April 10, 2026

Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis in pediatric patients

Davis DMR, Alikhan A, Bercovitch L et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2028 Apr 28:S0190-9622(26)00343-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2026.02.113.

Abstract

Background

Pediatric atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disorder that significantly impacts the quality of life of affected children and their families. Multiple therapies were approved to treat AD in children and adolescents since publication of the AAD's 2014 AD guidelines.

Objective

To provide evidence-based recommendations on the use of topical therapies, phototherapy, and systemic therapies for AD in children and adolescents.

Methods

A multidisciplinary workgroup conducted a systematic review and applied the GRADE approach for assessing the certainty of evidence and formulating and grading recommendations.


Results

The workgroup developed 27 evidence-based recommendations on the medical management of pediatric AD.

Limitations

This analysis is based on the best available evidence at the time it was conducted. Most randomized controlled trials of therapies for AD are of short duration limiting long-term efficacy and safety conclusions.

Conclusions

We make strong recommendations for the use of moisturizers, topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical corticosteroids, crisaborole ointment, roflumilast cream, ruxolitinib cream, tapinarof cream, dupilumab, tralokinumab, lebrikizumab, nemolizumab with concomitant topical therapy, upadacitinib, abrocitinib, and baricitinib in the treatment of pediatric AD. We make conditional recommendations in favor of bathing, bleach baths, wet dressings, phototherapy, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, and cyclosporine. We conditionally recommend against the use of topical antimicrobials, PUVA phototherapy, and strongly recommend against systemic corticosteroids.

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