iron deficiency, and in those with infectious anemia and iron deficiency,vs. those with infectious anemia or in healthy children. This suggests that both sTfR and the sTfR/logF are good indicators of iron deficiency and could be useful in the differential diagnostics of anemia, especially in young children.

Abstract:We evaluated the usefulness of soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and of the sTfR/log ferritin index (sTfR/logF) in the differentiation of anemia in young children. 96 children, aged 6-36 months, were examined. From these, four groups were distinguished: 1 -(IDA): 33 children with anemia due to iron deficiency; 2 -(IA): 19 children with infectious anemia without iron deficiency; 3 -(IA + ID): 16 children with infectious anemia and iron deficiency; and 4 -a comparator group (CG): 28 healthy children without iron deficiency. The soluble transferrin receptor, hematological indices and iron balance were evaluated and the sTfR/logF was calculated for each examined child. It was proved that the mean values of sTfR and sTfR/logF were substantially higher in children with anemia due to iron deficiency, and in those with infectious anemia and iron deficiency, vs. those with infectious anemia or in healthy children. This suggests that both sTfR and the sTfR/logF are good indicators of iron deficiency and could be useful in the differential diagnostics of anemia, especially in young children.