Water softeners for child eczema assessed

News release from the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment

08 December 2006

New research commissioned by the HTA programme will investigate whether water softeners help reduce the severity of eczema in children. Eczema affects up to 20% of schoolchildren in the UK, but most treatments only suppress the condition and often have unwanted side effects. There is evidence to suggest that water softeners may help eczema, and one of the key benefits is that they have no side effects, but a definitive study is needed.

The clinical trial, led by Professor Hywel Williams and Dr Kim Thomas at the University of Nottingham, will compare the use of water softeners with normal eczema care such as corticosteroids to see if the devices improve child eczema and whether they reduce dependence on other treatments. The researchers will also look at the costs of the treatment to parents and the NHS.

The study will involve more than 310 children with moderate to severe eczema from across four regions in England (Nottingham/Leicester, Cambridge, London and the Isle of Wight). Each child will be in the study for 16 weeks. All of the homes where the children live will have a water softener installed for either four weeks or 12 weeks. Their eczema will be assessed at regular intervals and their night scratching movements recorded by a special wristwatch.

Key collaborators in the trial are a team of water softener manufacturers led by the UK Water Treatment Association (UK WTA), who will provide technical and scientific advice, as well as meeting the costs of producing and supplying the water softeners.

“Eczema can be very distressing, affecting self esteem and confidence, and it is also particularly difficult for parents to see their children suffering,” says Professor Williams. “There has been lots of speculation about the potential benefits of water softeners, as for some time it has been believed that hard water could worsen the condition. This trial should finally provide us with some answers.”

For more information or to register for an email alert when the project is published visit: http://www.hta.ac.uk/project.asp?PjtId=1520

Notes for editors


  1. The HTA programme is a programme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and produces high quality research information about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest of the NIHR programmes and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with more than 400 issues published to date. The journal’s 2007 Impact Factor (3.87) ranked it in the top 10 per cent of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk The HTA programme is coordinated by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), based at the University of Southampton.
  2. The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility.  The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training.  Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk

Contact details

Naomi Stockley, Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 646, Email: ns5@soton.ac.uk

Helen Nikandrou, Assistant Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 584, Email: h.nikandrou@soton.ac.uk

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