Why are we doing this study?

Currently there is very little evidence to suggest which moisturisers are most effective and acceptable in treating eczema in children. Moisturisers come in different forms (lotion, cream, gel and ointment), and often many are prescribed before a patient finds the right one for them. Only by doing this study can we identify which one should be prescribed initially, in an attempt to reduce the number of GP visits and prescriptions needed following diagnosis.

Which treatments are being tested?

The BEE study is testing four types of commonly prescribed moisturisers, all of which are currently available for GPs to prescribe. These are:

• lotion
• cream
• gel
• ointment

Which specific moisturiser you get will vary between the different parts of the country, but they are all similar within each type of lotion, cream, gel or ointment.

Who can take part in the BEE study?

Children with at least mild eczema, aged between 6 months and 12 years, registered with one of 75 participating GP practices in or near Bristol, Nottingham and Southampton. Children who have previously shown sensitivity to any of the moisturisers being compared will not be able to take part.

What is involved in taking part?

Each child will be followed-up for one year. Once you have expressed your interest in participating to the BEE study team, you will be contacted to discuss this in more detail and arrange an initial visit. Here, the researcher will explain the study, take your consent and examine your child’s skin. The below diagram provides more information as to how the trial will progress:

During your time in the study, you may be invited to be interviewed about your child’s skin and their treatments. This is optional and if you choose not to participate, this will not affect your child’s participation in the main trial or their usual medical care.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of taking part?

Many people find it rewarding taking part in research, and appreciate the additional contact with the researchers. We cannot guarantee that the study moisturiser will improve your child’s symptoms, but the research will help doctors to know how beneficial the tested moisturisers are in the future, and which treatments to recommend for children with eczema.

You are not able to select which moisturiser your child is allocated, as this is selected randomly. If your child experiences side effects, please discuss this with your usual GP. You are free to stop using the study moisturiser at any time, but we would ask that you discuss this with your GP.

You will be asked to give up some time to meet with a researcher (twice over four months) – this will be in a convenient location for you (i.e. your home). The researcher will not be aware of which moisturiser you have been using during your time in the study to ensure this is a fair assessment. Additionally, we will ask you to complete surveys regarding your child’s eczema and their treatments.

Qualitative Study

Lots of families will be taking part in the BEE study, but we will be asking a small number to be interviewed by a researcher from the University of Bristol.  We would like to find out what participants in the study think by asking them questions about their opinions and experiences of using moisturisers for their child’s eczema, even if they have stopped using their study moisturiser. In total, we plan to interview up to 60 parents/carers and, with permission, some older children who are taking part in the study. This information will help us to better understand which types of moisturisers for eczema patients prefer and why. In future, this may help GPs to decide which moisturisers to recommend to other patients.