Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study

Abstract The anatomical and functional basis for pruritus is present from birth. However, pruritus in this population is largely underestimated. The aim of this study was to analyze behaviors potentially associated with pruritus in infants under 6 months suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD). Infant...

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Main Authors: Adrien Boyard, Camille Cosnard, David Simon, Camille Le Pors, Claire Abasq-Thomas, Marine Grandgeorge, Laurent Misery, Séverine Henry, Jean-Michel Roué
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93412-8
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author Adrien Boyard
Camille Cosnard
David Simon
Camille Le Pors
Claire Abasq-Thomas
Marine Grandgeorge
Laurent Misery
Séverine Henry
Jean-Michel Roué
author_facet Adrien Boyard
Camille Cosnard
David Simon
Camille Le Pors
Claire Abasq-Thomas
Marine Grandgeorge
Laurent Misery
Séverine Henry
Jean-Michel Roué
author_sort Adrien Boyard
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The anatomical and functional basis for pruritus is present from birth. However, pruritus in this population is largely underestimated. The aim of this study was to analyze behaviors potentially associated with pruritus in infants under 6 months suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD). Infants under 6 months of age were enrolled in two arms: a healthy group and a group with moderate or severe AD. Infants were videotaped for at least 5 min and videos were analyzed by ethologists using the scan-sampling method. Thirty-four infants aged 2.5–5.5 months were included, 9 healthy infants and 25 infants with AD. Hand movements were more frequent in the AD group than in the healthy infants (p < 0.01). Video analysis revealed the presence of self-contact with grasping movements, which could be identified as immature scratching behavior. The statistical distribution of this behavior was greater in the AD group (p 0.03). Correlation analyses showed that this scratching behavior was associated with SCORAD (p 0.04), but not with age. This is the first study to highlight behaviors that can be identified in infants with pruritus before they develop the motor capacity to scratch.
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spelling doaj-art-940b6572810b41c4b51e3a3f04ef47d42025-08-20T02:17:01ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-011511910.1038/s41598-025-93412-8Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot studyAdrien Boyard0Camille Cosnard1David Simon2Camille Le Pors3Claire Abasq-Thomas4Marine Grandgeorge5Laurent Misery6Séverine Henry7Jean-Michel Roué8Department of Dermatology and French Expert Center on Pruritus, Brest University HospitalCNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie UnivDepartment of Clinical Research and Innovation, Brest University HospitalUniv Brest, LIENDepartment of Dermatology and French Expert Center on Pruritus, Brest University HospitalCNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie UnivDepartment of Dermatology and French Expert Center on Pruritus, Brest University HospitalCNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, Univ Rennes, Normandie UnivUniv Brest, LIENAbstract The anatomical and functional basis for pruritus is present from birth. However, pruritus in this population is largely underestimated. The aim of this study was to analyze behaviors potentially associated with pruritus in infants under 6 months suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD). Infants under 6 months of age were enrolled in two arms: a healthy group and a group with moderate or severe AD. Infants were videotaped for at least 5 min and videos were analyzed by ethologists using the scan-sampling method. Thirty-four infants aged 2.5–5.5 months were included, 9 healthy infants and 25 infants with AD. Hand movements were more frequent in the AD group than in the healthy infants (p < 0.01). Video analysis revealed the presence of self-contact with grasping movements, which could be identified as immature scratching behavior. The statistical distribution of this behavior was greater in the AD group (p 0.03). Correlation analyses showed that this scratching behavior was associated with SCORAD (p 0.04), but not with age. This is the first study to highlight behaviors that can be identified in infants with pruritus before they develop the motor capacity to scratch.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93412-8Atopic dermatitisPruritusInfantsBehavioral assessment
spellingShingle Adrien Boyard
Camille Cosnard
David Simon
Camille Le Pors
Claire Abasq-Thomas
Marine Grandgeorge
Laurent Misery
Séverine Henry
Jean-Michel Roué
Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
Scientific Reports
Atopic dermatitis
Pruritus
Infants
Behavioral assessment
title Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
title_full Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
title_fullStr Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
title_full_unstemmed Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
title_short Evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants: a pilot study
title_sort evidences for gestures associated with pruritus in very young infants a pilot study
topic Atopic dermatitis
Pruritus
Infants
Behavioral assessment
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93412-8
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