Background: Atopic dermatitis prevalence has increased in the developed world in recent decades, and effective management is vital to improve patients' quality of life.
Methods: A prospective, randomized, case-control study with a purposive sample of 28 children, aged 6 months to 10 years, diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Participants received bathing instructions to be followed either daily or twice a week, with a follow-up duration of 2 weeks. Improvement of symptoms over time was measured using the SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) tool.
Results: Overall symptoms decreased significantly at follow-up compared with baseline (difference = 5.0938, confidence interval = 0.2116 to 9.9759) but the differences in scores before and after interventions were not statistically significant between the groups (difference = -1.0937, confidence interval = -5.9759 to 3.7884).
Conclusions: The frequency of bathing did not seem to play an important role in the management of atopic dermatitis. Clinicians should focus on the need for adequate skin hydration.
Keywords: atopic dermatitis; bathing; eczema; frequency.
© The Author(s) 2014.