The cumulative incidence of atopic dermatitis in the first 12 months amongChinese, Vietnamese, and Caucasian infants born in Melbourne, Australia

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD), a disease with both inherited and envir onmental components determining its clinical expression, has been reported to be more frequent in people of Asian origin. Objective: Our purpose was to compare the 12-month cumulative incidence of AD in Caucasian, Chinese, and Vietnamese babies born in Australia. Methods: Sixty-two Caucasian, 61 Chinese, and 59 Vietnamese babies born in Melbourne, Australia were examined soon after birth and then followed up fo r 12 months to assess the frequency of AD. Parental education, employment h istory, and housing conditions were also recorded. Results: AD developed in 21% of Caucasians, 44% of Chinese, and 17% of Viet namese infants. Parents of the Chinese and Caucasian infants had similar so cioeconomic and housing conditions compared with the parents of the Vietnam ese infants, who tended to be of lower socioeconomic status with communal h ousing and lack of plush-pile carpeting. Conclusion: The high incidence of AD in Chinese compared with Caucasian inf ants tends to reflect genetic differences between the two populations, wher eas the difference in incidence between the Chinese and Vietnamese infants possibly reflects more the environmental contribution to disease expression .