DERMATOLOGY: CHILD AND CONTACT DERMATITIS. DR. JOSHUA FOX, leading dermatologist and founder of ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY and THE CENTER FOR LASER AND COSMETIC SURGERY:
“Approximately 20 percent of all children at some time have contact dermatitis — redness, swelling, itching and flaking of the skin. This is the result of an allergen’s direct contact with the skin; the longer the substance remains on the skin, oftentimes, the more severe the reaction. Approximately 20-35 percent of healthy children react to one or more allergens on standard patch tests. Family history is also a good predictor. Children whose parents have contact dermatitis are 60 percent more likely to have positive patch test results.”