I didn't know this until recently but it makes complete sense. When my daughter was an infant, her pediatrician noticed some eczema on her skin and he predicted that she would have asthma at an early age and possibly food allergies. Sure enough at age 2 1/2 she had her first asthma attack that put her in the hospital. Around the age of 5 she developed the first signs of food allergies to nuts and peanuts.
From time to time I've wondered how the doctor knew this was going to happen. It wasn't until I read about the "Atopic March" that it understood. There is a connection between early onset of eczema and atopic immume response (such as food allergies) later in life.
Here is a good article from the National Institute of Health. It's a little academic and clinical but it explains it and is an interesting read.