P11 Pooling the evidence: a review of swimming and atopic dermatitis

• Published in: British journal of dermatology (1951) 2023-08, Vol.189 (3), p.e47-e47
• Main Authors: O’Connor, Cathal, McCarthy, Siobhan, Murphy, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0007-0963; 1365-2133
• DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad259.021

Swimming is an excellent form of aerobic exercise and is an essential life skill. Many children with atopic dermatitis (AD) are advised not to swim because of concerns about negative impacts on their skin disease, and some children with AD do not swim because they are self-conscious about the appearance of their skin. We aimed to review the available literature on swimming and AD and scientifically analyse the potential impact of all components of swimming in AD – water, skin barrier, swimming gear and exercise. Studies examined the impact of swimming on the skin barrier and relative contraindications to swimming. Constituents of water that may affect AD include hardness, pH, temperature, antiseptics and other chemicals. Potential interventions to reduce damage included emollient application, special swim gear, and showering post-submersion. The benefits of swimming as a form of exercise in AD included reduced sweating, cardiorespiratory fitness and maintenance of healthy weight. Drawbacks of swimming as a form of exercise in AD included the limited benefit on bone mineral density. Future research should examine the impact of swimming on flares of AD using noninvasive biomarkers as well as clinical severity assessment, and assess the role for different types of emollient as an intervention for optimal eczema control. Based on the review we provide new guidance on how to advise parents and children with AD regarding general measures, swim wear, and pool-side interventions to minimize any deleterious effect on skincare, and maximize opportunities to swim.