Abstracts Psychology

Development, Parent Stress, and Parent Coping in Children with Atopy

by Elisabeth Corrine Cowin

Pediatric atopy, or the susceptibility to develop atopic diseases such as eczema, allergies, and asthma, is associated with developmental vulnerability, occurrence of neurodevelopmental disorders, and parent stress. Children with atopic diseases often exhibit developmental concerns related to hyperactivity, inattention, emotion dysregulation, and executive functioning. Parents of children with atopic illness often experience heightened stress related to symptom uncertainty and worry regarding their child’s social, behavioral, and academic functioning. This study examined how developmental vulnerability and assets, parent stress, and parent coping vary as a function of child group (i.e., Atopy vs healthy controls) and the relationship between developmental vulnerability and parent stress. Results demonstrated increased total developmental risk and behavioral and emotional developmental vulnerability for children with atopy. Knowledge regarding the association between atopy and developmental vulnerability can assist pediatric primary care providers in identifying developmental risk for young patients so families can access necessary early intervention services.