Neonatal BCG vaccine protects against early-life eczema, study says
Australia: Neonatal bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination may reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis and should be considered for children of atopic parents, a recent study in the Dermatitis journal has suggested.
Neonatal BCG vaccination, one of the most widely used vaccines globally, has been reported to have beneficial effects beyond preventing infantile tuberculous meningitis and miliary disease. Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, is a skin condition that causes itchy, dry, and inflamed skin. It commonly occurs in young children but can occur at any age. The state is chronic (long-lasting) and sometimes tends to flare. It can be irritating but not contagious.
Accumulated evidence has suggested that early life BCG vaccine could prevent atopic eczema via its beneficial off-target effects. The meta-analysis by Laure F Pittet, Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues, included three randomized control trials with similar methods and enabled robust estimations with low heterogeneity. It included a total of 5655 children randomized to early-life BCG Denmark (n = 2832) or no BCG (n = 2823).
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