Wet Wraps Cut Need For Drugs In Kids With Eczema

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DENVER, CO -- July 8, 2014 -- The number of children with atopic dermatitis, often referred to as eczema, is on the rise. Some estimate that one in five children in the U.S. now suffers from the painful, itchy skin condition. In an effort to control their symptoms, many children are prescribed powerful medications like immunosuppressants or topical steroids. 
 


“Those medications can be effective, but they also can be a cause for concern for a lot of parents, especially when they’re used long term,” said Mark Boguniewicz, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. “Many families worry about the side effects those drugs might have on their child’s blood pressure, or on their bones and kidneys,” said Boguniewicz. “The problem is, there aren’t many effective alternatives.”



To help find simpler, safer treatment options, researchers at National Jewish Health evaluated an approach known as wet wrap therapy. First described in 1987, wet wrap therapy has rarely been studied and has never been used as a standardized treatment for children with atopic dermatitis. “Hopefully, that’s about to change,” said Boguniewicz. 
 


The technique involves just a few simple steps. First, a child soaks in a bathtub of warm water for about 20 minutes. After the child is removed from the tub, topical medications are quickly applied to eczematous areas and creams or ointments to the clear skin while the skin is still damp. . Then, the child is immediately dressed in wet clothing or wraps to seal in the moisture, followed by a layer of dry clothing. After at least two hours the clothing is removed.



It seems like a fairly simple and straightforward approach, but a new study co-authored by Boguniewicz, Noreen Nicol, PhD, and Mary Klinnert, PhD, in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice shows it can have profound effects. After being treated by health care teams at National Jewish Health, children who underwent in-patient therapy saw an average reduction in symptoms of 71 percent, they maintained healthy skin a month after returning home, and, perhaps most important, did so without relying solely on medications typically prescribed to these patients.

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