INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of allergic diseases is increasing worldwide. Phototherapy has been identified as a potential risk factor associated with childhood allergic diseases, including allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, our aim is to assess the relationship between phototherapy and these common childhood allergic diseases.
METHODS: We analyzed 621 children between the ages of 3-17, including a patient group of 371 who received phototherapy during the neonatal period and a control group of 250 who did not receive phototherapy. The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) survey was administered to all cases. For participants with allergic diseases, plasma eosinophil and total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels were analyzed, and a skin prick test was conducted.
RESULTS: There was no statistically significant association between the patient and control groups in terms of the diagnosis of wheeze/asthma, AR, AD, and phototherapy treatment. The percentage of eosinophilia was significantly higher in the patient group (p=0.01). Cesarean section was more frequent in the control group (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to our study, there was no significant relationship between phototherapy treatment and the incidence of childhood asthma, AR, and AD.
Keywords: Allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, children, phototherapy.