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Increasing prevalence of sensitization to preservatives in children
Author(s) -
Giusti Francesca,
Mondino M,
Seidenari S
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/j.0105-1873.2004.0309ff.x
Subject(s) - paraben , medicine , preservative , allergic contact dermatitis , dermatology , allergy , contact dermatitis , sensitization , cosmetics , population , thiomersal , environmental health , food science , immunology , pathology , chemistry
The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of contact sensitization to preservatives in a pediatric population and to compare the data to our previous findings referring to the period 1988–1994. From January 1995 to December 2002, 1255 patients aged 7 months‐12 years, 583 boys and 672 girls, with suspected allergic contact dermatitis underwent patch testing with our pediatric series of 30 allergens including 5 different preservatives: methyldibromoglutaronitrile, methyl(chloro)isothiazolinone, imidazolidinyl urea, paraben mix, and formaldehyde. Of the 1255 children tested, 108 (8.6%), 52 boys and 56 girls, showed positive reactions to 1 or more of the preservatives listed above. In particular, 55 subjects reacted to methyl(chloro)isothiazolinone, 22 to methyldibromoglutaronitrile, 20 to paraben mix, 17 to formaldehyde, and 13 to imidazolidinyl urea. Among our preservative‐positive children, 77% of patients reacted to other haptens of the series, and 44% were affected by atopic dermatitis. In comparison with our previous data referring to the period 1988–1994, a significant increase has been observed in the frequency of positive reactions to methyldibromoglutaronitrile, paraben mix, and formaldehyde. Our findings confirm the importance of patch testing children with preservatives since the wider and wider use of cosmetics in the pediatric age.