Influence of sunflower seed oil or baby lotion on the skin barrier function of newborns: A pilot study

Background: Skin care influences skin barrier function during the first postnatal weeks. Although the use of natural oils in preterms has been investigated, there are currently no data comparing the effect of sunflower oil to an emollient on barrier development in healthy term newborns. Methods: In a prospective, randomized clinical study, 50 healthy full-term newborns aged <= 72 h were randomly assigned to two groups: group baby lotion (L, n= 22) and sunflower seed oil (SSO, n= 24). The skin barrier function was evaluated in three anatomical areas (front, abdomen, and thigh) by noninvasive assessment of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration (SCH), sebum, and skin pH at inclusion and after five weeks. Results: In both groups, skin pH decreased and SCH increased statistically significantly in all measured areas at W5 compared to baseline. TEWL decreased statistically significantly on the forearm in both groups, on the upper leg in group L, and on the abdomen in group SSO. Conclusions: Both skin care regimes did not harm skin barrier function adaptation in healthy term neonates during the first five weeks of life.