Age Specific Patterns of Childhood Skin Disease in Southwestern Nigeria: A Multi centre Study

Paediatric dermatoses contribute substantially to childhood morbidity and impaired quality of life, yet data from resource-poor settings remain limited. This study describes the age‑specific and geographic distribution of dermatoses in children attending dermatology clinics in suburban and semi‑urban centres in Southwestern Nigeria A 5-year retrospective multicentre study (January 2020–December 2024) was conducted among children aged ≤16 years attending dermatology clinics in suburban (Ile-Ife) and semi-urban (Owo) communities in Nigeria. Demographic characteristic and primary diagnoses were extracted from clinical records. Diagnoses were categorized by aetiology and age-group. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and crude odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, with statistical significance set at p<0. 05. Among 589 children (mean age 7.9±4.8 years; 53.7% male), non-infectious dermatoses (71.1%), particularly eczematous (29.2%) and hereditary disorders (10.2%) predominated. Infectious dermatoses (36.8%) were significantly more common among children aged 0–11 years (p=0.012). Fungal infections peaked among school-aged children (p=0.013), while viral dermatoses were most frequent in preschool-aged children (p<0.001).  Children in the suburban cohort had significantly higher odds of infectious (OR=1.72; 95% CI 1.18–2.50; p=0.004) and eczematous dermatoses (OR=1.72; 95% CI 1.15–2.56; p=0.008). Whereas hereditary skin conditions (OR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.34–1.03; p = 0.061) and papulosquamous dermatoses (OR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.33–1.06; p = 0.098) were more frequently observed in the semi‑urban setting. Eczematous dermatoses dominate paediatric-dermatology consultations in Southwestern Nigeria, with distinct age and geographic patterns. Early‑childhood programmes should prioritise recognition and management of infectious and eczematous conditions, while school health services should strengthen fungal infection screening and treatment. Keywords:  Dermatitis; Eczema; Child, Adolescent; Mycoses; Prevalence