Evaluating Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Infants at High Risk of Atopy

Hypothesis: Skin Barrier Dysfunction With Altered Expression of Skin Barrier Proteins and Lipids Predicts Early Food Sensitizations in Infants at High Risk of Atopy

It is hypothesized that food allergy is preceded by atopic dermatitis (AD), due to a disruption of skin barrier which can predispose one to food sensitization through the skin. The central hypothesis is that increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) assessment and skin tape strip analysis (STS) of lipid and filaggrin breakdown products will be predictive markers for the development of AD. Additionally, the associated changes in TEWL and STS will further improve the identification of infants at risk of early food sensitization, compared to family history alone.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women with physician confirmed pregnancy at a gestational age of ≥ 34 weeks. Infants at high risk for atopy will have one or both parents affected by an allergic disease. Infants at low risk for atopy will have no parent or sibling affected by allergic disease. Biologic parent(s) of infants at high risk of atopy will also be enrolled in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy loss or delivery prior to a gestational age of ≥ 34 weeks, a history of substance or alcohol abuse, psychiatric and developmental co-morbidities that would render a subject unable to provide informed consent or perform study-related procedures, AIDS and HIV infection, or a fetus with chromosomal or congenital abnormalities.