The next educational program, the School of Atopy, is scheduled for December 9th, 2023.
The Atopy School is an interdisciplinary educational program designed for parents of children suffering from atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and other atopic diseases such as allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. The purpose of this training is to explain the causes and pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, identify aggravating factors, and provide instructions for the proper implementation of therapy.
Furthermore, it’s important to assess the potential association between atopic dermatitis and nutritional allergies because it often necessitates an elimination diet of specific foods. This can be challenging for parents due to concerns about potential nutrient deficits resulting from the elimination diet.
The first “Atopy School” was organized in 2004 in Germany and has been widely documented to improve disease control. In France, Professor Stalder initiated the Atopy School in Nantes in 2006, and in 2007, Professor Carlo Gelmetti began a similar program in Italy. This has created a network of Atopy Schools throughout Europe.
In Croatia, the first School of Atopy was organized by dermatologist Lena Kotrulja, MD, PhD, in 2011 at the Clinical Hospital Centre “Sestre Milosrdnice” in Zagreb, Department of Dermatology and Venereology. Since then, more than 1000 parents have participated in this educational program, contributing to increased awareness and improved standards of care for children with this chronic, relapsing skin disease.
The training program includes lectures on etiology, treatment, proper skin care, and factors that can exacerbate the condition. An interactive workshop is also organized to provide instructions on the proper application of therapy and skin care, including topical corticosteroids and immunomodulators, as well as “wet wraps” in cases of skin inflammation. The workshop also covers counseling on appropriate nutrition, with a special emphasis on infancy for primary and secondary prevention of atopic dermatitis and other atopic diseases.
