Atopic Dermatitis Treatment in Infants Should Not Wait | Fall Clinical Derm 2025

Atopic dermatitis treatment is beginning earlier due to a changing disease demographic, according to Lawrence Eichenfield, M.D., chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego.

“When we started, the demographic of [atopic dermatitis] was a lot of teens, but now it's probably 60% children under a year and a half, or two years of age,” Eichenfield said during a video interview with Managed Healthcare Executive.

Eichenfield said that depending on severity, atopic dermatitis treatment is begun right away in these younger patients because if left untreated, it could lead to infections, skin discoloration or scarring.

On Oct. 25, he will present a session at the 2025 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, ‘Pediatric Dermatology - Who Has Better Pearls?’ The conference is held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Oct. 23 to 26.