An Alberta family hopes sharing their experience with a skin treatment for atopic dermatitis can help others in need of relief. “I’m forever grateful. It was very impactful in our lives,” said Crystal Sullivan, who has two daughters who faced the skin condition, one of the most common types of eczema in young kids. Thousands of Canadians as young as six weeks old can be impacted by atopic dermatitis, but the most prevalent form of it in young children is more than just a rash. “Special moments that you miss because your child is in pain,” Sullivan said. Scratching can lead to bleeding, scarring and secondary infections. “She doesn’t want to do certain things because her legs hurt (and) her arms — and with my other daughter it was right on her face. She was so young at that time, but I knew it bothered her,” Sullivan said. More than 76 per cent of eczema patients reported a moderate-to-very-severe impact on their self-esteem, according to a national survey by the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance. It can also impact social interactions and sleep. “In children, it’s a real issue,” said Dr. Vimal Prajapati, a clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary and co-founder and co-director of the Skin Health and Wellness Centre. “Without proper, uninterrupted sleep you do not get growth hormone production.” Prajapti led a clinical trial in Calgary for a treatment called Zoryve. One of Sullivan’s daughters participated and tested the non-corticosteroid ointment. Steroid ointments work well, but if used a lot they can have serious side effects like thinning of the skin. “Having non-corticosteroid topical treatments that are effective and safe in the younger population is super important, because many of these children are going to need long-term treatment,” Prajapti said. He says the majority of atopic dermatitis pediatric patients will grow out of the condition by the age of 18, but that could still be many years of treatment. In addition, 25 per cent of patients will still have the condition in adulthood. Zoryve, or roflumilast cream, at a 0.05 per cent dosage is now approved in Canada for kids between two and five. It was previously approved for older ages in higher doses. Family doctors or dermatologists can prescribe it, and many private insurance companies in Canada cover the cost. “We have the ability to essentially clear atopic dermatitis and have an individual, even in the pediatric age group, live essentially a normal life,” Prajapti said. It’s a huge relief to the Sullivan family, who said summer outings and vacations were often impacted because heat and sunscreen triggered flare-ups in her daughters’ skin. “It doesn’t have to be the focus of every occasion. That is just priceless,” Sullivan said. For many others it’s cold, dry, windy climate that causes flare-ups. The Zoryve clinical trial included 20 children from Alberta, more than any other area in the world.
