What's Living On Baby's Skin Might Predict Childhood Eczema Risk

FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — The microscopic organisms that live on a baby’s skin could provide an early warning sign of eczema or food allergies, a new study says.

Babies about to develop eczema or food allergies experience distinct changes in the trillions of microbes that form the skin’s microbiome, researchers reported recently in the journal Allergy.

Specifically, higher levels of staph bacteria on babies’ skin at 2 to 3 months old is associated with later development of eczema accompanied by food allergies, researchers found.