Allergy to fragrance is rising in kids: study

Patch-testing study shows one third of referred children have allergic contact dermatitis, and exposure to cosmetics may be partly to blame
Patch test

The use of cosmetics at a younger age may be contributing to a rise in skin allergy to fragrances among children, Australian researchers say.  

The team from the Occupational Dermatology Research and Education Centre in Melbourne carried out a retrospective analysis of patch-test data from 500 under-17s spanning 25 years.

They found 58% had a positive patch test and 38% had a relevant positive patch test.

The most common diagnosis among children was atopic dermatitis, which affected 41.5%.