European Survey Reveals Wide-Reaching Impact of eczema on Quality of Life and Emotional Wellbeing of Children and Their Families

London (ots/PRNewswire) - New survey data released today
demonstrate that childhood eczema can have a detrimental effect on
quality of life not only for the children who live with the disease,
but also for their families.[1a] The survey, which was carried out in
eight countries across Europe, examines the impact of eczema on
European children through the eyes of the parents who care for them.

The survey findings show that childhood eczema can negatively
affect all aspects of life, from participation in education to self
esteem, in particular for children with moderate or severe form of
the disease.1a Children with moderate and severe eczema miss out on
school or nursery as well as sport and play - over a quarter (27%) of
children miss up to five days of school a year due to their
disease.[1b] Furthermore, nearly one fifth (18%) miss out on sport
and play due to their eczema.[1c] This has an impact on parents too:
over a quarter (26%) of parents caring for a child with moderate and
severe eczema have to miss time at work due to their child's
illness.[1d]

Worryingly, 50% of parents of children with moderate and severe
eczema feel that the condition has a negative effect on their child's
self esteem.[1e] Almost one third of parents report that children
living with moderate and severe eczema experience frustration (32%)
and feeling different to other children (30%)[1f] and parents also
believe that their child feels 'self-conscious' and 'sad' some of the
time because of their condition.[1g] Significant pain and discomfort,
sleeping problems and mood swings are all problems experienced by one
in four children with moderate and severe eczema.[1h]

"While parents of children living with eczema know the impact
that the disease can have on children and families, it isn't always
easy for other people to understand," said Margaret Cox, Chief
Executive, National Eczema Society (UK). "We welcome the findings of
this survey in the hope that they will help everyone involved in the
care of children with eczema to understand the challenges they face.
Recognising the emotional toll that eczema can take is an important
step towards helping to identify how we can better help these
children to live and enjoy their childhoods to the full."

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is an incurable skin disease which
affects between 5% and 20% of children in developed countries.[2] In
children, 60% of eczema is diagnosed under the age of one year.[3]
Once the disease has emerged, a child will usually experience a cycle
of 'flare ups' followed by periods of remission when the disease will
appear to have gone away and the skin looks as if it has returned to
normal. Commonly, 2 out of 3 children with eczema 'grow out of it' by
their mid-teens.[4]

Eczema can cause disruptions to family daily routine, a child
suffering from moderate and severe eczema can be affected for a
significant proportion of time each month and each year.

Almost two thirds (65%) of children with moderate and severe
eczema are affected for up to 10 days per month1 and a quarter
experience between five and 10 flares per year.[1] Almost one third
(32%) of children with moderate and severe eczema experience flares
that last for up to two weeks at a time.[1]

The survey revealed that flare prevention or reduction is a
priority for parents. Parents of children with moderate and severe
eczema feel that all aspects of family life would be improved and
that their child's quality of life would be improved if he or she
experienced fewer flares.[1] Over one third believe that this would
transform their child's quality of life for the better.[1] Parents
stated pain relief as the most important treatment outcome and
approximately a quarter (24%) of parents of children with moderate
and severe eczema identified failure to prevent flares as the biggest
problem with their current treatment.[1]

"Eczema has a far more debilitating impact on a child's life than
most people understand. We manage my son's itching by constantly
moisturising his skin - which only serves to make him feel even more
different from his friends." said Suzanne Johns from Bradford,
England, whose 7-year old son was diagnosed with eczema at birth.

"Eczema is far more than dry skin or a bit of an itch. Eczema can
demand an all consuming lifestyle and coping techniques which need to
be embraced by not only the sufferer, but their family as well. Only
when people fully understand the far reaching impact of this
relentlessly itchy, intolerable skin condition can we hope for better
treatment and acceptance."

Eczema is a complicated disease for which, at present, there is
no cure. There are a range of treatments available to help to
minimise the impact of eczema. Some patients may need treatments that
are designed to be used regularly to prevent flare ups from
happening. Other treatments are used for a shorter period of time to
treat a flare up and help the skin to heal.[5]

About the survey

The Impact of Eczema on Children Survey was carried out by
Opinion Health on behalf of Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. The online
survey involved 1,600 parents of children with eczema in total (754
of which were parents of children with moderate to severe eczema),
comprising 200 from each of eight countries across Europe (Denmark,
France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK). The
aim of the survey was to explore the impact of eczema and its
management on the quality of life of children, their parents and
families.

About Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.

Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., located in the UK, is a European
subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a
pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people
around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable
pharmaceuticals. The organisation is committed to becoming a global
company by combining outstanding R&D and marketing capabilities and
continuing to grow in the world pharmaceutical market. Astellas
Pharma Europe Ltd. is responsible for 20 affiliate offices located
across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, an R&D site and three
manufacturing plants. The company employs approximately 3,800 staff
across these regions. For more information about Astellas Pharma
Europe, please visit http://www.astellas.eu.

References

---------------------------------

[1] APEL Quality of Life market research, 2010

[2] Leung DY, Boguniewicz M, Howell MD, et al. New insights into
atopic dermatitis. J Clin Invest 2004; 113: 651-7.

[3] Kay J et al., J. Am. Acad. Derm 1994 ;30 ; 1 :35-39

[4] National Eczema Society, Atopic Eczema, Available from:
http://www.eczema.org/atopic.html Lasted accessed November2010

[5] National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's
Health (2007) Atopic eczema in children: full guideline, National
Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Available from:
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/EczemaFullGuideline.pdf Last
accessed August 2010

For more information on eczema, please visit the National Eczema
Society website at http://www.eczema.org

ots Originaltext: Astellas Pharma Europe Limited
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Contacts for enquiry or additional information: Astellas
PharmaEurope, Mindy Dooa, Corporate Communications Director,
Tel:+44(0)1784-419-408, Mobile:+44(0)7826-912-339,
Email:mindy.dooa@eu.astellas.com