Contact Allergy in Children in Europe: A Proposal for a Paediatric European Baseline Series

Contact Dermatitis

Clinical Summary

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What was studied

Multicenter aggregation of pediatric patch test data from 13 European centers in 12 countries, covering 1816 children (0–16 years; 60.5% girls) tested in 2018–2022 with the adult European baseline series and other frequent allergens, to propose a pediatric baseline series using a ≥1% positive reaction threshold (lower 95% CI).

Key findings

Seventeen allergens from the adult European baseline series met the ≥1% positive threshold (lower 95% CI) in children; common groups were metals, fragrances, and preservatives. Tixocortol-21-pivalate was included despite lower frequency; hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool, Amerchol L-101, and sorbitan sesquioleate were additional frequent allergens, yielding 18 potential core allergens plus 7 recommended additions.

Clinical implications

When patch testing children in Europe, consider a core set of 18 frequent allergens—dominated by metals, fragrances, and preservatives—and also test for limonene/linalool hydroperoxides, Amerchol L-101, sorbitan sesquioleate, and tixocortol-21-pivalate. These findings support establishing a pediatric European baseline series.